The world of games today is unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
Fast-moving. Boundary-pushing. Exploding with new features, new abilities, and new methods for keeping players engaged.
Do you feel like you are keeping up?
Is your game doing everything it can to carve out its place in the market? Is it pulling in new users, exciting them with new content, and holding onto them for longer than just a couple of game sessions? Is it growing its economy, fostering its community, and making things more and more personal for the people playing?
In other words: can you really and confidently say that your game has what it takes to compete?
The difference between a yes and no answer is simple. Deceivingly simple. Because it really all comes down to one strategy.
LiveOps.
The key to nailing user engagement over the long-term. The secret weapon for higher retention, higher conversion, and a more sustainable bottom line. And -- let’s not forget -- the catalyst for launching the wildest era of games our industry has ever seen.
It’s creativity on overdrive. It’s invigoration on speed dial. And it’s personalization like your audience wouldn’t believe.
LiveOps is the strategy that’s powerful enough to get your game soaring sustainably. But you probably already knew that. I'm sure you’ve heard the name tossed around a time or two. But while the pros are talking about it, they’re not really explaining it.
Explaining things like: how do you actually get it working? When do you start orchestrating which processes? And how do you know -- really know -- if the techniques you have in place are as good as you think they are?
Hey, I said LiveOps was powerful -- I didn’t say it was straightforward. At least, it hasn’t been. I'm going to try and help guide you through it. And if you disagree or see better ways to approach things - message me on linkedin.
Because quite honestly, I write to more so I can learn than to teach others. So please, teach me something.
So sit yourself down, get a cold drink ready, and feast your eyes on the magnificence that is The How To Guide to LiveOps in 2021.
It’s 2021. We’re in the new era of games. So get to know LiveOps -- or don’t be mad at me when you get left behind.
LiveOps: Defined
I've thrown the name around and I’ve waxed poetic about the strength it has to offer, but now I'm going to break it down. In layman’s terms. So you can navigate its potential with a clear eye on what every building block inside it actually is.
Let’s get into it. In concrete language, LiveOps are the updates, enhancements, and new content you bring into your game -- in the hopes of giving your players the fresh nourishment they need to keep coming back to it.
What do updates, enhancements, and new content look like in practice? Think short-term events and cosmetic changes. Think new feature releases and new modes for playing. Think opportunities for personalized experiences.
Anything you can add to the mix that heightens the feeling of freshness without detracting from the core identity of the game. That’s what you’re aiming for here. But here’s what that doesn’t look like:
Bug fixes
Lag optimizations
In-game economy tweaks
Essentially, anything that’s integral to the game’s overall functionality, and anything that requires you to change the source code or build new mechanics, isn’t LiveOps. So don’t call yourself a LiveOps King if all you’re doing is fixing and optimizing -- for this strategy to work, you need to have all of your creative thinking caps on deck, all of the time.
And you need to get innovative with it. You need to offer the unexpected and keep your players on their toes.
Think it sounds like too much work? Think you can skate by with minimal LiveOps effort on your to-do list? Think again -- because especially when it comes to F2P games, LiveOps is integral to your success. And not just your success today, but your staying power tomorrow.
It’s common sense: your business model has monetization happening after the download, so your users need to be around for long enough to be monetized. LiveOps works by keeping them coming back. It works by giving them fresh new ways to engage, by surprising them with doses of personalized excitement, and by making them feel like they’re a part of a real community.
In simple terms? Games that use LiveOps are the games that stay around. They’re the games that outperform the ones that were too lazy, too unconvinced, or too unmotivated to take on the new way of doing things. Need some sage wisdom direct from an industry expert to seal the deal? CEO of Space Ape Games Simon Hade identifies the capacity LiveOps has for transforming what’s possible for a game.
“It does not necessarily guarantee downloads,” he says.
“What it ensures is that if you get some traction with your game, you’re able to more safely and predictably turn that into a sustainable business.”
Odds are, you already have a game you’re betting on. You already believe in the unique potential it brings to the table. The question is, are you going to go all-in on an outdated model of operations? Or are you going to protect your future success by investing in a framework for sustainable -- and consistent -- growth?
I'm not here to make your calls for you. I'm just here to give you the breakdowns you need to make the right ones.
Speaking of…
Let's talk about your prep work.
LiveOps: The Prep Work
Here’s what I know: when you give players a reason to stay loyal, they react the way you want them to. They stay loyal. They keep coming back to your game, engaged with both the familiarity of the core challenge and the sparks of freshness you provide to keep things interesting. I don’t mean to be dramatic, but maintaining that balance -- between familiarity and freshness -- is, from here on out, your life’s work.
Maintaining that balance -- between familiarity and freshness -- is, from here on out, your life’s work.
So yeah, in today’s world, players are ready to play the same game for years. But in order to get them coming back through birthdays, degrees, and milestones, you need to be offering them something special. Something personal.
And that ability to personalize, to engage, and to retain all comes down to how strong a handle you have on your LiveOps. And the strength of that handle? It comes down to how well you prep.
Here are the steps:
Step #1: Build the right LiveOps team.
If you want to guarantee that your LiveOps are hitting the notes you need them to be hitting, you need the right people for the job. And before you jump to conclusions -- no, that doesn’t mean the techiest people in the room. What it does mean is the most passionate ones. The people who live, love, and breathe games. The people who have inside insight into what’ll work well, gut instinct when it comes to trying out new things, and -- most importantly -- a player mentality.
Professionally, if you can find employees that have experience in customer support or community management roles, that’s a great background to narrow in on. As Space Ape’s Hade says
