Tag: Gaming

How App Gamification Increases User Engagement

Today, many brands globally are incorporating gamification elements in their business apps. App gamification has become a standard feature used as an effective marketing tool today. It has not only improved customer engagement but also fostered loyal relationships. 

App gamification is the process of adding game-like features and activities to an app. The elements hook the customers to your product or service with an aligned business plan. 

If you are unsure of where to start, you can see professional help from UI & UX design services. The experts will help you design appealing interfaces with exceptional user experience. 

This article discusses how a gamified app can increase user engagement. You will also learn about the benefits that encourage customer loyalty.

 

What Is App Gamification? 

When it comes to marketing your app we can confidently say that app gamification is a new approach in the industry.It involves adding game elements in apps that are not designed for games. The reward systems motivate users to buy specific products or services. Hence, this experience engages the customer and keeps them coming back to enjoy the rewarding thrill.

Due to its competitive edge and high returns, many organizations have adopted this strategy. You can find app gamification in education, retail, healthcare, and financial sectors. 


How App Gamification Works 

As mentioned above, app gamification entails incorporating gaming features in business applications. You can use gamification to promote your business by offering customer incentives. Apart from customers, your employees can also enjoy the gaming activities. For instance, they can complete certain actions or buy products to earn points. When the users reach a particular goal, they get rewards. It could be discounted prices or freebies. 

You can allow customers to participate through your business app, website, or social media. With many digital platforms available, gamification is now a popular marketing strategy. 

How App Gamification Increases User Engagement 

Let us now explore how gamified apps increase user engagement. 

Behavior Reinforcement  

One of the huge factors that make gamification a successful technology is behavior reinforcement. It is an approach that rewards user behavior after accomplishing certain tasks. It is similar to playing a game and proceeding to new levels as you earn points. When you use gaming elements in your marketing strategy, customers feel more engaged and want to participate to enjoy the rewards later.

Thus, rewarding behavior is quite powerful since it provides a thrilling user experience. Once you give your customers free products after reaching a certain goal, they will return for more action. 

Moreover, you can include contests and challenges with impressive rewards. It will foster strong brand loyalty because of the interactive experience you offer the customers. 

User Control 

 

When you gamify your business app, you give your customers a controlling feeling. App gamification gives them the freedom to choose and interact with the game without restrictions. 

The customers will explore the game features and decide what they want to play. This allows the users to set their own goals and work towards seizing the rewards. As a result, the customers feel in control and enjoy an exciting gaming experience. 

Competitive Performance 

Another principle behind app gamification is user competitiveness. Many people love competing and thrive in achieving the desired goal. The gaming elements in your business app will satisfy the competitive desire and hook the users.

Once the customers receive a reward for an impressive performance, they will come back and compete again. Or they will want to be the best by outranking other customers playing the game. 

You can increase engagement by introducing score goals with rewards for customers who reach the goal. Health and fitness apps usually have a platform for sharing the best scores for users who attain a specific threshold. The app owners encourage sharing the scores on social media, which boosts brand engagement. 

Visible Growth

The mechanisms of gamification allow users to experience their progress. They can understand where they are in the game level and the remaining section. 

Many people love progress, and this applies to gamified apps. You can implement the growth aspect in your business app, gaining many followers. This approach results in high lead generation because the users will associate your brand with progress. 

Customers experience growth while having an enjoyable gaming experience. You can introduce gaming leaderboards that display the user levels and scores. So, the customer will know how many points they have remaining to get to the top score. 

What’s more interesting is that you can set your company goals and motivate the customers to attain the scores. However, it is essential to set realistic goals to avoid chasing the users away. 

When the users strive to beat the scores, they interact with your brand and enhance positive associations. So, whether the users will claim the incentives or not, the gaming elements will still be useful to your brand identity. 

Gamification Marketing

Unlike traditional marketing, app gamification is more interactive and fun. Many companies use the game approach to gain high user traffic and conversion rates. You can never go wrong in using game-based marketing for your business. 

