Matt Bertz

Games as a Relationship - The Challenges and Expectations for Meeting Player Needs in Live Service Titles

Players have no shortage of live-service games to spend their time with, and the space will only get more crowded in the coming years. How do you attract, retain, and even re-attract players? Together, we’ll examine the challenges facing publishers and developers in maintaining these long-term relationships with players, such as rising player expectations with content pipelines, empowering communities to extend engagement, how toxicity can damage growth, and how to combat the “fear of catching up” lapsed players face when considering a return to a live-service game that has continued to expand in intricacy in their absence.

Bio:

Matt Bertz is the Vice President of Games at Magid, a renowned research and consulting firm with a specialized vertical in interactive entertainment that provides comprehensive support to game publishers and developers. Matt plays a pivotal role in driving success across a wide variety of projects including market sizing, concept testing, playtesting, and expert evaluations. Before joining Magid, he enjoyed a distinguished career spanning 19 years in games and entertainment media, most recently as Managing Editor at Game Informer, a leading publication in the gaming industry.