Engagement of players: the role and impact of events in free-to-play games
In the world of free-to play gaming today, in-game activities have become an important source of success and satisfaction for players. The challenge for developers is to keep players interested and ensure the longevity of the games.
When it comes to precisely balancing engagement with monetization and community dynamics, events play a multifaceted role.
We will explore the reasons why free-to-play games are thriving.
First, new events keep players engaged by introducing something fresh
Challenges and experiences. This keeps players interested, and ensures a stimulating and engaging game environment.
We can increase the number of attendees by offering exclusive items and bonuses that are only available at certain events.
Encourage the player to buy those. This strategy increases the financial performance of games.
Events that are timed can be used to motivate players to play the game regularly. The events are important for players who are at the end of the content and waiting for the next update. The players have another reason to log in and participate regularly, thereby affecting the retention of this player base.
By encouraging competitive play, for example by adding leagues, like in Forge of Empires you can encourage players to consistently play the game, as the higher the league the greater the reward. As players compete against each other, they often feel more accomplishment and progress.
Events also encourage cooperation among players. Since events are played by the majority of players to win event-exclusive rewards, they are a popular topic for discussion with most players. Guild members will often discuss an event, or share tips and tricks to help them progress more quickly or efficiently. Or, they can share their progress on an event and cheer each other on. Real human connections develop, which helps to retain players.
Finaly, events are a great way for developers to get feedback from players and gain insight into their preferences. It’s not easy to balance an event across the entire player base, since each player has different expectations about the time and effort required to complete it. Events provide valuable insight that can be applied to future updates, enhancements, and new events.
You can see that in-game events are not just beneficial to developers. In-game events can be used to maintain player engagement both emotionally and financially. They also ensure a constant revenue stream.
