Introduction

It is no surprise that there are way more game developers in the iGaming industry than there are operators. As a result, the selling process for Game Studios is more complex now than ever.

The growing popularity of online gaming, and the subsequent demand for engaging content are promising but not making it any easier for the Game Studios.

It is evident that the future of iGaming (for the Operators as well as the Game Studios) is being shaped by analytics. However, many Game Studios struggle with implementing analytics tools and solutions for their business for two main reasons-

  • Inability to get player level data from the operators
  • It does not make sense for most casino suppliers to opt for integrated data solutions like data warehouses or data lakes which are expensive to build and maintain. A typical data warehouse takes around 6 months to be built and requires a skilled IT team to ensure smooth ETL and workflow performance.

As a result, they are not able to see how their games are performing. They do not have a single view of their data which affects them. .

Here is how game studios can ensure they have an efficient reporting system

1. The Data Strategy

To quote Peter Druker, ‘What gets measured, gets managed.’ Ask yourself if your business KPIs are capable of showing you the entire picture of your business.

1. The SaaS route

When compared to traditional routes like Excel or MySQL for analytics, SaaS is an alternative route. The convenience, scalability, and agility that most SaaS platforms provide cannot be duplicated by the other two.

GAMWIT, a SaaS solution built by BizAcuity empowers game developers with powerful visual analytics

Evolution from MS Excel to Visual Reporting

Working with Excel has a couple of disadvantages.

  • It is a spreadsheets tool to keep tabs on certain variables but not meant to be used as a reporting tool for an entire organization. Excel is a great tool, but it will not provide you with complete information on how your games are performing. Analysis of data is limited to certain elements with Excel.
  • Integrated data capture and visual analytics is not possible with Excel

MySQL as Backend Database

MySQL is a relational database management system that captures data from one or more databases and retrieves information as and when required. However, it is a challenge to scale with MySQL. As the business expands, the number of games and their users increase, it can slow down the efficiency of the database. This may further compound into bug issues.

If you are using MySQL, and are satisfied with the same, it is not a bad idea to continue.
MySQL enables data centralization and serves as a single source of information across the organization that can be accessed with the help of the IT team. This makes the system a reliable solution and with adequate maintenance, one can keep using MySQL for reporting.

Further, MySQL databases can be connected to a Business Intelligence and Visual Analytics application to take advantage of self-service BI.

Modern Visual Analytics Tools

Be it PowerBI, QlikView, Sisense or Tableau. Visual analytics analyzes data sets and visualizes data for better data-driven decision making. Visual analytics tools enable almost everyone in the organization to access a wide variety of reports according to their needs and requirements. Visual analytics has witnessed massive adoption in the past couple of years in almost every industry. However, it requires integration of all data sources into a single data storage platform. The visual tool mines the data and visualizes the data for simplified understanding of a company’s day to day operations.

Conclusion

Ask anyone involved in managing vast amounts of data on Excel or MySQL databases and they are likely to only complain about it time and again.

Many enterprises need better visual analytics processes to help weather the current market conditions. Many IT directors are looking for a quicker response to a fast-changing business environment, and stronger decision-support to help generate the best possible results from today’s challenging circumstances. However, at the same time, nearly all CXOs today are under pressure to contain costs

Many game developers misjudge how important visual analytics can be for them .
There’s a lot at stake for those who fail to do enough research on the same.

Game studios that have adopted visual analytics and self-service BI for their business are well-placed for the future compared to their industry counterparts.

For game studios who are worried about how their games are performing across different clients, data generation and centralization are the strategic imperatives that you should place strong focus on.

Schedule a FREE consultation with us today to learn more about how visual analytics can help your iGaming business positively impact revenue and operations.

About BizAcuity

BizAcuity [ISO 9001:2015, 27001:2013 certified], is a data analytics consulting company. We have been working with the gaming industry for the past 11 years. Our clients include Entain, Casumo, Mansion, Coin Gaming, BetFred, Bitsler and Gamdom among others.