The world of the gaming industry is constantly changing and developing. Features and gaming options that were impossible to be considered in the past are now a part of video games or various mobile gaming apps, for instance, Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR and VR). We are pretty sure that you have heard the word live ops in the gaming world. Some of you might be familiar with it as well. But for those who have no idea about what are live ops and why are they important?. This article will be pretty helpful in learning and understanding the nature as well as the usefulness of liveops.
What Are Live Ops In The World Of Gaming?
LiveOps is the abbreviated form of Live Operations. It is a feature that constitutes a big chunk of the gaming industry. Almost all games available in the market now have the feature of liveops in them. So basically, what is Liveops? It is a feature that treats video games as a live platform and enables the developers to edit, update and launch new features and options in the existing video games rather than developing a new version each time there is a need to update the game.
Gaming Industry Before The Launch Of Live Ops
In the old and traditional times of the gaming industry, video games were treated as products. A product that, once launched in the market, can not be updated or altered in any way. If the manufacturer or developer wanted to alter or improve it, they would have to launch an updated version of the product (the game).
This was the face of the gaming industry before live ops games were launched. But once liveops entered the gaming market, the traditional ways of editing and upgrading got replaced by new ways. The main objective of LiveOps games was to assure player engagement, retention, and sales generation. By giving players the features of in-game events, new innovations, and promotions, game developers made sure that there will always be a factor to engage the players without making them bored of monotonous tasks.
Back in the days of traditional gaming, if a user found a glitch or a bug in the functioning of a game, there was no chance of fixing it rather than purchasing a new game or waiting for an updated version free of bugs. But still, there is no guarantee that the new version will have no bugs or glitches. Another factor was that once a player completed the game, there was no chance to return back. Neither did users like to do so as they wanted new stages rather than repeating the old ones. With the launch of live ops games, players not only enjoy the installation of new features but also get the chance to continue the game and enter a new stage once the previous stage is passed.
How Do LiveOps Contribute To The Gaming Industry?
LiveOps are essential for the gaming industry as they promote player engagement and retention. Back in 2022, the gaming industry faced a loss of 16% as consumers started to save their expenses which made developers focus on new strategies for monetization. A gaming report launched by Sensor Tower highlighted the comeback of game monetization through live ops games as this tech advancement not only helped in attracting new players and consumers. It also focused on making sure that the old player would not leave the gaming platform. This is a living proof of the fact that liveops not only helps in attracting players or users. But it is an essential tool for game developers as it helps them with the progress of the game.
What Are The Core Components In A Live Operations (LiveOps) Game?
Some of the components through which live ops games contribute to the gaming industry are.
- Promotion of events.
- Management of events.
- Updates content development.
- Data analysis.
- Customer services.
- A/B testing.
- Management of community.
- A proper system of customer problem management and segmentation.
A key point to remember is that the utilization of these components depends on the type of the game, the need of the situation, and the demand of the consumers. It is not necessary to bombard your game with all the available components as it will get confusing for the players and will lead to a negative image and reputation. Instead, game developers should opt for components that are necessary to elevate the gaming experience. If you are a beginner with a bit of information, it is better to ask for suggestions and take guidance from specialists in the field who can help you with making decisions.
What Are The Ways To Implement LiveOps In A Game?
The first and foremost way to implement LiveOps solutions is to listen to your consumers. In other words, a game developer should pay close attention to the feedback, problems, needs, demands, and solutions proposed by game players. Once you have a great system of customer feedback and services, the process of implementing live ops games becomes much more precise, more efficient, and more effective. If your customer problem is related to user retention, then you will implement solutions for that. If it is related to user engagement, then you will try your best to update features that support user engagement. If the problem is related to bugs and glitches, then you will pay attention to that. No matter what the problem is, the first step is to make your consumers feel heard, as they are the direct users of the product.
Depending on different problems and issues, some of the ways to implement liveops in your game are.
- New and updated features.
- Exclusively attention-grabbing content.
- Live in-game events for entertainment and engagement
- Bundles and promotions.
- New And Updated Features
The first method to implement liveops in a game is to add new and updated features in a game. These features should match the latest trends in the gaming world. For instance, the features of multiplayer gaming mode, in-game chats, voice chatting, different ways of feedback input, customization, and many other features are some of the fantastic and attention-grabbing options to elevate the whole gaming experience for players. As many features your game will include, the chances of maximized user engagement will increase. This will also help in keeping old players in the loop.
