Competition in digital play is increasing day by day, and retaining players on one digital gaming platform is difficult. Loyalty tiers are an efficient way to address this challenge. With easy and achievable targets, players get hooked on the game. Gradually, the difficulty level increases to make it interesting for players.
Competition in the online gaming industry is increasing every day. Data shows that approximately 49% of players prefer to play their favorite game for more than a year. Top-notch gaming technologies, along with loyalty tier programs, are a big deal in keeping players loyal to the games.
With such a high number of loyal players in the industry, it becomes challenging for new games to make an entry into the market. However, the loyalty tier system can help grow and retain players for newly launched games.
But what is a loyalty tier program? Let’s find that out through this discussion.
What Are Loyalty Tiers in Digital Play?
It is a system to reward players based on their engagement in the game or the points they have earned. The longer you spend in the app, the higher your level of loyalty to the gaming app. The way of rewarding the player is through loyalty tiers.
After a certain level of accomplishment, they reach a certain level. For example, suppose a game has a loyalty tier system – Bronze →Silver→Gold→Platinum. With consistent gameplay and required points to reach all tiers, your loyalty to the game is also increased.
Once you clear a level of difficulty in the game, you get rewards like exclusive game elements, skins, an avatar, bonus points, and many more. You also feel a sense of satisfaction after clearing each level. Moreover, you also feel like an expert player once you reach the top level of the game. It is time when junior players look up to your gameplay style.
Loyalty is also rewarded in a different format. Say, for instance, someone play rummy online regularly on an app. When the app launches, suppose, a tournament or a championship, this long-time user gets instant entry.
How Loyalty Tiers Influence User Retention
In another way, you can say that the system works on a simple performance-based reward system. As soon as the player reaches that level, he gets rewards. Besides, reaching a level in the loyalty tier system releases dopamine in a player’s body, making the player feel motivated and happy.
As the structure is layered with several difficulty levels, players feel motivated to reach the next level once they complete the previous one. With time, this forms a habit of continuous playing, turning them into loyal players of the game.
Besides, region-based in-game leaderboards motivate players to continuously engage themselves in the games. Repeated login habits, motivation to reach the next loyalty tier, and a dose of dopamine – all these combined make them truly loyal players of the gaming platforms.
Loyalty Systems in iGames and Interactive Platforms
Card gaming platforms, or other fantasy sports apps, use the loyalty tier program to attract players to the app. For example, if you download the rummy app by A23, you can become an Ace Club member by making a deposit.
Once you start playing with real money, you can move through Ace Club tiers like Bronze, Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Ambassador. Once you start playing and go up in ranks, you start to enjoy it and want to play more.
Figure 1: How loyalty tiers work to retain players
Similar to this approach, several other card gaming platforms are offering loyalty points to attract customers and motivate them to play more and more. Such an effective way to engage people on the platform manages to retain them for a long time.
Key Features of a Successful Loyalty Tier System
To successfully implement the loyalty tier in any gaming platform, it has to be transparent, with achievable targets, and clear progress metrics. The system has to offer additional benefits to players once they achieve certain levels in the game.
Another successful tactic that gaming platforms can incorporate is a reliable in-game leaderboard. Players can see who is on the leaderboard and how much they need to improve to be in that place.
Games like Axie Infinity use daily login rewards for their users, which include valuable in-game elements. These elements can be combined to upgrade in-game avatars and unlock their special abilities. The main aim is to keep users coming to the app regularly, otherwise, they will miss the rewards of that day.
Challenges and Ethical Concerns
While loyalty tiers are necessary to keep users coming to the game and retain them for long, overusing the app might get them off-balance in their personal lives. For example, you are playing the game for hours to reach the Gold level. But you have a personal and professional life that must be kept on track.
While playing the game, there should be a balance between loyalty promotion and healthy play habits. For example, Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) has limited the number of hours one can play the game. Anyone under 18 years of age can play the game for a maximum of 3 hours, and 6 hours is the maximum limit for people over 18 years. This way players can enjoy a balanced life, maintaining their careers and enjoyment from games.
Future Trends: Adaptive Loyalty and AI-Personalized Rewards
The future of loyalty tiers can be more personalized with the help of Artificial Intelligence. Players’ activities and in-game performance can be assessed by artificial intelligence. Based on their performance, these AI tools can offer rewards to turn them into loyal players to the gaming platform.
Alternatively, you can invite your friends to play along, which will earn you further loyalty points. This can be more fun to play with your friends.
Use Loyalty Rewards, Enjoy Gaming
Why not enjoy gaming more while leveraging loyalty points? As you go playing the game, enjoy the reward points and scale up your gaming skills. Also, invite your friends on the platform to play and enjoy together. However, maintain a balance between enjoying the loyalty program and personal life.
Also Read: Why PR Remains Important in a Digital World
