5 Best Game Studios Referral Programs Examples

If there is one industry that never stops growing, it is the gaming industry. Game studios are mainly categorized into four types: indie companies, game dev studios, publishers, and mobile game companies. All of which exist to make high-quality gaming experiences for users and handsome revenues for themselves.

With increasing digital distribution, many indie companies are monetizing their creations with in-game purchases and ads. The quest to innovate social elements intensifies with this, making it almost essential for businesses to embark on referral programs to support better user acquisition and retention. Word-of-mouth marketing, after all, is one of the greatest marketing strategies of all time.

We put together some great examples of game studio referral programs to elaborate on how leveraging social elements in the gaming world can bring you better profits. Learn, improvise, and win!

Top Game Studios Referral Programs

Good old word-of-mouth marketing is a proven tactic to promote a brand. According to a FinanceOnline 2023 study, leads from referrals can bag 30% higher conversion rates. Friend Referral programs in games or video game affiliate programs follow the same marketing plan, more commonly in MMO and PVP games.

After the global pandemic, there was a surge in social gaming trends all over the world. This opened ways for gaming studios to build a reward system that supports a player’s connection with their buddies. The mobile game industry, specifically, gets more creative in UA practices every passing day. Let’s take a look at some game studios with the hottest games and successful referral programs.

Microsoft Xbox Game Pass

The new Xbox Game Pass friend referral program allows PC Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate subscribers to refer up to five pals to PC Game Pass and gift a 14-day free subscription to them.

All the invited friends of the player must be new to Game Pass to redeem this trial. This membership also extends to new first-party Xbox games, such as Redfall, and gives access to EA Play and Riot Games libraries.

What Made It Work?

• A simple and clear “How it works” explanation made it easy for gamers trying to know more about this Xbox program.

Easy to share. The affiliate link or trial code comes right up as the player signs into their account and clicks on the “Get Started” button. Paste the link on any text or email app and send it to friends who are not current or previous Game Pass members.

• 30 days to redeem a free trial gives referees enough time to contemplate. If the referred friend does not redeem the free trial, it will become available to share again after 30 days.
• Referral code status tracking helps referrers see their affiliate link in progress. Players can log into xbox.com/sharepcgamepass and view the trial status.
• An alluring all-access 14-day trial can entice any gamer to sign up, explore, and enjoy gaming on Xbox. The free trial has all the benefits of a PC Game Pass, including Xbox Game Studio titles, EA Play membership, and access to the biggest PC and mobile games on PC from Riot Games.

Twitch

This is a mass streaming platform where streamers, who are mostly gamers themselves, record themselves playing games live. Streamers have channels or accounts where their content is archived in a library of episodes.

It monetizes its audiences with its Twitch affiliate program, paying a 5% revenue share on game sales through a streamer channel. This means you can get paid to promote the coolest games you know via gaming streams.

However, you need to be eligible to join this program. Twitch recruits streamers who aren’t Partners, have racked up at least 500 total broadcast minutes, have at least 50 followers, seven unique broadcast days, and three or more concurrent viewers on average.

What Made It Work?

• Multiple modes of payment make sure it’s easy to cash rewards for streamers. Payment methods include wire, direct deposit, PayPal, and cheque, which are all readily accessible.
• More earning opportunities since eligible streamers can also earn from subscribers, Ads, and platform purchases.
• Chances of a future partnership and significantly higher affiliate commissions for successful streamers who achieve Partner status with Twitch entice more people to sign up.

Green Man Gaming

Green Man Gaming is a global e-commerce British-based technology company that operates as an online video game distributor, retailer, and publisher. From indie titles to AAA releases, it sells a vast catalog of games across various platforms.

Their CJ affiliate network pays a 5% commission per referral purchase from new users and a 2% on returning users. To bring in more clicks, Green Man Gaming offers a variety of product-specific and general ads and also facilitates bespoke requests from affiliate marketers. The close publisher relations also allow the company to boost reviews, competitions, and giveaways.

What Made It Work?

• Performance-based rewards encourage people with big audiences of gamers to promote games on the platform and earn higher commission rates.
• Platform sells Xbox, PC games, and game keys quite cheaply, which increases the target audience pool.
• Potential for extra earnings makes sure that participants make efforts to promote the brand’s offerings.

Logitech

This Swiss company focuses on quality, innovation, and on improving user interaction with the digital world. Logitech is a multi-brand enterprise that unites people through gaming, music, video, and computing. Their brands include Logitech, Logitech G, ASTRO Gaming, Blue Microphones, and Ultimate Ears.

