Data collection and analysis is the cornerstone of many modern digital businesses. Companies can use data to evaluate their customers and their particular preferences and behaviour, using this information to further improve and optimise the products and services they offer.
Gaming companies are no exception, many of them make extensive use of data analysis to inform development and make even better games. Let’s take a look at what kind of data gaming companies collect and how they use it. Keep reading to find out more.
Improving The Gaming Experience
The video games industry is enormous, with experts predicting its value will exceed $280 billion by the year 2027. It’s no surprise then, that the sector is highly competitive. Gamers are constantly looking for the next best title, and developers are vying to deliver to them.
Video game design and development isn’t a case of making a game blindly and hoping for the best, development studios will leverage player data and analyse this to make informed choices as they produce their games.
Gaming companies can track the movements of players in game and evaluate how they respond to specific in-game elements and stimuli. This information can then be used to help developers improve their games and remove features that gamers respond negatively to.
Modern games contain highly advanced logging systems that collect an incredible amount of data from all kinds of sources. Even seemingly insignificant in-game actions can be extremely useful for developers and can help them streamline games to make them more appealing to players.
Long Term Planning
While data can be used to influence and improve games today, developers also use it to develop long term strategies regarding the future of the industry. By examining which types of games are popular and analysing user preferences and demographic insights, developers can make predictions about future market trends and use this to inform future business decisions.
The enormous popularity of free multiplayer games like PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds and Fortnite are perfect examples of this. Fortnite in particular has become an absolute sensation, the game recorded 400 million registered users in 2021. Game developers worked to shift focus to large-scale multiplayer experiences in future titles to try and emulate the same kind of success.
Marketing Strategies
Marketing is an essential part of any successful business. Video game companies are no exception, marketing strategies are used to raise awareness of new games, attract new players, and retain current players.
Modern marketing methods are based primarily on social media platforms, with some of the major channels including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok. Each of these platforms attract different demographics, so gaming companies must analyse data to ensure they are targeting the correct platform to reach their intended audience.
Modern analytics tools allow for detailed insights and consumer tracking across multiple social media platforms. This can allow gaming companies to track customers across platforms and devices and create a comprehensive buyer profile. This information can then be used to develop highly personalised and targeting marketing and digital advertising campaigns.
Market research is the traditional approach to collecting data for marketing purposes, but it remains one of the most effective. It can be used by companies to connect directly with consumers and their thoughts and opinions first-hand.
Conclusion
Data is more important than ever. As the technology methods used to collect data become more and more advanced, companies are now able to accumulate data points across a range of different actions. Gaming companies, in particular, are at the forefront of data-driven design, they use it to provide even better experiences for players and customers.
