In the dynamic world of video games, delivering a captivating and immersive player experience is crucial to the success of a game. In today’s world, it’s no longer all about gameplay; player experience goes beyond the game itself. The way players interact with fellow gamers in the game’s community, as well as how they get help when encountering any issues, has a significant impact on player loyalty and engagement.

Taking a Proactive Approach to Build Your Community

The game’s community plays a vital role in enhancing the player experience. Having disengaged players can have several negative consequences for a game, affecting both its short-term and long-term success. Adopting a proactive approach to building a healthy, lively community is therefore no longer a nice to have. Some of the main reasons to do so:

Nurturing Positive Interactions: By promoting respectful communication, setting clear guidelines and enforcing them consistently, companies create a welcoming and inclusive environment. Proactively addressing toxic behavior, harassment or bullying ensures that players feel safe and supported, encouraging healthy interactions and stronger community bonds.

Building Trust: When openly communicating updates, changes, and upcoming features, companies keep players informed and engaged. Sharing development insights, conducting regular Q&A sessions, and addressing concerns demonstrate a commitment to transparency. Such openness leads to trust, allowing players to feel valued and involved in the game’s evolution.

Encouraging Player Feedback: Creating dedicated channels for feedback, such as forums and social media platforms, encourages players to voice their opinions and suggestions. Moreover, through listening to player feedback and responding promptly, companies demonstrate that they value the community’s input. Involving players in decision-making processes, such as beta testing or feature voting, empowers them and reinforces the sense of community ownership.

Preventing and Addressing Issues: By closely monitoring the community and proactively identifying potential problems, companies can take appropriate action to prevent negative experiences. Timely responses to technical issues, bug fixes, and addressing concerns promptly help maintain a positive perception of the game and the company’s commitment to player satisfaction.

Engaging in Meaningful Community Events:

Tournaments, contests, or live streams provide opportunities for players to interact, showcase their skills, and engage with both the game and the community. Regularly scheduled events and interactions build anticipation and excitement, fostering a lively and active community that keeps players connected and invested.

The Unique Skill Set Needed to Moderate a Community

Building and nurturing such a lively community around your game—and potentially around the world—s easier said than done. It requires a team of passionate people that fully understand the mechanics of your game, and who have the ability to empathize with your global player base.

While the video game industry continues growing, the demand for talented individuals with a passion for gaming continues to rise, leading to a war for talent.

Even though there are more than 3 billion people that play games worldwide, gaming companies struggle to attract talent, and with the growth of online communities this is even more so the case for community-related roles.

Good community moderators possess a unique set of skills that enables them to effectively manage and engage with the gaming community. Some of the key characteristics that make a good community moderator:

Excellent Communication Skills: Community moderators need to convey information clearly, engage with players in a friendly and professional manner, and respond to inquiries and feedback effectively. Clear and concise communication helps build trust and rapport within the community.

Deep Understanding of Gaming Culture: A community moderator needs to have a deep understanding of gaming culture, including knowledge of trends, terminology, and gaming platforms. They should be familiar with the nuances and preferences of the game and the gaming community they are managing, allowing them to engage authentically.

Empathy and Patience: Community moderators interact with players with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and opinions. Demonstrating empathy towards player concerns, understanding their perspectives, and responding with patience and understanding helps foster a positive community atmosphere. 

Problem-Solving Abilities: Community moderators are often faced with issues and conflicts within the community. They need strong problem-solving abilities to address these issues effectively. By providing guidance and mediating conflicts, moderators help to maintain a harmonious community. 

Knowledge of Community Guidelines and Policies: Community moderators are responsible for enforcing community guidelines and policies. They need to have a deep understanding of these guidelines to ensure fair and consistent moderation. Moderators must navigate complex situations, such as inappropriate behavior and harassment, so it’s very important to be on top of things to contain any toxic behavior.

Cultural Sensitivity: Community moderators need to be aware of cultural differences, avoid biases or assumptions, and create an environment where all community members feel welcome and respected. Embracing diversity is crucial to building an inclusive gaming community.

Bridging The Gap: Benefits of Outsourcing

Taking into account the unique skillset needed for community moderation, in combination with the difficulties of attracting talent, gaming companies face a real challenge.

Outsourcing can be a viable solution to overcome this challenge. Some of the main benefits of outsourcing:

Access to a Global Talent Pool: Outsourcing allows video game companies to tap into a global talent pool. This broader reach increases the chances of finding top talent and filling critical roles that may be challenging to hire for within a specific geographic area.

Specialized Expertise: CX companies that specialize in community moderation have extensive experience managing online communities, including dealing with various types of user behavior, conflict resolution, and handling sensitive issues. This expertise can help establish a professional and efficient moderation process.

Scalability and Flexibility: Game companies often experience fluctuations in community activity based on game releases, updates, or events. Outsourcing allows for more flexible up and down-scaling of moderation resources based on community needs. This agility ensures that the community is effectively managed without the need to maintain a constant internal team size.

24/7 Coverage: Online communities for video games often operate around the clock, with players from different time zones and regions. Outsourcing community moderation can provide 24/7 coverage, ensuring that there is always a dedicated team available to address community needs and maintain a positive environment.

Multilingual Capabilities: On top of having 24/7 coverage, a global player base also means that you need to be able to moderate in different languages. Partnering with a globally operating CX company allows for easier access to multilingual talent, often at lower costs.

Risk Management and Compliance: Outsourcing community moderation can help manage potential risks associated with online communities. Moderation teams are trained to identify and address potential risks, such as inappropriate content, harassment, or legal concerns. They can ensure compliance with community guidelines, industry standards, and local regulations, reducing the risk of reputational damage or legal issues.

Due to the expansion of gaming communities, increasing player engagement, and the need to address toxic behavior and harassment, the need for community moderation is subject to an exponential increase.

Whether you choose to manage your community in-house, or partner with a CX company, taking a proactive approach is crucial to the success of your game. The risks involved with having a toxic community are simply too high.

CX companies often have the potential to attract better talent due to their experience and global reach. However, if you decide to outsource, it’s crucial to carefully select an outsourcing partner that aligns with your brand values. Collaboration and transparency are key to building a successful outsourcing relationship that reflects your company’s vision and maintains a consistent voice across the community.

Ultimately, outsourcing community moderation enables video game companies to leverage specialized expertise, optimize costs, and ensure the effective management of their online community. By partnering with external experts, game companies can focus on their core competencies and deliver a better player experience across the board, enabling a positive and engaging environment for their global player base.

Read part 2 on how to improve the player experience here.