Keywords Studios 'Engage': Imagine more potential unlocked for your games

Presented by Keywords

We recently sat down for a Q&A with Keywords Studios Head of Client Services Mark Thompson to catch up on Keywords' core offerings for game developers, highlighting community management, user research, and other marketing solutions that devs might find handy.

**Learn More about Keywords Studios and Keywords Engage**

Thompson started off by giving a quick rundown of the many services offered by Keywords' Engage side, including branding, cinematic and trailer creation, music licensing, social media campaign management and, crucially, resources to increase player engagement.

"One of the most important parts [of what Engage offers] is player engagement as well. So that obviously helps develop and build your community, covers customer support, moderation, and CRM optimization," explains Thompson. "And one of the most important things [covered by Engage] really is trust and safety: keeping your players happy and safe when they're in game."

"All of these combined really is something that Engage can help with; help you understand the market and your players, and find new and engaging ways to connect with them."

Thompson notes that the multitude of services under Keywords' banner helps development teams to figure out exactly what they need, and how to go about getting them. It's all down to knowing the game you are making, and the community of players you want to serve. Continuous evaluation and improvement are core values at Keywords, and Thompson advocates for that approach in each part of the development experience.

"There's this kind of loop that we often talk about in Engage, where we're continually looking at the player journey, listening to the players, and analyzing the feedback and data to enhance the player experience," he says. "Because that's really the key element to retention and growing your community."

Three core pillars of excellent customer and player support

The Human Element

"We are humans at the end of the day, being responsive and empathetic, making sure you respond promptly to customer or player inquiries and concerns," says Thompson. "Demonstrating empathy and understanding is key. Making sure you address those issues with a personalized approach. It's about making the community and your players feel valued and heard. Essentially, that's, I'd say, that's the first thing."

A Strong Support Team

"Ensuring you've got a knowledgeable, well-trained support team. Invest in a skilled and well-trained team with in-depth knowledge of the IP, and ensure they're equipped to provide accurate information and effective solutions to any of the player problems."

A Proactive Approach to Feedback

"The third point would be, as I mentioned before, being proactive and have continuous improvement. So, keep looking at what you're doing and proactively identify areas for improvement. Regularly gather feedback, listen to your audience, analyze the data, and then from that, you know, implement necessary changes to enhance and support the experience."

For more insights from Thompson or to learn how Keywords can help unlock the full potential of your games, watch the full Q&A embedded above or check out the Keywords Studios website.