Akamai Technologies recently announced Electronic Software Delivery for Gaming, a solution that leverages the strengths of the Akamai network to enhance a consumer's game download experience and increase download completion rates for game publishers in the competitive online gaming space.
Comprised of the Akamai Download Manager, Akamai Download Analytics, and HTTP delivery, the solution is intended to improve critical first impressions to give game publishers more tools to convert site visitors to paid customers.
What's This Good For?
Akamai Electronic Software Delivery for Gaming is designed to work with try-before-you-buy, massively multiplayer online games (MMOG) and free casual games to ensure a high-performing and engaging download experience to reduce download abandonment, improve completion rates and handle large demand spikes, without compromising the download experience. The solution also aims to give game publishers better insight into download metrics and consumer behavior, and support business models that help manage costs with a greater level of predictability.
“The Internet has transformed the gaming industry and presented new opportunities for game distribution and monetization,” said Reynold Harbin, Senior Product Line Director at Akamai. “Online and digitally-distributed games have advantages over the traditional software-in-a-box retail model, including more efficient game distribution, global reach, more social gaming experiences, and the opportunity for innovative, new business models. Akamai's gaming solution was developed to help game publishers avoid the challenges of the Internet, thereby playing a key role in their online growth and success.”
Key design features of Akamai Electronic Software Delivery for Gaming include:
Akamai Download Manager
- Customizable download experience and download workflows
- Efficiently optimizes the download of large files, up to 10 GB (the equivalent of 2 DVDs)
- Users have more control, including the ability to start, pause and restart downloads
Akamai Download Analytics
- Insight into quality of service metrics, audience demographics, and user engagement
- The ability to perform download funnel analysis and report on key performance metrics by game, distribution channel and referring site
HTTP Delivery
- Enables an efficient delivery of large game files through a hybrid model of HTTP edge server delivery and client side delivery
- More predictable delivery costs
Online game publishers have been leveraging Akamai Electronic Software Delivery for Gaming since early in its development to help grow their businesses, scale their infrastructure, and improve their end users' experiences.
Since I'll be at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco tomorrow – I'll swing by the Akamai booth and see what more I can find out about this recent announcement.
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