In this article, we discuss how games can use Support-A-Creator codes to increase customer lifetime value, attract more engaged players, gain a greater voice on social media, and gain more loyal developers.

The role of paid sponsorships in a live service world

Nowadays every publisher (large or small) at least A person who is solely focused on building relationships with content creators and talent managers and must execute those partnerships as smoothly and cost-effectively as possible.

Today, these partnerships are mostly transactional in nature. Publishers pay developers to promote their games through sponsored content, showcase the game to their audience, or give them early access (which works if the game is sufficiently hyped). This model has proven to be a very efficient way to reach specific audiences. Paid sponsorships are so common today that almost every developer’s audience expects them to happen on a relatively regular basis (even if they primarily play a specific game). After all, the developer has to make a living, right?

However, How These paid sponsorships still work in practice the same way they have ever since they were created. The publisher pays developer X a certain amount of money and the developer streams game Y for 1-2 hours or creates a special video.

Rather, the most important developments around paid sponsorships have been the underlying data: Which developers are we targeting and why? How will their audience react to the game?

The leaders in this space use advanced data to figure out which developers (and audiences) are most receptive to their game. Ultimately, your best hope is that the developer will want to keep playing your game after the sponsored segment, and secondly, that their audience will convert into paying customers.

In recent years, the industry has increasingly shifted towards ongoing live service games, with most major publishers chasing the next big thing. This is to be expected, considering that a live service game, if done right, can prove to be extraordinarily profitable in the long run. In the past, releasing the title was the big hurdle to overcome; for most games today, that is just the First of many. A great live strategy is essential to keeping players engaged for long periods of time, but it is equally important to think about how you will keep the creators engaged.

At Wehype, we’ve been talking about the shift from influencer marketing to creative collaboration for some time. But buzzwords aside, what does that actually mean? For us, it represents a more sustainable, long-term way of working with creatives.

For most live service games (especially on PC and console), there is a strong correlation between their share of voice on social platforms and their concurrent users (CCUs). This makes sense when you think about it: the more content creators stream your games, the more people are playing them. However, it’s unrealistic to think you can simply sponsor content creators 24/7. The cost would be far too high to justify on a per-unit basis. There is still a huge need for paid sponsorships, but these are usually focused on the larger content releases where you need to maximize exposure quickly.

Expand your communities with Support-A-Creator Codes

One of the best ways to work with developers long-term is to get them in on the action through revenue sharing with Support-A-Creator codes. This means that developers can earn a percentage of the revenue generated by their content when their community uses their code to buy things. This aligns the interests of the creators with those of the creators, as both parties benefit from the game’s success.

Unless you’ve been living in total seclusion for the past few months, you might have noticed that Supercell launched its first new game in six years (if you’re living in seclusion, you should definitely check it out; it’s called Squad Busters and it’s awesome). SquadBusters launched with open creator codes, meaning that any interested creator could sign up and, once accepted, start creating content for the game while also sharing their creator codes. Audiences could then support those creators by making purchases within Squad Busters.

In the past, this affiliate marketing was mainly done by games and publishers: Supercells, Fortnite, CODs, etc. Developing the necessary infrastructure to internally support codes, payments, analytics, etc. is not an easy task, and this is only the first step, because onboarding and enabling developers takes work.

But now there are companies like Wehype that offer turnkey solutions for both infrastructure (codes, payments to developers, etc.) and implementation (attracting and preparing developers), so more and more games are moving towards this developer-led approach.

EVE Online, the long-running space MMORPG that has captivated players for over twenty years, recently partnered with Wehype to provide revenue sharing to its affiliated developers through Wehype’s Support-A-Creator technology.

“EVE Online is known for its complexity and the dedication required to master it. Our content creators are no exception; with a wide range of skills and talents, they create everything from video tutorials to bespoke applications that manage tens of thousands of players,” explains Peter Farrell, Senior Community Developer at CCP Games. “Suffice it to say, they are an integral part of our community.”

By rewarding their hard work and allowing them to diversify their income streams, we foster a more engaged and motivated community of creators. Our collaboration with Wehype, which allows us to include revenue sharing, represents a significant step forward in our commitment to supporting our content creators, no matter what they create.

This initiative is about more than just financial rewards; it is about recognizing and promoting the incredible talent in our community, inspiring innovation and building a better future together.”

This means that the audiences of the developers collaborating with EVE Online can now support their hard work so they can continue to do what they do best: entertain and educate their audiences about this vast, complex space universe.

So how do Support-A-Creator codes work?

If you suddenly give away a percentage of the sales you make, won’t that hurt the bottom line (and make your CFO choke on his coffee)? On the contrary, data shows that customers who make purchases while supporting a creator:

1. Probably more will be spent on the first purchase
2. Have a higher lifetime value (LTV)
3. Are more committed players

Additionally, Support-A-Creator codes have been proven effective at convincing “non-buyers” – those customers who aren’t impressed by your flashy ads and standard marketing methods. This means your overall customer acquisition costs go down.

This all comes from the fact that the end customer is visiting your game to support a developer or channel they enjoy watching. In a way, they are helping both the developer and themselves (the developer gets a cut and the channel the viewer enjoys watching continues); as a result, they feel a stronger emotional connection to the entire experience.

What this all means in practice is that while you give a percentage of in-game purchases to your developers, you recoup that amount (and more) through the additional benefits you get from creating more content, getting a higher share of votes, players with a higher lifetime value, and more players in your game.

But what about the creator’s perspective? For content creators, Support-A-Creator codes offer many benefits:

1. Sustainable income for authors:

Instead of relying on sporadic sponsorship deals, revenue sharing provides creators with a steady source of income and allows them to focus on producing high-quality content on an ongoing basis.

2. Increased motivation to promote the game:

Developers who profit directly from game sales are more motivated to promote the game sincerely and passionately, resulting in more authentic advertising that resonates with their audience.

3. Better alignment of interests:

• Revenue sharing aligns the goals of developers and creators and ensures that both parties have a stake in the game’s success, fostering a more collaborative and supportive relationship.

• By linking the developer’s success to your games, you ensure more content is produced, more engagement, and a happier, more loyal developer community.

“I had the opportunity to try out the Rev Share model on a game that my community and I were really excited about,” begins Content creator DannehTV. “Personally, I found it to be very profitable and found that I was able to get more sales and more members to the game because they knew that I would get a direct commission from purchasing the game. It’s a great way for them to support me by doing something they may have already done.

Personally, I think this model is not attractive for every game. It makes sense to spread the revenue share across a game you plan to play through, or at least for a few days, so you can get the most out of the base game and in-game sales.”

Dannehtv sums it up: You can’t just slap creator codes on a game and expect miracles. Creator codes work if you want to grow your community and strengthen your relationship with it; they don’t suddenly make a “bad” game popular. After all, developers want to entertain while They have to stay authentic and not play a game they don’t enjoy while asking their audience to spend money on it.

If you want to learn more about how Wehype’s Support-A-Creator can improve your game, contact us. Visit our website or contact me on Linkedin.