Co-founder of predictive analytics specialists GamesAnalytics, Mark Robinson is a behavioural analytics expert bringing a wealth of customer relationship know-how and experience to the games industry.

The advent of the free-to-play model has presented both new challenges and new opportunities for the games industry.

One of the bigger opportunities is the sometimes overwhelming feedback now available from players, and being able to respond to how players interact with your game.

Never before has it been possible to understand what experiences players are having in-game, an insight which enables publishers and developers to reactively build better engagement and monetisation mechanics.

Long gone are the days when million dollar development budgets rested on the whims of a small focus group. Now it is possible to understand actual player behaviours in real-time. Games will never succeed without a great creative idea, but those ideas are now supported by direct player feedback and data analytics, taking the guesswork out of game development.

Why stop there?

Once analytics has determined the different player experiences in-game, it is also possible to build personalised experiences with players through targeted messaging.

For example, if a player is finding a mission too difficult and becoming frustrated, messaging can be used to offer appropriate hints and tips, or if they are bored they could be given incentives or tougher challenges so they remain engaged and don't leave the game.

Social players should be rewarded even if they don't pay to play, as we know their influence far surpasses their direct income generated and high value players are, of course, rewarded for their loyalty and commitment.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has long been a fashionable term in financial services and retail sectors – describing how organisations seek to engage with their customer base. The new doctrine in games is Player Relationship Management.

Responsive

Publishers and developers have the ability to know a great deal about an individual's gameplay and respond to it with intelligent, appropriate and timely communications. It's about enhancing both the player experience and engagement; and yes, ultimately revenues.

Games that are able to respond to real-time player behaviour will become the norm in the next few years and players will come to expect a level of support and interaction with the games they play, allowing them to progress further and take greater enjoyment from the experience.

With that in mind, here are GamesAnalytics' top tips for effective messaging, to make sure you stay ahead of the curve.

1. Less is More

Don't over-message, especially while players work through tutorials in early sessions. I was offered a discount on coins in a casino game the other day even before I had reached the lobby for the first time.

In mobile games, the combination of push notifications, in-game messages, prompts to update the version, offers, daily bonuses etc. can be overwhelming. As you build generic messages into the game design, take a minute to think of the experience from the ambushed player's point of view.

2. Be patient

Asking for money before the player has engaged with the game creates retention issues. The first few levels should be about showcasing the game's features and encouraging desired behaviours e.g. visiting the store or learning to customise your avatar.

Players who do actually spend in the first session tend to want 'instant gratification' but will not necessarily continue to spend and quickly fall out of the game. Once players have passed through the first few levels and 'earned their spurs', they are engaged and so much more likely to monetise and turn into high value players.

3. Suggest, don't instruct

Players do not like to be told; they prefer to discover things themselves. Consequently in-game messaging should hint and suggest rather than instruct and command. Appropriate message tone is vital to create an engaging environment and good copywriting skills are an under-valued asset.

4. Don't let the horse bolt

Don't wait for players to return before you award them with a bonus; if they don't return they'll never know! Clearly sign-post which behaviours will generate rewards. Being coy is not a good thing in marketing.

5. Triggers are good

Similarly, if a player's resources are depleted, make them an offer, or if at an early stage in the gameplay, even gift them some more. If a player repeatedly fails a mission, you need to take action before it is too late. Implement triggers to enable timely communications.

6. Be appropriate

Ultimately the most effective messaging is when the player feels it is directly relevant to them. Segment players based on their playing styles to enable you to make relevant offers e.g. weapons and ammo to aggressive players; shields and boosters to passive players; decorative inventory to players who like to customise their character.

There are a variety of reasons why players take the plunge towards first payment. Making an offer that is appropriate is far more likely to succeed than uniform or blunt targeting.

Where we're heading

The future of games will include effective in-game marketing so let's think about players first, and from that will come truly engaging games. The games industry is re-orientating itself to be more player-centric and is evolving the sophistication of both analytics and messaging to create personalised experiences for its players.

The potential is there to be unlocked and the richness of data available leads to greater opportunities to build gaming environments for all types of players.
To find out more about GamesAnalytics and the services it offers, take a look at the company's website.