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Retention is important to the success of online and free-to-play games, but it isn’t only achieved through reducing churn: It’s just as much about effectively winning back lapsed players. So how can designers boost retention for live games by focusing on returning players? 

In this 2015 GDC session, Jagex Game Studios’ Phil Mansell describes the wide range of design and product management techniques for improving retention rates of returning players in online games by taking a look at Runescape.

Mansell uses case studies and data from game initiatives to explain what worked and what didn’t across game content, community events and communications, offering tips on how other designers can capitalize on the potential of returning players. 

Developers interested in learning how Runescape retained an active community can now watch the talk completely free via the official GDC YouTube channel!

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its accompanying YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC or VRDC already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

Gamasutra and GDC are sibling organizations under parent UBM Americas.

Thursday is here, in all its opulent glory, and with it comes the final Nintendo Download update of the month. April beckons, so let’s ring out the month with some brand new gaming highlights on the Nintendo Switch, 3DS and Wii U eShops. As always, be sure to leave a vote in the poll below, and a comment sharing your thoughts on this week’s big storefront updates. Enjoy!

Switch eShop

Outlast 2 (Red Barrels, €29.99 / £26.99) – Outlast 2 is the sequel to the acclaimed survival horror game Outlast. Set in the same universe as the first game, but with different characters and a different setting, Outlast 2 is a twisted new journey into the depths of the human mind and its dark secrets. – Read our Outlast 2 review

Warp Shift (ISBIT GAMES, €9.99 / £8.99) – Warp Shift is a unique puzzle game set in a mysterious world. It takes you on a marvellous journey that challenges your mind and stimulates your senses. Experience beautiful visuals, challenging puzzles and intriguing sound design.

ACA NEO GEO SENGOKU 3 (HAMSTER, €6.99 / £6.29) – “SENGOKU 3” is a side-scrolling action game released by SNK in 2001. In order to purge malicious souls, Shinobi travel the world to defeat the undead. Cut, smash, throw, and use weapons as well as Ninja Arts and Ultimate Ninja Arts in this hyper-action ninja game.

Adventures of Bertram Fiddle: Episode 1: A Dreadly Business (Chorus Worldwide Games, €5.49 / £4.99) – The Adventures of Bertram Fiddle is a hilarious tongue-in-cheek point and click adventure game that mixes the classic formula up with riveting action elements all weaved together lovingly by Rumpus Animation.

ClusterPuck 99 (Coatsink Software, €8.49 / £7.69) – ClusterPuck 99 is top-down competitive local multiplayer sports game filled with fun and frantic action! Bash your opponents to gain control of the puck and then fight your way through to their goal. Avoid spikes and use speed boosts in the maps to blast past other players.

Gotcha Racing 2nd (ARC SYSTEM WORKS, €9.99 / £8.99) – Get parts from the gacha and customize your own original machine. Win the variety of races and aim the top of the Grand Prix!

Lode Runner Legacy (Tozai Games, €11,99 / £10,79) – Collect all gold in the level and escape! But watch out for the multitudes of enemies and traps in the labyrinthine levels! The Runner can blast floors, so strategically use this technique to capture the gold imbedded in blocks, or entrap your enemies in the blocks! Use your wisdom and strategic techniques to complete all the levels!

The Charming Empire (D3 Publisher, €24.99 / £19.99) – “The Charming Empire” is a dating simulation game set in the Taisho Roman era of Japanese history. Popular voice actors known for their talent in anime and video games bring our five main characters to life. Your ears will thank you to hear their performances across all the main scenarios.

Unholy Heights (mebius., €4.89 / £4.39) – “Unholy Heights” is a combination of Apartment Management Simulation and Tower Defense. As the devil, you have to collect rents, use them to improve the living environment, and beat all the human adventures with the power of tenants!

Atelier Lydie & Suelle ~The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings~ (KOEI TECMO EUROPE, €59.99 / £53.99) – Lydie and Suelle are twin sisters, who are also alchemists, living in Merveille, the capital of Kingdom of Adalet, and they aim to make their atelier the best atelier in the kingdom. One day, they find a Mysterious Painting with a strange and wonderful world inside of it, full of rare materials for their alchemy. This discovery is sure to become the very key to realizing their dream.

Penny-Punching Princess (NIS America, €39.99 / £39.99) – Penny-Punching Princess is an isometric brawler that takes place in a world ruled by capitalism, where cash is king. Fight or bribe your way to reclaiming your kingdom from the greedy Dragoloans. Read our review.

