As part of its ongoing research, Immersyve has just completed an eight month logitudinal study examining the ability of its model to predict sustained subscriptions and continued play of MMO’s. Our findings show that our P.E.N.S. (”Player Experience of Need Satisfaction”) measures, based on a next-generation playtesting model, significantly predicted sustained subscriptions over an eight month period, despite the fact that player’s self-report of enjoying a game did not predict sustained play. The implications for this result are that application of the Immersyve model can significantly decrease MMO churn and increase the ROI on investment in customer acquisition.

Several hundred MMO players were initially surveyed in March as part of Immersyve’s ongoing research and development, and all players were invited to participate in a November follow-up. Of particular interest was how our P.E.N.S. measures compared to more simplistic playtesting and “focus group” protocols in predicting long-term satisfaction with a project, and continued subscription. Traditional measurement of player experience, including assessing the player’s experience of fun, enjoyment, and attention, have little or no relationship with continued subscriptions in November. By comparison, because the Immersyve PENS assesses deeper motivational elements of the player experience, it significantly predicted in March continued play eight months later.

In addition, the Immersyve approach significantly predicted a wide range of commercially relevant variables, including a customer’s willingness to pay more for the game, recommend the game to others, and desire to buy more games from the developer. By implementing the Immersyve solution during the development process, developers can quickly and accurately assess whether their choices are likely to sustain their customer’s interest in their project, with tremendous implications for the bottom line of any subscription game or application.

In two different studies, Immersyve has identified several specific aspects of gameplay experience that are strongly related to players expressing a desire to buy more games from the developer. Interestingly, simply finding the game “enjoyable” or “fun” is not sufficient for players to express this desire — the gameplay itself must offer them something more. More than 2000 gamers participated in the studies, which were conducted over the course of 2006.

“What we think is so cool about this finding is that we are mapping what makes the gameplay more meaningful for players, which in turn is building loyalty and relationship with developers,” said Scott Rigby, President of Immersyve. “Because meaningful gameplay experiences and increased sales are both achieved, our methodology supports innovation and creativity in the development group, but also improves the bottom line. That’s exactly the kind of service we want to bring to the industry.”

The overall participation in the studies allowed Immersyve to look at players of all kinds of games, including MMO’s, FPS, Adventure, and many others. Virtually every genre showed the same positive relationship between Immersyve’s playtesting metrics and player desire to buy more from the developer.

“This is a tool both the suits and the developers can love,” added Rigby. “It informs developers very precisely about the player experience but does not try to control the creative process — and in the end it delivers to both the players and the company.”