DeltaDNA is well known throughout the games industry. It's core offering combines data, analytics and marketing technology to serve engagement and monetisation. But the company is equally famed for its oft-quoted reports and presentations, which commonly found or buoy up gaming headlines across the globe.

And now deltaDNA has launched a new ad management service called AdVantage. The platform promises to grant access to user-level ad revenue, as well as real-time player 'lifetime value' (LTV) calculations that purport to be more holistic and ad-savvy than conventional contemporary offerings. 'User-level' is the keyword there; in offering relatively granular insight AdVantage could prove powerful to those managing and delivering ad strategies.

Traditionally LTV as a barometer of a given game's performance and potential is calculated relative to IAP. That's entirely workable, and plenty enough for some games. But harnessing IAP data as a means to guide LTV calculations comes with its own limitations; especially when data extracted from a game does not consider user-level detail. Ultimately, IAP-centric LTV calculations can miss out on factoring in some of the nuance that embracing ads brings to the table.

As ad use continues to rise and diversify as a means to monetise games, there is arguably increased potential in calculating LTV that considers 'return on ad spend' (ROAS). Pooling and analysing a user-level datasets, deltaDNA asserts, allows LTV calculations that let developers understand both ROAS and IAP with regard to LTV.

“Accurately calculating player LTV is notoriously difficult for F2P developers because reliable user-level revenue data has not historically been available for ads," explained deltaDNA CEO Mark Robinson, in a statement the press.

A representation of the AdVantage dashboard

“AdVantage solves this problem by combining both user-level IAP and ad revenue data from across the whole game economy, empowering developers to generate the most reliable and accurate LTV forecasting.”

The AdVantage platform simultaneously provides access to behavioural data. That means AdVantage provides a centralised location, offering what is perhaps the new tech's most alluring feature. Having one place to understand LTV, IAP, ROAS and player behaviour means developers and campaign managers can endeavour to optimise ad campaigns not in isolation, but by considering real-time insights from across the game economy, with a holistic mindset.

That could have a profound impact at studios and publishers where data drives not just strategies around ads and IAP, but also game design, live event planning, seasonal updates and more.