How to get the most out of GameTune

Jon Watts, December 2, 2020

Maximize your machine learning results with these best practices

GameTune optimizes your players’ gameplay experiences in real-time. Leveraging Unity’s machine learning to automatically optimize and improve game elements, GameTune continuously learns, adjusts, and iterates.

Successful games are no longer simply launched – they’re “living and breathing” projects. And the studios behind them now rely heavily on data, which lets them better understand their players and offer personalized experiences.

This blog contains tips and best practices for using GameTune across several key game mechanics but, first, let’s look at how it actually works.

Choices, choices, choices

Choices lie at the heart of every game. GameTune evaluates the choices players can make in your game, consciously or subconsciously, and tailors player experiences accordingly. Since every player is unique – some pay, some don’t, some are highly skilled, some are not – it’s important to keep each player happy and maximize their lifetime value (LTV). To do that, you need to personalize their individual experience. 

Picture an old-school “Choose Your Own Adventure” game. Players begin in the same place, but end up somewhere unique via a series of branching decisions. Similarly, GameTune is constantly making decisions to tweak each player’s experience, without ever surfacing them to the player. The more data GameTune has to draw from, the better it can predict results and decide its next move.

Where do I start?

GameTune essentially works the same as any other machine learning algorithm – by practice. To start using GameTune, you need a subject KPI (key performance indicator) to maximize, and choices for it to make. GameTune learns from your game and your players in real-time to optimize and adapt the player experience.

This level of flexibility makes GameTune applicable to hundreds of possible scenarios but, to help you get started, we’ve outlined some effective common use cases below. Check out these three ways that GameTune improves engagement, monetization, and user experience (UX).

Engagement

Strategy: Allow GameTune to adjust game difficulty and level configuration

Creating a good first-time user experience (FTUE) for your players is absolutely crucial. However, a one-size-fits-all approach will leave large numbers of players either frustrated or bored and therefore at risk of churn.

Using GameTune to aid progression is a really effective way of making sure every player experiences your game at a pace and difficulty that suits them. 

Example: Struggling novices can be given a more gentle ramp-up, involving extra lives or helpful assets, while unchallenged experts can be fast-tracked to scenarios that will actively challenge and satisfy them.

Monetization

Strategy: Allow GameTune to control the type, placement, frequency, and value of ads in order to maximize player LTV

With such a variety of ways for players to both earn and spend in games, via ads or in-app purchases (IAP), the vast majority of players have the potential to generate significant revenue. GameTune has the key to unlock that potential.

Various types of spenders and non-spenders display distinct play styles, so GameTune can adjust ad strategy to accommodate each player’s approach to your game. 

Example: GameTune can reduce the frequency of ads shown to reduce frustration. It can also show these players more rewarded ads and adjust the value of the rewards offered to maximize engagement. 

User experience

Strategy: Allow GameTune to personalize in-game menus and store interfaces, using tailored recommendations to increase the chance of engagement

Different players are drawn to different offers and mechanics, so it is vital that their personal user interface (UI) surfaces and prioritizes the elements that are most appealing to them. GameTune can observe user flows and draw on data to predict which buttons and engagements to put where.

Example: GameTune can observe the contents of a user’s inventory, then combine this data with behavioral analytics to identify which offer bundle and format is most likely to attract the user. With control over priority and placement, GameTune can push that offer to the fore and put it on the player’s home screen – leaving other less appropriate offers in the store.

Learn more

GameTune is getting more powerful every day. If you’d like to put these best practices to work and see how GameTune can improve your players’ experiences, apply to be a part of our beta. Sign up here.