Gamification marketing attracts users’ attention and keeps them yearning for more. This result is achieved because of the games’ engaging and highly addictive nature. 

Still, the gaming elements must have a direct connection to your business. Otherwise, your game-based marketing campaigns might flop. 

Benefits of App Gamification

Many companies are adding gaming elements into their business programs today. Here are some of the major benefits of gamification:

  • Increases customer engagement.
  • Boosts brand identity.
  • Offers important customer data.
  • Enhances customer loyalty.
  • Foster good relationships with new and existing customers.
  • Offers impressive rewards and customer incentives. 

Conclusion

App gamification is taking the industry by storm. Many organizations are adopting the approach to attract and retain customers. The reward system is effective since users love competing with and getting prizes.

All in all, gamification is a perfect way to increase user engagement and boost lasting relationships. So, ensure you hire skilled professionals to help you build an excellent app for your business.

 

Be the Boss – discover what it takes to be a Formula 1 Team Principal as the F1 Manager 2022 behind the scenes series steps onto the pit wall

Frontier Developments plc (AIM: FDEV, ‘Frontier’) today unveiled the first behind the scenes video for F1® Manager 2022, the major new officially licenced F1® management simulation game. F1® Manager 2022 will launch in summer 2022 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation® 5, Xbox One, PlayStation® 4, Steam and the Epic Games Store.

In “Episode 1 – Be the Boss” players are introduced to the role of the Team Principal, the individual at the heart of every F1® team. Team Principals are responsible for overseeing every facet of the team, from recruiting and retaining world-class drivers and staff, to engineering car components and setting the all-important race weekend strategy. In F1® Manager 2022 players will drive every decision, both short and long-term, as they aim to lead their team to glory in the 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship™. Frontier CEO and Founder, David Braben, introduces the episode before handing over to Game Director, Andy Fletcher, who leads players through a ‘factory tour’ of F1® Manager 2022 alongside Art Director, Matt Dickinson, and members of the development team.

As explained by Ross Brawn, Managing Director – Motorsports, Formula 1®, stepping into the shoes of a Team Principal will be a fascinating insight into a different side of F1®. Players will discover how they can take charge of their chosen 2022 F1® constructor, defining their own management philosophy as they seek to meet and exceed the expectations of their team’s board. Managing their budgets effectively, team bosses will have to balance short-term gains against long-term progression by designing and manufacturing new components for the current car, whilst keeping one eye on the following year’s design. Investing in facilities, drivers and key staff members will all be important considerations as players put their own stamp on one of ten official 2022 F1® teams.

This commitment to replicating the sport is emphasised by Frontier’s focus on offering a broadcast-quality presentation across race weekends, led by David Croft, Lead F1® Commentator at Sky Sports, whose iconic voice appears in-game alongside his fellow commentator and former Formula 1® driver, Karun Chandhok. As previously revealed, these are not the only familiar voices players will hear, as the voices of all 20 drivers from the 2022 season feature on an innovative team radio system, responding to the commands of their race engineers. A successful Team Principal will be expected to effectively manage tyre allocations, whilst charting a course to the podium in dramatic races that can change at any moment. Will players be the first to risk slick tyres on a rapidly drying circuit? Or will a poorly-timed safety car or red flag scupper expectations? F1® Manager 2022 presents a wealth of in-session data, offering Team Principals the ability to fine-tune their in-race strategies, as they influence the pace of each driver and manage their ERS deployment during key windows to shed those final vital tenths.

In future behind the scenes videos players can expect a deeper look at detailed art and audio work, including mapping 3D facial driver scans, motion-captured pit crew and creating bespoke audio profiles for each circuit. Players should keep one ear to their team radio for future behind the scenes content and further news on F1® Manager 2022 in the coming months.

F1® Manager 2022 will launch in summer 2022 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation® 5, Xbox One, PlayStation® 4, Steam and the Epic Games Store. The game is available to wishlist on the PlayStation store, Steam and via the Epic Games Store. Players can see the announcement video here.