- Exclusively Attention-Grabbing Content
The updated content in a video game or gaming app refers to an upgrade in characters, environment, tools, and weapons. Another type of updated content is to edit the ways instructions or feedback is given, consoles are handled, and the launch of a new character as well. The purpose of launching updated content is to add an element of surprise and excitement to the game for players. This makes players pay attention to little details and get immersed in the game environment.
- Live In-Game Events For Entertainment And Engagement
Live in-game events are one of the best ways to develop interest among players. They are the most used strategy for user retention and also help developers test the launch of new features and how players are reacting to them. The launch of holiday live events, gaming competitions, mid-event announcements, and many other types of in-game events are proven to be useful for players as well as developers.
- Bundles And Promotions
Bundles are a unique combination of all the elements mentioned above. You can introduce weekly, monthly, or annual bundles for targeted consumers. These bundles can be free as well as paid; and can enable game players to have access to newly launched features, content, or a chance to participate in in-game events. This option creates a sense of importance and value among users. Another critical element is promotional offers. Through this feature, users can stay motivated by availing of promotional packages on completion of various tasks.
Benefits Of LiveOps For Video Games
Moving on to the next section of the article, we will now review some of the benefits that live operations (liveops) have for video games or mobile game applications.
- Adds To The Overall Game Life-Cycle.
- A Great Resource For Revenue Generation.
- A Source To Improve Player Preference.
- Increased User Engagement.
- LiveOps Improves The Overall Game Functioning.
- A Source To Optimize Customer Services.
- Opens The Door For Data Analysis.
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Adds To The Overall Game Life Cycle
The first and foremost benefit of live ops games is that they guarantee an increase in the overall game life cycle. The options to add new features, new gaming stages, characters, etc., make the game an exciting journey that players want to complete in order to reach the final destination. This means that your game would now require to be launched in a new version to do so. Instead, you can upgrade and edit the current existing version to increase the game duration.
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A Great Resource For Revenue Generation
LiveOps games are one of the best ways to increase sales, generate revenue, and maximize player leads. Players and game users nowadays get attracted to games that have unlimited features and provide them with an immersive gaming experience. They will not even mind paying some extra price to avail of the services of these games. If a liveops game succeeds in grabbing the attention of maximum users, it will become the best source of generating revenue and a guaranteed source of Return On Investment (ROI) rate.
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A Source To Improve Player Preference
The actual performance rate of a game is not assured when the game is developed but when it is launched in the market and users start playing it. This is when developers get to know the strengths and weaknesses of their games. LiveOps games give developers the advantage of notifying and observing the preference of players and making amendments according to the user’s needs and demands. This way, the player community will feel attached to the developers. They will feel valued, and developers will get the chance to edit the game as many times as they want.
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Increased User Engagement
LiveOps games give game developers the benefit of increasing user engagement in multiple ways. The options of running incentives, providing bundles, promotions, updated content, and many other features make sure that the users come back with a sense of trust and excitement. Liveops not only focus on increasing new users’ engagement but also values old players and maintains their interest in the game.
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LiveOps Improves The Overall Game Functioning
A smooth gaming experience and a properly functional game are something the developers spend day and night acquiring. It is one of the top features that are considered by users when playing a game or testing the performance of a game. Your development efforts and time will go in vain if your game does not function properly, leaving a bad reputation in the market. With the help of liveops, the gaming experience gets ten times better in functionality as it promises a practical and enhanced gaming experience for all users.
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A Source To Optimize Customer Services
The world of the gaming industry is always focused on providing the best services to customers so they can stay satisfied and happy. Another benefit of live ops games is that it optimizes customer services by providing a platform for customers to submit their valuable feedback. Another technique to get insights regarding customer feedback is through monitoring their actions and preference. No matter what option you go for, one thing that is assured while being a part of the LiveOps community is that it will always prioritize customer services and consumer feedback.
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Opens The Door For Data Analysis
Last but not least, liveops games enable game developers to share the load of data analysis duties or responsibilities. With the help of valuable feedback and user action or behaviors in the game, the software system of live ops games opens the doors for data analysis which helps developers to organize, observe, and detect strengths and weaknesses in the data. This also helps developers in finding solutions and implementing them to see results. Other valuable benefits of data analysis features are customer segmentation, event management, content development, and A/B testing.
Conclusion
With all the information given in this article, it is safe to say that LiveOps is one of the emerging technologies in the field of the gaming sector. It is high time for game developers to seek guidance from liveops specialists for video game development or mobile game app development. One of the best ways to do so is to join hands with a reputable mobile app development company and hire its services and expert solutions in this regard.
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