The gaming world is highly competitive. While there are hundreds of millions of gamers around the world, they don’t have infinite time to play, interest to invest in just any genre, or funds to spend on purchases. That means that developers need to stick the landing anytime they’re publishing a new game.
They also need to find a way to keep their players loyal after they download that title. In other words, it isn’t enough to create an interesting game with bold new mechanics. Studios, developers, and other gaming giants must also give their players something more—something unexpected.
So, how do gaming companies ensure that their players stay loyal? Here are a few of the core features that all developers—no matter their size—focus on.
Bonuses
The better the offer, the happier the player is. While the realm of traditional gaming might not include too many bonuses, like a BOGO deal, some gaming sectors really push their bonuses to attract new players. For example, virtual casinos often offer free spins for selected slot games.
While the entire gaming industry is competitive, virtual casinos face even tougher battles to get noticed. One way they do so is by offering welcome deals—and the most common sign up bonus on the market is free spins. Players love slots, which means casinos that offer heftier free spin bonuses have a much better chance of keeping players loyal.
Differentiation
From casual games to casino slots to hyper-competitive FPS games, all game developers must succeed in differentiating their products. This probably sounds obvious, but it’s a very difficult task. For example, a game like League of Legends now has a massive global following. Though it isn’t quite as popular as in its hey-day, it’s set a standard for MOBA games.
Now, developers in the MOBA sector need to find a balance between delivering all the magic of LoL but in a slightly new format. Players want new mechanics, challenges, features, and settings—anything that will slightly differentiate this MOBA from the last one. But not so much that it’s too unfamiliar—because players also don’t want that either.
Brand engagement
For many PC and console gamers, it’s important that they feel connected to their brand—especially if they’re already a loyal gamer. Microsoft’s Xbox, Sony’s PlayStation, and PC brands like BioWare face the added challenge of giving players a unique way to engage with their brand.
After all, loyal players want exclusive access to downloadable content, new updates that unlock new gaming experiences, and interactive opportunities like events (whether virtual or physical). Without these types of next-level brand engagement opportunities, there’s nothing special about showing loyalty to a studio or developer.
Quality
Similar to differentiation, producing quality games probably sounds obvious. But there’s a lot that goes into creating a new ‘high-quality’ hit, just like there is with figuring out how to differentiate games in popular genres. So, what goes into a quality gaming experience?
It’s not just about producing one good release, but a consistent number of great hits. Not only should these consecutive releases offer a great gaming experience, but they should also be tightly branded, aligned with the overall gaming universe, and offer a highly polished experience. In other words, quality isn’t a question of one-time delivery but of consistent and near-relentless focus.
In-Game Rewards
High-quality games create loyal players—but let’s dig a bit deeper into what makes ‘quality’. There should be a keen sense of in-game rewards and incentivisation. Usually, this is baked into a game’s format: defeat enemies, accrue resources, and so on. But it’s a little tougher in the realm of casual games.
For example, a match-three hit like Royal Match is endlessly playable… so long as players are able to do basic things like progress to new levels, unlock new gaming experiences, and earn exclusive in-game items. There needs to be a sense of continuity and growth for players to keep coming back. Even in the context of minigames and hyper-casual titles, that’s important.
Keeping Customers in Competitive Spaces
Whatever market you operate in, retaining your customers is likely to be more cost effective than winning new ones. So adopting strategies and tactics to keep them loyal is as important as it has ever been.
