According to Gamesight, enhancing Steam reviews after a game's release results in higher conversion rates

According to recent insights from Gamesight's Performance Marketing Playbook, higher review scores on Steam can significantly boost advertising effectiveness, especially when developers incorporate feedback from the gaming community into their premium titles.

The report highlights that transitioning from a 'Mixed' to 'Very Positive' review status can nearly triple conversion rates when updates such as bug fixes and new features are introduced. This contrasts with free-to-play games, where review scores did not notably alter conversion rates, likely due to the absence of a paywall for players.

The analysis underscores the importance of community trust, a critical component not influenced by game price, especially in terms of in-game monetization post-installation.

Marlie Tandoc, a data analyst at Gamesight, notes, "Our analysis and experiences with developers consistently show that improvements such as game patches, bug fixes, and features suggested by players are pivotal to positive sentiment changes."

Gamesight illustrated the interplay between review scores and conversion rates through a case study of a 21-month campaign of a single premium game. During periods of higher review scores, conversion rates climbed, peaking in Month 10 when the game achieved an 'Overwhelmingly Positive' rating after a sought-after feature was added.

A decline in conversion rates was noted between Months 13 and 14, attributed to trials with new advertising channels. Tandoc explained, "These new channels underperformed, leading to a budget reallocation back to the core strategy, reflecting in the dip and recovery."

Among 46 analyzed games, similar patterns emerged, although the detailed case study focused on one. Gamesight concludes that aligning game improvements with player feedback can enhance campaign outcomes, potentially extending benefits beyond initial boosts. Persistently positive game reviews can stabilize conversion rates throughout a campaign.

This research utilizes campaign and conversion data from Gamesight’s platform, supplemented by datasets like the Gamalytic API for pricing and review analytics. The comprehensive Performance Marketing Playbook will be available on January 6th.