PowerA Celebrates Cuphead – The Delicious Last Course With a Brand New Controller Design

PowerA, global leaders in video gaming accessories, is delighted to announce its new Ms. Chalice controller design in commemoration of Cuphead’s upcoming DLC – The Delicious Last Course. The new controllers, that showcase the ever-charming and adorable tritagonist Ms. Chalice in all her colourful glory, are available now for PowerA’s Enhanced Wired Controller for Xbox Series X|S and the Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch.

The new Cuphead design radiates all the animated, eccentric energy of the franchise. Its bright yellow hues are complemented by mint green accents, making for an extravagant and vibrant colour combo. The front faceplate is polished off with detailed, cartoon artwork from the game starring Ms. Chalice who rightfully takes pride of place. Cuphead may be ruthless, but with the new Ms. Chalice design, at least you’ll suffer defeat in style.

PowerA’s Enhanced Wired Controller for Xbox Series X|S boasts two mappable advanced gaming buttons and immersive dual rumble motors. For those who prefer Nintendo’s plucky handheld, the design is also available for PowerA’s Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch. This controller also features advanced gaming buttons for button mapping on the fly, motion controls for added immersion, and two precision tuned thumbsticks.

Whether you are most at home on Nintendo Switch or Xbox Series X|S, PowerA’s new Ms. Chalice design is the perfect way to prepare for Cuphead’s banquet of DLC content set to release on June 30th 2022.

For more information on the Enhanced Wired Controller for Xbox Series X|S and the Enhanced Wireless Controller for Nintendo Switch, please refer to the PowerA website.

Tech Review – Benks Whirlwind Phone Cooler

We all know smartphones can get hot with heavy usage, gaming phones in particular do and they have overcome the problem with heat dissipation solutions, all gaming phones now come with this issue solved and mobile gamers are happy, there is plenty of phones out there though that do not have a solution some may have vapour chambers made with copper and frankly many phones are not up to the gaming challenge, gaming phones are big and bulky and started off silly looking but over the years they got better looking and more slimlined and all this with the built in heat solutions..

Benks have come up with this simple plug and play solution for those who have a standard phone and want to keep it cool whilst gaming or vlogging, both these are taxing on a phone and cause it to heat up and it can damage your phone which is the last thing you need, to point out once applied you will lose the wireless charging if your device has it and the magnetic patch you apply to your phone is rather hard to remove, the unit itself can be powered by your phone or a wall charger and simply just sticks on the rear of the device and that is all there is too it.

This gets really cold it has to be said and I did not think it would be possible to get so cold, it is ice cold in fact nor it is noisey like other fans you might hear at home like your games console for example. Check the video below for more and see what it is all about.

Benks magnetic cooler techbuzzireland

 

  • Defeat the heat with the Benks Phone Cooler. Powered by advanced cooling technology for enhanced gaming performance and avoiding lag. Stay cool when the smartphone battle heats up.
  • Strong magnet, stick on like glue.
  • Undisturbed gameplay, Benks phone cooler brings peace, not noise.
  • Reduce phone temperature and maintain battery health.
  • Mute Engine Dissipation: Dual silent designing fan can efficiently emit wind from all sides, providing a stronger refrigeration effect, no disturbance to your gaming or your Vlog show.
  • Multiple Scenes Suitable: It is a must-have for mobile phone game players and vloggers who use their phones to make live streaming video

BUY

Video Link

PUBG MOBILE TO BRING THE BOYS TO THE BATTLEFIELD IN A “SUPE SPREE” EVENT

PUBG MOBILE, one of the world’s most popular mobile video games, has announced a collaboration with Prime Video, Sony Pictures Consumer Products and Sony Pictures Studios to bring players exclusive content from the Emmy-nominated subversive superhero series, The Boys.

In conjunction with The Boys season 3 premiere, streaming June 3rd on Prime Video, players will be able to grab a number of exclusive collaboration items, including the iconic super suits of Homelander, Starlight and Soldier Boy, as well as weapon skins, backpacks, a unique Supes parachute and much more.

