The business landscape surrounding games is complex. Today, there are many niches in the video game market like role-playing, battle royale, and mobile games as covered on iD Tech. The entertainment sector has also produced many of its own, including the recent growth of the iGaming market, which involves traditional casino game wagering and sports betting. Now, while casino titles are not related to video games, we have seen how similar game developers can be when choosing how to drive player engagement through graphics, sound, and in-game features.
Building Customer Loyalty In Gaming
Every business wants to find unique ways to drive engagement and traffic. The more engaged a consumer is, the happier they are. And the happier they are, the more likely they are to become repeat customers, which helps build brand loyalty and increase revenue margins. For instance, according to Experience Investigators’ research, 20% of a company’s loyal customers are responsible for bringing in around 80% of that business’ revenue.
To obtain loyal customers, game developers need to find unique ways to keep players online and give them reasons to return to their products and services. Doing this can improve the longevity of a franchise, which is what we saw happen after the Shenmue series became so popular that Sega released a third video game after fans became frustrated that there hadn’t been a new instalment in the series for 15 years.
Often, video game developers ensure uniqueness by having a good narrative or gameplay that hasn’t been done before. For example, Sega’s Yakuza 6 became extremely popular upon its release due to its masterful storyline. It didn’t matter that this video game was the sixth installment in the Yakuza franchise because fans were given something new and its success demonstrates that this is a fruitful avenue for game developers. Additionally, many console platforms like Nintendo Switch have started adding games from other countries to appeal to broader audiences. We saw this with the Valkyria Chronicles, which first rolled out in Japan before reaching the West in 2018.
Other Forms Of Entertainment That Drive Player Engagement
Casino title developers have also mastered this concept of adding attractive features to drive player engagement. For example, there are a range of online casinos titles that encourage strategic thinking and reflect the atmosphere of land-based casinos. Most importantly, these games entice players enough to want to play them again.
A great example of this are hybrid casino titles, such as Slingo. Slingo is a combination of video slots with modern bingo, which, as per ThoughtCo, has origins dating to the 1920s in New York.
Casino operators also offer promotions to entice players, such as free spins and no deposit bonuses. Of course, the use of rewards is something many industries in the entertainment sector do to generate customer loyalty. That’s especially the case in the cinema industry, as demonstrated by Chunky’s Loyalty Club. Lastly, online casinos have rolled out live casino titles, which allow players to communicate with real dealers from their homes through platforms like live casino Betway. These titles are attractive through their real-time interactive abilities and the several variations that are available, including live roulette, live blackjack, and live speed baccarat.
Consumers of all types need to feel motivated, seen, and that there is a reason for interacting. Video game developers have utilized several methods to drive player engagement, which the online casino industry has incorporated into its own business model.
