Finalising a Framework

Analytical Framework

Or Remaking It Entirely

For my project I’ve decided to narrow down my analytical framework and instead focus on:

• Monetisation
• Player engagement
• Customisability

I think these three elements will work well together and allow me to create an in-depth and cohesive final project.

gif via tenor

I’m planning to look at how Rhythm Hive has utilised monetisation. According to Fang, Zheng, Ye & Goes the game industry’s “fundamental economic challenge in social gamins is how to monetize players” (2019). The social elements of gaming, where players can interact with others, encourage people to spend money because their friends or opponents are doing the same. Rhythm Hive has 2 different subscription tiers for each of their 3 groups (BTS, TXT & Enhypen), Hive Pass and Fan Plus – so there are 6 in total. As well as this they offer loot boxes that can cost the in-game currency of gems as well as those costing money. There is a constant push for players to put money into the game, be it to receive the daily benefits from subscriptions or the immediate glorification of new cards and other rewards. Rhythm Hive utilises the freemium model, where “the gamblification of the microtransaction [has been legitimised]” (Johnson & Brock, 2020) – basically players are given access to the base game, but to win easily or advance quickly they must spend money.

Rhythm Hive – TXT Hive Pass

Rhythm Hive – TXT Fan Plus

Rhythm Hive – August daily login event

I also want to consider player engagement, potentially delving into the addictive elements of gameplay. The game offers daily login rewards, as well as a range of birthday events, weekly Pop-Ups and Seasonal Challenges – to name a few. These daily logins in particular are a staple of free-to-play games as they aim to keep players coming back through positive reinforcement. I also want to consider reasons why players may not be as engaged with the game.

In terms of customisability, I’ll be looking at the fact that Rhythm Hive offers a wide range of customisability during gameplay – players can change the speed, difficulty and even orientation (flipping the notes). There is also the ability to customise backgrounds, either through purchasing them with Gems or through the subscription tiers they offer different types of backgrounds. While in some games, customisability can be a negative, as players have to choose from the very beginning what level they want to play at, Rhythm Hive surpasses this by allowing customisation at every song meaning players can change how they play the game according to their needs and skill levels.

Rhythm Hive – Difficulty customisability

Rhythm Hive – Stage customisability

References
  Fang, B, Zheng, Z (Eric), Ye, Q & Goes, PB 2019, Social Influence and Monetization of Freemium Social Games, Journal of management information systems, vol. 36, no. 3, pp. 730–754.

  Johnson, MR & Brock, T 2020, The “gambling turn” in digital game monetization, Journal of gaming & virtual worlds, vol. 12, no. 2, pp. 145–163.

addictive gameplay, analytical framework, bcm215, Customisability, DA, monetisation, Player engagement, rhythm hive, Uni Work