Built around the concept that ill-advised push messages put off as many gamers as they engage, Fruit Ninja studio Halfbrick has press the reset button on its own messaging output in order to better connect with its audience.

The Australian studio has teamed up with analytics specialist OtherLevels in order to measure push notifications in 13 different languages and across a total of 24 time zones.

The idea, it's claimed, is to "fine tune" Halfbrick's messages to "generate longer play sessions, in-app purchases and other conversions, as well as the right moment to deliver push messages."

A matter of geography

"A gamer in the United States isn’t necessarily going to respond to a push notification in the same way a player in Indonesia or China would," said OtherLevels CEO Brendan O’Kane.

"We’re helping Halfbrick better understand its audience and drive ROI by showing which messages generate longer game play, increase in-app purchases and other conversions as well as the right moment to deliver push messages for maximum relevance and impact."

OtherLevel's platform uses 'A/B split testing' – analysing the degree to which one kind of message trumps another – to determine which form of messaging proves more effective.

It's the kind of study Halfbrick believes developers need to undertake in order to understand what gamers want, rather than simply farming out scores of standard push messages by default.

Engagement

"We wanted an experienced partner with international focus who could provide us with best-practice knowledge and deep strategic guidance on our push efforts so we could better engage the millions of active users who play our games daily," added Halfbrick CEO Shainiel Deo.

"OtherLevels’ expertise is unmatched and we couldn’t be more pleased to be working with them."

The two companies are yet to reveal the results of OtherLevels' testing – indeed, it's not even made clear if any findings will be made public at all – or even clarify what kind of messages will be under the microscope.

Nonetheless, it's claimed the study will provide the kind of "win-win gamers and marketers are looking for to keep players engaged with the real world while they play in a virtual one."