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Optimizing player experience provides a fantastic return on investment (ROI). Not only does it prevent player churn, but it increases player happiness along with their inclination to make more in-game purchases.
According to a recent article published by Zippia, an improved customer experience can increase company revenue anywhere between 10–15%. This does not escape the realm of player experience. In fact, the payoff in having happier players might be even higher since there are millions of micro-transactions taking place every single day in the entertainment space. A 2022 survey conducted by AT&T shows that the average gamer spends around $76 each month on gaming. That includes internet, in-app purchases, new games, and additional purchases, amounting to roughly $1,000 a year and over $58,000 over the course of a lifetime!
Microtransactions are small amounts of value exchanged electronically so gamers and spectators can make in-game purchases. As stated by Investopedia, while many releases still make money from selling a hard copy or digital version of the game itself, more and more games see revenue coming almost entirely from microtransactions.
If a better player experience leads to more revenue, how can gaming companies create a more personalized gaming experience?
Most important: make sure that player experience is not an after-thought. Start planning early on to avoid unpleasant surprises at launch. While there are many areas that impact PX, below are some important aspects to consider:
● Quality assurance: having a thorough testing process in place is essential. Among the many tests that can be run, two of the most important ones are ensuring the game is bug-free while validating that players enjoy playing the game.
● Localization: adapt your game and content based on different geographies you’re launching your game in. You’re missing out on a large portion of players if your game is only available in English. Moreover, while many players might be able to play a game in English, their experience (and therefore inclination to spend more time playing) will be much better in their native language.
● Community management: players can quickly get frustrated, leading to trolls, spamming, negative comments, and even threats. Moderating content and ensuring a safe environment for everyone is key.
● Player support: last but not least, make sure that you have a well-trained team that is available to help out players that experience issues. Player support needs to be scalable (increase or decrease capacity based on your volume) and your team needs to be empowered to help players get back in the game as soon as possible.
It’s all flashy and fancy stuff… But can we actually measure ROI?
Although returns cannot be attributed to a single event, a few metrics can help to measure the effectiveness of your efforts. These are:
● Player spending & LTV
● Player churn
● Player satisfaction
It’s important to analyze data thoroughly. What has changed, and how has this impacted metrics? What feedback are players giving you — either indirectly (in the community) or directly (through player support or surveys)?
If planned and executed properly, it is possible to make a real difference. With more and more games out in the market, the player experience is essential to make your game stand out.
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