Beginning on June 8th, players will be able to participate in a “Supe Spree” event, where they join The Boys infamous antihero, Billy Butcher, to build their own investigation squad and search for evidence of superhero wrongdoings. In the game, a horrifying series of unsolvable murders suddenly grips NYC. The mutilated bodies of Wall Street brokers and their clients begin to appear across the city. The police have no clues and city officials are demanding answers. In order to complete each challenge, players must work with characters from The Boys or their in-game friends to expose the truth. Players will collect evidence, unlock stories and ultimately reveal the superhero behind these heinous attacks to earn Billy Butcher’s Duds. The integration will also feature a series of weekly challenges, providing players with more opportunities to earn additional perks and rewards for a limited-time.

“The Boys is a groundbreaking TV series that has forever changed the entertainment industry with its irreverent take on superheroes,” said Anthony Crouts, Senior Director of Marketing for PUBG MOBILE. “We always strive to deliver fresh new content to our players and this collaboration gives us the amazing opportunity to integrate real-time elements of The Boys’ new season directly into PUBG MOBILE.”

 

PUBG MOBILE and The Boys collaboration content will be available from June 3rd to July 3rd to most players located in North America, South America and Europe. ​​Download PUBG MOBILE for free on the App Store and Google Play Store.

See the new trailer below.

Top 5 List of the Most Popular Online Games Today

There’s a huge buzz around the online gaming world in 2022. More people than ever own gaming consoles and PCs, while eSports events are continuing to grow in popularity. Quite simply, it’s a great time to be a gamer. 

Here’s an important question, though: what are the most popular online games today? 

This guide has a top 5 list for you to take a look at. If you like the sound of these games, make sure to give them a try. 

  • Online Casinos

Since 2020, online casinos have become something of a new crowd favorite. 

This is largely to do with the fact that people don’t have the time to visit land-based casinos. Instead, they would much rather play casino games online without the hassle of having to get dressed up in their smartest outfits. Plus, playing online is more fun anyway. 

You can try online casino gambling today. Make sure to learn the rules of each game before playing so that you can make smarter in-game decisions. 

  • Fortnite

Fortnite remains at the top of the PlayStation and XBOX digital downloads. 

There are two reasons behind Fortnite’s success:

  • The gameplay is great 
  • It’s free to download 

Throughout history, it’s not often that games like this are made free. This is why millions of people have embraced Fortnite and its battle royale concept. 

According to Dexerto, in 2022, a giant 268-272 million players log into Fortnite each month. 

  • PUBG Mobile

PUBG is another free-to-play battle royale game available on mobile. 

PUBG Mobile has been downloaded over 1 billion times, making it one of the most successful mobile games of all time. 

It provides players with the opportunity to enjoy some battle royale action wherever they are, whether it’s on a lunch break at work or during a hike in the countryside. Essentially, this is why PUBG has been downloaded more times on mobile than on console – because it allows people more flexibility. After all, you can’t carry your PlayStation 5 around in your back pocket! 

  • Minecraft 

Minecraft has been around for over a decade. During this time, it has solidified itself as one of the greatest games of all time, with over 238 million copies sold worldwide. 

If you’ve never played Minecraft before, it’s a fun, open-world game where you get to build different things, collect food to survive, and battle against other random players. 

The pixelated graphic style is one adds an element of charm to the game. It’s unlike most modern-day releases that come with blockbuster graphics. With Minecraft, you get something that looks like it was released in the 1990s. In a sense, the aesthetic is an intentional throwback by the developers to a bygone era in gaming, which is why Minecraft has an incredible nostalgia appeal. 

  • GTA V Online

Lastly, there’s GTA V Online. 

GTA V Online is the multiplayer add-on of GTA V. Here, players can explore the huge open world of Los Santos, customize their characters, invest in properties, buy flash cars, and so much more. 

GTA V Online was just recently released on new-gen consoles (PlayStation 5, XBOX Series X/S) with better graphics and mechanics, so make sure to check it out before GTA 6 finally releases!

