The Vital Role of Player Engagement in Gaming (Part 1)

The importance of player engagement in gaming and how it contributes to the community, longevity of games, early problem identification, the collaboration between humans and artificial intelligence (AI) and innovative tools which can help drive player engagement


Author: Player Engagement and Playtest Analytics teams at GlobalStep



Player engagement is vital to the gaming industry because it enables players to have a fun and safe gaming experience. Player engagement teams deal with everything from cheaters and technical troubleshooting to creating a caring community for their players, but they don’t often get much credit. 

Proactive Player Engagement: Cutting Down on Post-Sales Support 

Proactive support means finding and fixing problems before they become big enough that you need help afterwards — this makes the game run more smoothly, too! Detecting cheaters using early intervention can be helpful in building trust with players and fostering loyalty which ensures retention (and thus success) for any title. 

Community and Game Longevity 

Effective player engagement strengthens communities and ensures that games last longer. Players who know their concerns will be heard are more likely to stay engaged within an environment they feel appreciates them; this also leads to additional people being retained throughout various cycles or updates of a particular game. Moreover, fairness is key if players are expected to continue recommending titles while still observing sportsmanship during matches. Apart from acting as an example among themselves, they are creating even greater harmony among all community members at large! 

Ban Case Management 

It is critical for there to be clear guidelines on conduct as well as an established system through which infractions can be addressed when bans come into play. The importance of fairness cannot be overstated during such procedures because consistency builds trust among participants, promoting positive interactions throughout any given social setting where supportiveness thrives alongside general encouragement towards mutual aid and understanding. 

AI’s Help in Finding Issues 

In a game setting, artificial intelligence (AI) can detect cheating and boosting by analyzing player behavior for oddities. AI also makes it possible to identify problems early enough so that they can be dealt with before becoming serious. A human support team works together along with their machine counterparts to offer personalized assistance to gamers. 

Direct Assistance for Players 

Positive user experiences can be created whenever people engage in tutorials or read FAQs while they play. Listening and responding to what users say or ask for in different titles not only builds community spirit but also keeps them coming back (which ultimately determines the success of any one game). 

Extending Game Longevity 

Continuous updates maintain title freshness and active player engagement elements within this process attract new players while retaining existing ones. Furthering community involvement periods make their life spans last even longer than before and help players to become more successful progressively over an extended period of time. 

Tools for Supporting Players in Innovative Ways 

GlobalStep’s Playtest Analytics utilize propietary tools for enhancing the player engagement experience. These tools include PlayTest, PlayerXP and Datalens, which collect information from players and assess their emotional responses based on video files annotated through PlayTest. 

PlayTest gathers sentiment information about how people feel when they are testing games. This can help us find out what parts of our designs or mechanics need to be fixed. PlayerXP marks up videos with emotions shown by players as they take different actions in the system. It gives us an idea of which areas we should focus on more depending on what kind of emotions people have at that moment. Datalens displays sets of data from various sources (e.g., surveys, interviews, etc.) so that decisions are not based on assumptions but rather backed up by evidence.  

With these instruments, we can learn about the likes, expectations and experiences of players while they play our games, enabling us to provide better service for players and eliminate post-sale support needs completely. 

In short, supporting gamers is vital for community building in the gaming world as well as prolonging a game’s life cycle and making it successful overall. Developers should create supportive atmospheres that encourage players asking questions at any time and solving problems before they grow out of proportion, ensuring interactions are centered on players.  

Utilize playtesting data together with imaginative tactics not only to improve the quality of video games but to ensure success in every game genre and for every single release. In today’s market, various kinds of gamers are always searching for something new, entertaining, tough, fulfilling, exciting and full of adventure. They want a one-stop shop for excitement while playing—a game that encompasses all these things may be considered “the perfect game.”  

While “the perfect game” may not yet exist, we can take necessary steps to improve fun by offering secure gaming atmospheres as well as support teams that aid gamers in this fast-paced industry. GlobalStep’s support methods are meant to guarantee safety and foster enjoyment in every game. Ready to take your Playtest Analytics to the next level in creating a proactive player engagement system? Request a meeting with GlobalStep to learn more. 

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