Arcade Archives PUNCH-OUT!! (HAMSTER, €6,99 / £6,29) – “PUNCH-OUT!!” is a sports-action game released by Nintendo in 1984. Watch your opponents’ expressions and moves as you use a variety of punches and defensive moves on your path to become the boxing champion. The game became extremely popular with the double monitor setup, introducing intense boxing with dynamic graphics.

Alteric (Sometimes You, €4.99 / £4.49) – Only Yesterday You Were A Man. Today Everything Has Changed. You Died. But your soul is still there. It’s a piece of light energy trapped in the alien space between two worlds.

Devious Dungeon (Ratalaika Games, €7.99 / £7.99) – Under orders by the King, players assume the control of a Knight instructed to head into the catacombs beneath the Kingdom, to slay the fowl beasts and monstrosities that have invaded the murky depths.

Farm Expert 2018 for Nintendo Switch (SimFabric, €24.99 / £22.49) – The special edition of farming simulator Farm Expert 2018 for Nintendo Switch which succeeded on mobile platforms last year with over 2 million installations now on Nintendo Switch.

Shadow Bug (Muro Studios, €8.99 / £8.09) – You are the overpowered ninja hero Shadow Bug! Save your home forest from the evil factory by slicing monsters to pieces. Adventure through beautiful and twisted landscapes full of action and adventure as the ultimate ninja.

TENGAI for Nintendo Switch (Zerodiv, €6.99 / £6.99) – A great commander ruled an eastern plain for a long time, but his mind completely changed one day. Princess Futsu learned about his dreadful plot inside the castle. She released her family treasures, the hisou stones, outside the castle. The stones flew into the sky and fell into 5 brave warriors.

3DS eShop

The Alliance Alive (SEGA, €39.99 / £34.99) – The makers of The Legend of Legacy bring the classic JRPG back to form in The Alliance Alive, a new adventure that evokes the nostalgia of the JRPG greats by offering huge world-exploration, an intertwining story of 9 protagonists, and well-designed battle mechanics. – Read our The Alliance Alive review

Special Offers

Nintendo Switch

• Toki Tori (Two Tribes Publishing) now €4.49 / £4.04 until Fri 13th Apr, normally €4.99 / £4.49

Nintendo 3DS

Other

Nintendo Switch

Switch DLC

• Attack On Titan 2: Additional Episodes, 12-Episode Set (KOEI TECMO EUROPE) – €8.99 / £8.09
• A.O.T. 2: Additional Episode: “A Sudden Rain” (KOEI TECMO EUROPE) – €0.99 / £0.89
• A.O.T. 2: Additional Episode: “Goddess Salvation” (KOEI TECMO EUROPE) – €0.99 / £0.89
• A.O.T. 2: Additional Episode: “A Cornered Rat” (KOEI TECMO EUROPE) – €0.99 / £0.89
• A.O.T. 2: Additional Armin Costume: “Kiddie Outfit” (KOEI TECMO EUROPE) – €3.49 / £3.19
• A.O.T. 2: Additional Jean Costume: “Clown Outfit” (KOEI TECMO EUROPE) – €3.49 / £3.19
• A.O.T. 2: Additional Conny Costume: “Kung Fu Outfit” (KOEI TECMO EUROPE) – €3.49 / £3.19
• A.O.T. 2: Additional Christa Costume: “Cutesy Goth Outfit” (KOEI TECMO EUROPE) – €3.49 / £3.19
• A.O.T. 2: Additional Sasha Costume: “Cheerleader Outfit” (KOEI TECMO EUROPE) – €3.49 / £3.19
• Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition: Star Wars Sequel Skin Pack (Mojang) – €2.99 / £2.39
• Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition: Halo Mash-up (Mojang) – €5.99 / £4.79

Well, that’s your lot for the EU Nintendo Download update. Be sure to add a vote or three to the poll above, and why not add a comment below and share your thoughts with the NL community…

While we’ve known that first-person horror experience Infernium was due to arrive in April ever since the game was announced for Switch earlier in the month, but now we’ve got the official release dates straight from indie developer Carlos Coronado. The game will be hitting the North American eShop next week on 5th April, with a European/UK release set for 12th April.

According to Coronado, the game’s lack of traditional combat is offset by enemies that lurk in light as well as shadows, with the need to evade and outwit a constant requirement for those willing to enter its intriguing labyrinth. Infernium will set you back €22.95 in Europe and $24.95 in North America when it launches next month.

Let us know what you make of Infernium, and whether this more unusual psychological horror title will be making its way onto your handheld house of horrors…

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