In online gaming, big data is extremely important. Big data is one of the most important factors driving the growth of online and social gaming. Yes, we’ve been able to collect it for quite some time, but our understanding of how to leverage big data for monetization and optimization is only now beginning to bear fruit.
Big companies like Microsoft see the value in combining data and are buying up gaming startups like Minecraft for $2.5 billion because they know that big data will be important in the long run and need data-forward companies to help them mine and analyze user behavior.
Furthermore, big data businesses are seeing the potential of online gaming and are developing sportsbook software systems to serve this niche industry. Smaller developers don’t always have the marketing funds to fight for a bigger slice of the pie, and they don’t always have the budgets for data scientists to interpret all the data they’re collecting.
Here are a few ways how online gaming industry uses big data analytics:
Freemium
Freemium, also known as free-to-play, is a business model in which customers can use games, software, movies, or web services for free but must pay for additional features. Players don’t pay cash right away; instead, they use micro-transactions to improve their experience or get an advantage over other players.
Only if there are statistics to back it up is this a wonderful monetization tool. Because there is no upfront cost, freemium encourages quick engagement and lets developers see what a new customer does, where they get stuck and stop playing, and what makes them buy in-game items. Freemium game mechanics are designed to encourage players to make in-game purchases and, as a result, keep them playing for longer.
Big data allows game producers to reliably analyze, anticipate, and track player behavior throughout the freemium period, allowing them to improve the experience and increase the possibility of customers changing to a premium model.
Developing a game
Big data emphasizes the necessity of giving users what they desire in game creation. Using behavioral data to adapt the game based on what is doing well means creating games that are tough but not so difficult that users become discouraged and give up.
EA, the online game developer best known for FIFA and NBA, uses smart data to better grasp the importance of offering consumers what they want. They watched and analyzed how people played their games to see how well they were doing. They then used this information to change and improve the games.
Personalized advertising
Customized 1-to-1 marketing, people-based marketing, and other buzzwords explain how marketers are trying to get rid of aggressive, irrelevant advertising and replace it with highly targeted encounters.
It’s the same with online gaming. Gaming companies may produce compelling marketing messages using big data. The idea of playing a mobile game may sound intrusive, especially with all of the data being collected. But game companies are using this information to give their customers more of what they will like and less of what they will hate.
Conclusion
The gaming industry is constantly evolving, with new gaming modes and platforms appearing all of the time. Leveraging big data is the key to tapping into the ever-increasing number of game enthusiasts around the world. Technology has changed the gaming industry and is here to stay. It has brought about a new era of games that are based on data.