Survey Reveals Gaming Industry's Achilles Heel: Lack of Modern Support for Console

62% of active gamers say that player support for console games is outdated; console rated #1 worst platform for customer support experience

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Helpshift, the leading in-game player support platform, today unveiled findings from its 2023 inaugural US video games study. Notably, players rated console the #1 worst platform for customer support with 62% of gamers saying that the support is outdated compared to that of mobile games. The study also revealed that one-third (33%) of respondents said they regularly experience frustration with player support for console games, while only a mere 3% report never being frustrated —underscoring a pressing need for innovation in the industry.

"Games publishers have a substantial opportunity to enhance player experiences by addressing console support frustrations," said Eric Vermillion, CEO of Helpshift. "Our research reveals the challenge: players often embark on a tedious journey for answers when facing issues. Instead of a streamlined in-game support system, they're forced to go on a treasure hunt, navigating complex brand websites, performing search engine queries, and relying on community forums for help. What's more, 89% express their eagerness to more frequently engage with support when playing console games if it were more accessible. As gaming consoles make a comeback, the opportunity to fix these issues is now."

Additional insights from Helpshift's State of Player Support study include:

When It Comes to Console Support, Gamers Need a little Extra TLC

Gamers are clearly frustrated with support experiences for console games, primarily due to game-breaking bugs (53%), login issues (45%), and missing in-game rewards (39%). Nearly a quarter of gamers (24%) rage-quit games frequently out of frustration and anger. When faced with these issues, 53% visit the brand's website to find a way to contact customer support, while an equal percentage rely on search engines for self-help. Additionally, 43% explore brand websites for articles or tutorials, and 33% turn to community forums for help. An overwhelming 69% agree that accessing player support for console games is overly time-consuming, underscoring the urgent need for improvements in the gaming industry's support systems.

It's Time for Brands Need to Bridge The Gap Between Playtime and Support Time

The gaming world seems to be divided by a pronounced gap between the immersive gaming experiences players enjoy and the less satisfactory support they encounter. A mere 16% of gamers rate the support experience with console games as excellent, which is notably lower than the 25% who find their actual gameplay experiences on consoles excellent.

When asked about potential solutions, 40% of respondents favor an in-game QR code that seamlessly connects them to a personalized support experience with a human agent, while another 40% opt for a similar QR code but one that launches a support experience on a mobile device, providing access to knowledge-based articles and automated functions. Additionally, 34% prefer a screen in the game displaying contact information for assistance.

Forty-three percent stated they prefer access to convenient, automated solutions, allowing them to get back to playing quickly.

Gamers Share Their Favorite Future Support Fantasies

It's clear that gamers are eager to embrace innovative support features that elevate their gaming journey. When asked about what type of innovative service features they crave for their future support journey, the top five include: the 'Gamer Concierge,' providing personalized game recommendations and assistance (44%), a 'Bug Bounty Program' rewarding bug reporting (34%), 'Developer Game Sessions' for player-developer interaction (34%), 'Virtual Reality Troubleshooting' for immersive support (34%), and 'Community Support Rewards' recognizing helpful players (36%).

Furthermore, 73% express openness to using AI-powered bots for self-service gaming support, validating that gamers are ready to embrace advancements in automation in their support experience.

Behind the Controllers: Gamers Love Fresh Experiences, Narratives, and Friendly Competition

Gamers are a diverse and dynamic bunch, and the data highlights just how varied their gaming personas can be. There's a fascinating mix. Most gamers identify with three distinct personas:

• 'The Explorer' (36%) revels in vast game worlds, driven by curiosity, uncovering hidden secrets and discovering new places and fresh experiences.
• 'The Competitor' (23%) thrives on intense competition, chasing victories, and the adrenaline rush of competitive gaming.
• 'The Storyteller' (15%) values intricate narratives, engaging characters, and impactful storytelling, immersing themselves in the emotional and character-rich aspects of games.

State of Player Support Survey
The results in this report are from an online survey conducted by Researchscape International that was fielded from August 29 to September 5, 2023.  There were 544 gaming respondents to the survey; to qualify, respondents had to live in the U.S., play both console and mobile games at least a few times a month, and have reached out to support after encountering a problem with a console game. Results were weighted to be demographically representative. For questions about this or other research, please contact +1-888-983-1675 x 1 or visit http://www.researchscape.com/

About Helpshift (www.helpshift.com)
Keywords Studios' AI-driven player support platform, Helpshift, provides a guided, personalized, and modern support journey that gets your players back online faster.

With over 50% automation, issue resolution is more efficient with Helpshift.

The Helpshift platform features conversational AI, segmentation, machine translation, AI-driven intent classification, and bot workflows tailored to the video games industry. Helpshift powers contextual support across mobile apps, PC, gaming consoles, and XR experiences in 150+ languages.

Helpshift's automated and customisable tools offer support teams cost-per-ticket savings, faster resolution times, and higher CSAT within weeks, empowering clients to optimise the longevity and value of their games.

To learn more about Helpshift, visit helpshift.com and follow @helpshift on Twitter.

Liftoff Communications
Juliet Travis
[email protected] 

SOURCE Helpshift