As most gamers know, the term “PVE” is shorthand for “Player vs Engine” also known as the “Story Mode” or “Campaign Mode” (see what we did there?). It’s basically a designation for any game content that doesn’t involve competing against other players (PVP or “player vs player”). Another translation for PVE is “player vs environment”.
When it comes to competition in the market, a lot of thought is given to other games or products that may occupy the same space as what we’re working on. If you’re developing a Roguelike game, for example, it’s only natural (and smart, frankly) to be aware of other Roguelite games, understanding what their value proposition is.
On the other hand, less thought seems to be given to the "non-game" competition that dominates people’s lives and attention spans. These days, not only are games competing with other games, they’re also competing with people’s actual lives – family, friends, jobs, hobbies, social media, and smart phones in general. It can like capturing and keeping anyone’s attention for more than a few seconds is impossible.
This comes up a lot in conversations around creating effective social content. With Instgram Reels for example, there are lots of theories around how long most people will watch a video before scrolling away, but none of them are very long. If you don’t hook the viewer’s attention in the first couple of seconds (at most), they’ve already scrolled away. So what can we do when we’re focusing on not only building community, but also keeping people interested and involved? Is there any hope of actually keeping someone’s attention long enough for them to become a regular member of the community? For me, the answer is yes. A caveated yes, but a yes nonetheless.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you craft your community strategy that will you plan for maximum success, while also remaining pragmatic about the challenges every community faces.
Engage
Engagement is something you should be seeking out and finding creative ways to facilitate every day. Seriously – every day. The more you engage, the more your audience will expect you to engage, which means you have their attention. Replying to positive comments on your social posts is a simple, and over time, super effective way to boost attention and engagement. Giveaways are another way that also encourages channel growth through word-of-mouth. Does your game have a competitive component? If so, plan a tournament and get your community playing with each other. Does it show well on streams? Put together a great influencer campaign (I can help you with that) to show your game off to a potentially new audience. The point is, community is a two-way street. If you show up, your community will too.
Foster a positive community from day one
Keeping things positive has many benefits, but one really important benefit is that it encourages people to form friendships within the community, making it increasingly likely that they’ll continue to engage. We gamers can be a standoffish and introverted bunch. Many in the gaming community prefer virtual friendships for various reasons. Providing a place where those kinds of interactions can happen in a safe and inclusive manner goes a long way.
Make good use of in-game content designed to keep players coming back
These days, many games are developed with mechanisms to keep players coming back regularly. GaaS type games such as Destiny 2 and Fallout 76 have weekly resets where new content rotates into the game. Making sure your community is aware of these updates is a great way to keep people interested in what you have to say. Similarly, most (if not all) free-to-play mobile games with have some sort of daily rewards. Keeping your audience in the know about such things not only keeps their attention, it’s pretty helpful for keeping you social calendar full. Don’t assume that, just because it’s happening in-game, everyone is aware of it. It’s important to always spread your messaging to every appropriate platform that you’re active on.
Manage expectations
Every community manager’s favorite phrase! Managing expectations means that you’ve made peace with the fact that you can’t please everyone and ultimately, no matter what you do, it won’t be enough for some people. This may not necessarily mean people are upset in anyway, merely that you didn’t manage to capture their attention this time around. When this happens, it’s important to try and address why that might have been the case. Was your plan just not interesting enough? Maybe your asset didn’t perform like you hoped it would? See what you can find out by monitoring the community’s chatter. They’ll more than likely be vocal about the things they like and the things they don’t like. Use their feedback to inform your next steps and how you plan similar beats going forward.
Distractions are just a part of life and they present special challenges for community managers. The good news is, the more you follow these tips, the more likely it is that your community be willing to give you their attention. What did you think of these tips? Are there any you disagree with? Are there any I missed? Let me know on LinkedIn or X.
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