Google launches Player Analytics and custom native ads tools for game developers

Appropriately announced at today’s Game Developer Conference 2015, Google unveiled updates for developers on its Google Play Games platform, with a focus on more effective audience targeting.

Coming to Google Play Developer Console in a few weeks, the new Player Analytics tool is designed to give developers reports of sessions, average spending patterns and how players are progressing through the games. Developers can also set a daily revenue goal and use these reports to help boost in-app purchases or add features as needed.

Greg Hartrell, Senior Product Manager of Google Play Games, says the tool will help developers create realistic benchmarks, and better understand revenue per paying users and sessions.

The second tool is an update to Google’s AdMob platform to give developers better native ad options. Currently rolling out in a limited beta, the tool will allow devs to customize the Google ads that show up in-app to ensure their visuals better match the form and function of the game.

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AdMob will also analyze players to predict which are more likely to spend money on in-app purchases, and allow devs to create custom ads to target these players specifically. This feature will be available for free to AdMob users “in the next few weeks.”

Lastly, AdMob will add an Audience Builder tool to let devs create lists of players to target features based on how they’re interacting with the game. Hartrell says this will allow them to send out specific messages or sales so their audiences can get the most tailored experience according to their gaming behavior.

The updates today should allow Google Play Games developers to better grow both their audiences and revenue, following last week’s announce that it has paid out over $7 billion to developers last year. For more info, check out Google’s landing page for its GDC event.