MCV/Develop 973 November/December 2021

Page 40

HOW TO CREATE ENGAGING SEASONAL EVENTS THAT BOOST YOUR MOBILE GAME REVENUES

W Kalle Heikkinen, senior market analyst at GameRefinery

hether it’s dressing up at Halloween or getting together with friends and family to celebrate religious holidays, events give all of us something to look forward to. And mobile game events, whether they’re seasonal promotions, brand partnerships or one-off events, give players something to look forward to. Not only that, they’re the perfect way to strengthen relationships with your players and increase player retention while capitalising on the hype around real-life events and trends. Outside of significant updates and DLC, events are an opportunity to make your game feel fresh again to lapsed players with a content overhaul, whether that’s by introducing new seasonal items or creating new worlds to explore – all of which can be monetised. Events are also a great way to test and trial new gameplay

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mechanics without giving anything away to new players. When they’re done correctly, in-game events can cause a surge in player engagement, introduce new players to your game, get the press talking and lead to sustained media coverage through journalists creating eventspecific game guides for collectibles. But pulling this off effectively requires a lot of time, effort, and research to ensure you don’t run the risk of alienating certain player demographics. All of this might sound tricky but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you’re planning for a festive update or looking ahead to next year, here are our top tips to help you pull off your in-game events without a hitch, along with some great examples of successful seasonal events for reference, as seasons are a great excuse to host in-game events.


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