Big data or, to use its formal name, data analytics is one of the most important 21st Century developments. In our increasingly online world, it is the most powerful tool for learning, analysing, and influencing human behaviour.
Simply put, big data is the collection and use of information in order to make more effective decisions. It’s something humans have been doing since the dawn of thought, but on an immeasurably bigger scale.
The use of probability equations to understand likely outcomes and behaviours has been established since the 17th Century, However, where early mathematicians used small data sets for their calculations, modern analysts use big ones, really big ones.
Thanks to modern computer processing and data storage capabilities, the amount of data that can be used is almost unlimited. Billions of data points can now be collected and analysed in real-time, opening up a whole new world of possibilities.
This information is used in three basic ways regardless of the industry or application of the big data analysis. It is used to build understanding, which in turn informs decisions, and, finally, it is applied to influence future behaviour.
Let’s take mobile gaming for an example:
- Understanding
Live data is collected as the progress of a huge number of users playing an online game is tracked. Analysis of this data then determines a high percentage are getting stuck at a particular section of that game.
Moreover, the data reveals whether players persist to solve the problem or whether they switch off and don’t return. It allows game producers to fully understand their gameplay experience and how users respond to it.
- Informed decisions
Knowing a particular moment in a game is tricky is one thing, but this could be determined by pre-release testing. Knowing how that trickiness is responded to by real users is the key to deciding what to do about it.
If users find the challenge engaging and persist to solve it, then it should be kept. If users are simply put off by the difficulty, then it should be simplified.
- Influence
Because big data is collected and analysed in real time, it can be used to influence behaviour by testing changes. Is user engagement increased more by simplifying a challenge, or by changing the music played over it?
Big data allows analysts to quickly split users into test samples, run different gameplay changes, and analyse their effectiveness. It can test relative effectiveness for different demographics, gameplay experience, or any data subset to create personalised playing experiences.
An example of big data use in the mobile gaming industry can be seen clearly in online slots and casinos. This phenomenal 21st Century growth sector has taken advantage of big data in almost every part of its offering.
By analysing data from both their own users and those of competitors, gameplay can be fine-tuned in every way. Providers can measure engagement from the first search to the last moment a player spends on their site or app.
At its most basic level, this has allowed providers to establish which themes, colours, music, or graphic styles customers prefer. It will also analyse user responses to everything from button placements to the personalities of AI or live dealers.
The higher the level and longer the length of a user’s engagement, the more they are likely to spend. By using big data to track, understand, and respond to user behaviour, online providers can maximise engagement, and therefore revenue.
The face value result of this is the constant improvement of the gameplay experience for every customer. However, there is also another side to how big data is used by mobile casinos to increase their profitability: marketing.
Marketing for online casinos comes in two basic forms: advertising and incentivising. Big data is used to maximise the effectiveness of both.
- Advertising
Big data allows marketers to analyse every part of their advertising and its relative success or failure. Ads and their placement can then be altered or even personalised for maximum effectiveness from every penny of spending.
- Incentivising
The other way online casino providers attract new players, or reengage existing players, is through bonuses and promotions. For example, 888 are currently offering a 100% welcome bonus & free spins to attract new Irish players. Big data is used to analyse playing trends in order to maximise the effectiveness of these promotions.
For instance, a provider may discover the trending lunchtime habits of a certain demographic are checking Facebook then playing roulette. Offering a deposit incentive or bonus jackpot via a well-timed Facebook ad will increase the chances of engaging those customers.
Similarly, big data might reveal customers are more likely to deposit at certain times of month, around payday for instance. A “double your deposit” incentive at this time could increase that user’s total monthly play significantly.
Using data analytics, providers can track trending responses to all the different varieties of bonuses and tailored promotions. These can vary from deposit matches to free spins, or even to theming promotions to piggyback on trending world events.
Today, big data is used in every part of online gaming, including managing a GTA account, particularly in the casino and slot sectors. With the incredible success these data analytics have brought to the industry, it’s clear its use will only grow.
As techniques and capabilities increase, so will the application of big data to maximise the success of online gaming. Used responsibly, this will offer benefits to everyone involved, from the providers to the users.
Providers will continue to find ways to maximise and grow engagement and revenue and expand their user bases. Users, by the same token, will find their gameplay experience constantly improved and tailored to their own preferences.
The potential benefits and influence of big data, in this particular industry, at least, are endless.