Cottagecore Beekeeping Sim APICO Out Now #savethebees

Combining resource gathering, biology, and minigames with ideas from both real-life and fantasy beekeeping and gardening, APICO will teach players about the ins-and-outs of maintaining a healthy hive and the importance of our irreplaceable pollinating pals. The islands of APICO were once abuzz with different species of bees, and it’s up to players to rediscover lost species, cross-breed new ones, and populate each unique bee-ome. Progressing further into the game may also uncover some forgotten secrets. But that’s none of our beeswax.

Key Features of APICO include:

  • Breaking into Hives: It’s not as bad as it sounds! Collect materials, craft tools, and play fun beekeeping mini games to help rehome bees before releasing them back into the wild.
  • It Takes a Colony: Breed, collect, and conserve over 30 species of bees, like the Common Bee, the Forest Bee, and the Verge Bee. They’re all Queens in our book.
  • Bee2C Marketing: Fund the family business by making and selling honey, Apicola, and other beekeeping products. You’ll be a bee-llionaire in no time!
  • Cross-Pollination: Cross play with up to four players, regardless of where you purchase the game. Bees who work together, stay together!

 

APICO is now available on PC via Steam, itch.io, GameJolt, the Epic Games Store, Utomik, and Humble Store, for $19.99 USD, with a simultaneous console release following soon after.

SHADOW Announces Strategic Vision – Becoming the Definitive Cloud-Computing Platform for Gamers, Creators, and Businesses

Today, at the first-ever Shadow Spotlight keynote, cloud-computing specialist SHADOW detailed its strategic vision for the coming years and delivered on promises made to its community.

Now a global cloud-computing company chaired by Octave Klaba, OVHcloud founder, SHADOW is moving forward with a new cloud storage solution. With this re-launch, SHADOW positions itself as the definitive cloud platform for gamers, creatives, and businesses.

Shadow’s Power Upgrade, the best of our cloud-computing technology, available to everyone to play, create, and work on any connected device

SHADOW’s original product launched in 2016 offering the aim of allowing all individuals to enjoy the power of a high-end PC within the cloud. The revamped Shadow subscription service features an updated plan: while the starting price remains $29,99€ per month, we now offer a brand-new Power Upgrade, available for an additional $14,99€.

This new upgrade will help realize SHADOW’s plan to introduce and sustain a more complete and adaptable offering, suited to everyone’s needs, offering new technology at the best price. SHADOW strives to keep its promise: to democratize access to a PC with the latest components for as many people as possible, via the cloud, without needing to purchase a physical device.

So, what will be the configuration of the Power Upgrade?

  • An AMD EPYC™ 7543P CPU with 4 cores and 8 threads
  • The power of a high-end GPU, ranging from:
    • NVIDIA GeForce RTX™ 3070-class
    • NVIDIA’s equivalent graphic cards tailored for professionals
    • AMD’s latest RDNA 2 based GPUs, including the AMD Radeon™ PRO V620 GPU designed for cloud-computing and gaming
  • 16 GB of RAM

The model of GPU included in specific Power Upgrade configurations will vary based on local data-center pick. Shadow will notably feature for the first time AMD EPYC™ processors and AMD’s latest RDNA 2 GPUs running innovative cloud streaming software solutions as part of its offerings. Details regarding GPU territorial availability are forthcoming.

Shadow’s Power Upgrade will be available for pre-order this summer, and globally available* this fall. An Early Access period will also be available for selected users ahead of general availability, for which details will be shared soon. Users can already register to be notified when the pre-orders go live in the coming weeks by following this link.

In addition to the availability of the Power Upgrade, the Shadow base offer continues to benefit from new features that expand or enhance the experience. SHADOW recently released dual and remote screen updates, enhanced colors with 4:4:4 chroma subsampling**, and the release of Shadow VR in Early Access, the first ever VR experience entirely powered by the cloud. Today, we also unveiled its new look, and the redesign of its overlay interface, offering an even more intuitive and responsive experience.

