How Game Rewards Boost the Engagement and Retention of Mobile Gamers

It’s no secret that the majority of mobile games have a very short life-span. Many challenges are making life more difficult for game developers, like raising funds, identifying the optimal monetization policy, constantly maintaining and improving the app.

Three issues loom above all others — user acquisition, user retention, and user engagement.

How do you get your product noticed, downloaded and used (played) for as long as possible? To avoid having your product scraped from the market after barely leaving a mark, Monetizr has come up with a plan. Spoiler alert — it’s fun, and it actually works!

How to guide yourself through the jungle of apps

Today’s mobile gaming ecosystem is like a jungle — you may wonder what one has to do in order to endure, let alone make a big breakout. Everyone wants a slice of that 655 million dollar cake, but only the strongest and the most clever prevail.

The harsh truth is that the vast majority of products don’t get any recognition at all. Instead, they drown in the endless library of the App Store offers.

This is where user acquisition comes in — how are you going to make your app stand out and get those downloads?

Let’s say that somebody actually does find your app. What happens next? Most likely, it will linger on the user’s phone for a couple of days or weeks before getting uninstalled.

To avoid your app getting deleted, you have to work hard on customer retention, starting with understanding why your users leave. Here are some common reasons for being dumped by a gamer:

• Your game has bugs or an overcomplicated interface.
• Your game doesn’t offer anything valuable, helpful or unique (ouch!).
• Your game lacks new phases of gamification (and creates boredom without new levels, design elements, characters, etc.).
• You ask for too much personal data — unnecessarily.
• Your game is selling too intrusively — pushing for good ratings at the wrong moment can put off some users.

Keep reading to learn what you can do to keep your players interested and engaged for a longer time.

Learning from the Industry Giants

It’s worth pointing out that mobile gaming is an entirely different breed compared to the much more established PC gaming industry. However, any avid gamer will tell you that mobile game developers can learn a lot from their elder brother.

Think of World of Warcraft, one of the most popular video games ever made. Already a dinosaur by the industry’s standards, it’s been out for nearly 14 years. With that said, it still amasses millions of die-hard fans and newcomers on a daily basis. The secret of this longevity?

The gamer actually gets real value out of the game.

Assets, such custom swords, original skins for the weapons, and all kinds of other accessories (something that’s elevated to new heights by the Call of Duty franchise and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive) function as rewards for the hours invested in the game and the skill displayed during those hours.

Admittedly, mobile games would have a hard time replicating the mechanics that provide such conditions. Think of Pokemon Go, the overnight phenomenon that’s now become a skeleton for the global gaming community. A great premise was quickly worn out by the lack of apparent long-term benefits.

However, even the smallest indie mobile game has a huge potential if its neat design can be turned into a tangible product. In other words, clever gamification can help to monetize even a freemium model game.

How to monetize your mobile game?

We’ve come up with a plan that’s a win-win both for the gamer and for the developer — earning while playing, and being able to use the rewards to buy real-world stuff, including game-related merchandise. This is a cool way to extend the player lifecycle and solve issues of retention and engagement.

Monetizr enables game devs to create custom currencies to reward users, boost engagement, and drive revenue.

Just to be clear — this is an entirely different method than the usual in-game advertising. Unlike intrusive ads, Monetizr becomes an organic part of your game, enhancing the overall experience.

Monetizr is also the first gaming engine to integrate with Coinbase Commerce bringing cryptocurrency payments to mobile games for buying physical and virtual goods.

Powered by blockchain, the Monetizr platform rewards gamers with rewards for their time and skill. The rewards work across multiple games and platforms and can be used to purchase game-related physical goods (like t-shirts and toys) or sponsored goods (like Nike shoes and Amazon gift cards).

The Monetizr gaming engine uses artificial intelligence that provides valuable data on gamers and their playing behavior. This data then allows smarter advertising within the game and creating a more personalized ad experience by targeting players at the best times in order to extend the reach and better pique player interest. Monetizr also creates custom merchandise for your game and takes care of the orders, manufacturing, packaging, shipping and customer service. Truly, we make games better for everyone!

Summin’ Up

There are 2.1 billion mobile gamers worldwide, and this number is estimated to grow to 2.7 billion by 2021. These numbers might seem intimidating, but they also mean that your audience is definitely out there. You just have to find them, attract their attention, and keep them engaged with smart in-app rewards.

The ability to offer in-game currency across games and devices is a very powerful engagement and retention booster. We at Monetizr believe that blockchain technology is transforming the world of mobile gaming. And, on the other hand, mobile gaming could be the solution we’ve been looking to facilitate the broad adoption of cryptocurrency payments.

Like the idea of creating amazing gaming experiences for all? Be sure to give us a few claps and share the Monetizr story with family and friends.