Logitech affiliate program lets users promote a vast catalog of their products using their pre-designed referral links. Referrers can earn a 4 to 10% commission based on the value of the product sold.

The referrer can earn a commission by directing people to one of their websites with their referral link. When the referee makes a purchase, the referrer gets a commission. Each link lasts 30 days and the referrer receives a reward within 90 days of the sale.

What Made It Work?

• A simple 3-step process makes it easier for gamers to understand the program and participate. The steps are laid out with quick, comprehensible captions.

• Mention of future bonuses not only entices people to join the affiliate program but also to continue referring Logitech products so they can earn more and better rewards.
• Referral tracking with detailed reports, including traffic, orders, and total sales, promotes transparency in the process.

Zygor Guides

Zygor guides are in-game guides designed for both World of Warcraft and WoW Classic. This companion app/site is massively popular in the gaming industry. The in-game guide works as an add-on that helps gamers in leveling up quickly, earn reputation points for in-game factions, earn gold, and more.

Gamers joining the Zygor Guides affiliate program can earn up to 50% commission if the referred friend purchases their referral. Their subscription affiliate plants offer up to $42.99 per referral.

What Made It Work?

• Asking minimum information, Zygor Guides makes sign-up hassle-free. All you have to do is feed your first name and email address and click Sign up to join the referral program.

Restating the reward multiple times makes sure that people know they can win big with this program. “Start Raking in Cash Today”, says the affiliate program sign-up page, creating a sense of urgency and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).

• Incentivizing a “casual hobby” made this referral process seem quite leisurely and low-key to visitors, resulting in a better participation rate. Plus, the referral links are easy to share via social media platforms, email, or messaging.
• Users can also earm recurring monthly commissions for all Zygor Guides subscriptions.

Key Takeaways – Building a Strong Gaming Referral Network

Important learnings from affiliate programs on this list include:

Incentivize People For Bringing Friends

Friend referral systems in the video game industry are not just about sharing a handful of energy or game coins and sending a friend request. It’s about incentivizing players to invite new people to download the game and earn rewards for it. This is done using unique referral codes.

Referring friends to try out a new game is more fun when there’s something in it for both of you. Most referral marketing campaigns are designed on two-way reward structures where both the referrer and the referee get a gift for the deed.

Game studios can scout more gamers by using the player base for low-key user acquisition on their behalf. The better your incentive is, the higher the success rate for your referral campaign.

Find Your Player’s Motivational Drivers

Thorough research into target audiences and gamers can help you determine what their driving factors are. Using those motivational drivers, gaming studios can enhance their affiliate programs to drive more engagement.

For instance, games like Fortnite have a player base that seeks competition and enjoys the thrill of fast-paced gameplay, so refer-a-friend and competing with them to earn a reward sounds like a solid referral strategy.

Keep It Simple

The easier it is to share your referral or affiliate code, the better your chances of acquiring a new gamer. A complicated or lengthy process to share a new cool game with friends or redeem a reward will simply put off the user.

Create clear and prominent CTA buttons, break the referral process down into simple and easy-to-understand bullet points, and put an attractive reward for successfully referring the brand.

Payout Flexibility

Make sure that the rewards are easy to cash out/ obtain. Numerous small payouts frequently say three payouts per week, can be a hassle to manage. You can set up a reasonably flexible payout rate to keep the revenue consistent.

Above all, payment methods should be widely accepted and accessible to all kinds of users.

Ask At The Right Time

Right timing plays a crucial role in triggering desired referral behavior in players. The referral program should be interactive and interesting enough for the player to naturally want and fit into the process.

For instance, the right time could be setting up a push notification for when the player has reached a higher game level or unlocked a new feature.

Closing Note

The gaming industry has tremendously evolved since the early days of traditional walk-in arcades. Users are four times more likely to buy a product or try a new game or feature when referred to it by a friend. This makes referral marketing an essential tool in user acquisition.

Game studios deal with a vast array of services and products, and managing a referral or affiliate program is challenging. Experts at prefinery.com can help you at each step of the process so you can execute a successful game studio referral campaign.

FAQs

Do game studio referral programs increase profits?

Yes, a referred customer is about 18% more loyal than a customer acquired by other means. So, it’s safe to say that using existing customers for user acquisition in the game studio industry drives new revenue.

What are the types of referral programs?

There are four types of referral programs: direct referrals, tangible referrals, implied referrals, and community referrals. All types have the same core purpose of building a solid customer acquisition channel and goodwill among audiences.

What is in-game marketing?

In-game marketing means advertising something inside a game. It involves placing static ads and promotional videos smartly and strategically so players will want to click on them. Audio ads, mini-games, banners, and video ads are some examples of in-game advertising.