Our Shadow cloud-based computer also has the added benefit of an embedded 1Gbps fiber connection. And finally, users can also add extra-storage options, easily upgradable up to 2 TB.

“At SHADOW, we believe that cloud technologies have the potential to bring technological freedom to all,” declared Éric Sèle, CEO at SHADOW. “That’s why today, we’re very happy to introduce a new milestone for our Shadow service, with our Power Upgrade.”

“It is with excitement that we start a great new cooperation with Shadow, supporting them both with our CPU and GPU lines in a powerful package. This is an important step in accelerating their technological and geographic development projects,” said Olivier Suinat, CVP Global Sales at AMD. 

Shadow will be available this fall in Canada and Austria, among other territories

SHADOW also proudly unveiled today that the base Shadow subscription plan and its Power Upgrade will be available soon in new territories, including Canada and Austria, this fall.

Users in these territories will be able to enjoy SHADOW’s industry-leading cloud-computing features. Shadow availability in additional key territories will be announced in the future.

At this time, SHADOW’s network of data-centers is composed of eight units, located in France, Germany, the United States and Canada. More openings are planned in our roadmap.

For more information about the Shadow Power Upgrade and the evolution of the Shadow service, please check the dedicated blog post.

Today, with more than 150 talented people working either on site in the SHADOW HQ in Paris or remotely in North America and Europe, the company is actively recruiting for diverse roles. For those interested in joining the adventure, please visit SHADOW’s careers page.

Shadow Drive, the online-storage solution by SHADOW, available this fall

SHADOW’s vision and ambitions go beyond pure cloud-computing. Introduced today, Shadow Drive is a safe and affordable online-storage solution built in partnership with Nextcloud, the world leading open-source file-sharing platform. Shadow Drive will allow users to store their data while keeping it accessible from anywhere. Data will be accessible via web, desktop and mobile apps which will be unveiled soon. Shadow Drive is fully secured through traffic encryption and will be available in all markets Shadow operates in, through European operated servers.

Shadow Drive will be available for free with up to 20 GB of storage, while a premium version of the service will be available at $8,99€ a month, with up to 2 TB available.

Shadow Drive will be available in soft launch with selected users this summer, and available to all in Europe this fall, and soon in North America.

Our ambition to set personal technology free from its material boundaries is not just about cloud-computing. To go beyond, we have been developing Shadow Drive, our cloud storage solution, with the help of our prestigious partner Nextcloud, for which I thank Frank,” explained Éric Sèle, CEO at SHADOW. “We are very excited with this combined European effort.” 

“We have a common vision with Octave and Éric, and share values of excellence, openness and European sovereignty. This partnership felt natural and we are very happy to help SHADOW achieve its ambitions,” said Frank Karlitschek, CEO at Nextcloud. 

Curve games launches Golf Gang

Curve Games is proud to announce the official release of the fast-paced, precision racer party game, Golf Gang.  Launching today on Steam for £7.99 / $9.99 / €9.99, Golf Gang elevates the competitive mini-golf experience to a random battle of skill and strategy to deliver the fastest game of mini-golf you’ll ever play!

Race around the course at breakneck speed in this high-energy party game. Drink in its vibrant colours, amusingly ruthless environments, modifiers, and expressive golf balls to unveil a perfect mix of madness.  Don’t believe us? Watch the chaos unfold in these short clips from talented players Baghera Jones, Mynthos, and Etoiles.

Developed by two brothers who founded the Lazy Monday Games studio back in 2015, Golf Gang is Fall Guys meets golf in this easy to pick up and play but hard to master game. Play solo speed runs or compete with up to 8 friends and family to see who can finish the courses fastest and with the fewest strokes possible in hectic multiplayer action.

Don’t miss out on an incredible first week (19th – 26th May) deal:

  •       10% launch discount on the game
  •       Official Soundtrack for free
  •       Two free cosmetics in the in-game shop

o   nogHead face from The Ascent

o   Adventurer Backpack from For The King

The offers don’t stop there! From 26th May until 2nd June, players will be able to buy a bundle including the game & OST for 10% off.