Beyond Vanity Metrics: How to Scale Influencer Operations for Real Gaming ROI

With gaming audiences increasingly sceptical of anything that looks remotely like a paid plug, game makers have to consider other options to get their message across. And this has resulted in influencers and content creators being a critical part of any modern video game’s launch campaign (or resurgence).For this special episode we roped in Rohin Bhaumik, co-founder of Aftermath to make sense of it all. Known as the Indian games industry’s Ari Gold, he explains what works and what doesn’t when it comes to influencers being a part of a video game’s marketing plan.From success stories to manufactured consent and why a degree of transparency matters more than you think, we got you covered.Aside from this, we also talk about what to expect from Gears of War: E-Day when it hits Xbox Series consoles and PC later this year. Time stamps as follows.Podcast Introduction and PlayStation’s War on Gaming* 00:00:03: Introduction to episode 35 and the guests.* 00:00:52: Housekeeping: PlayStation’s “War on Physical Discs” and the #PSBlackout community movement scheduled for the last week of August.* 00:01:23: Discussion on recent PSN and Xbox Live downtime and the industry’s readiness for a digital future.Guest Background: Rohin Bhaumik* 00:01:53: Rohin explains his history, starting as a first-generation Indian PC gaming creator in 2015-16.* 00:02:41: His tenure at Garena, where he managed the live-streaming platform Booyah and worked with 200–300 influencers.* 00:03:19: The transition to co-founding Aftermath and his current role in business development and partnerships.Influencer Operations and Marketing Strategy* 00:03:43: The challenges of scaling influencer management from a few individuals to hundreds on a platform level.* 00:05:40: Why brands integrate influencer marketing for specific target audience recall.* 00:07:54: Success stories in PC and indie publishing and the importance of due diligence.* 00:10:03: Measuring tangible sales and ROI versus “vanity metrics” like views.* 00:13:39: Identifying and managing the problem of bots and manufactured consent in influencer data.* 00:14:55: The strategy of nurturing micro-influencers as they grow into larger creators.* 00:16:08: The algorithmic and operational difficulties creators face when switching genres (e.g., mobile to PC or Battle Royale to RPGs).* 00:20:14: Discussion on transparency and ethics, including the use of #ad and following ASCI guidelines.* 00:23:15: Examples of effective ad integration from creators like Big Boss and SkillUp.Game Wishlists and Recent Plays* 00:23:45: Recommendation for Sketchy Fables, described as “hand-drawn Skyrim”.* 00:24:41: Recommendation for the classic stealth game Thief Gold on GOG.* 00:25:11: Ruwin discusses playing the Halo: Combat Evolved campaign and the high cost of modern games.Deep Dive: Gears of War: E-Day* 00:26:21: Rahul’s impressions of the Gears of War: E-Day multiplayer preview.* 00:27:02: Details on the map (Kelowna) and the Horde Siege extraction-style mode.* 00:28:40: Significant movement changes, including a manual jump button, sliding, and increased fluidity compared to previous titles.* 00:30:45: Technical performance on PC (RTX 5070) and optimization observations.* 00:32:31: Discussion on weapons, specifically the origin of the chainsaw lancer.* 00:41:21: Flexible weapon mechanics, such as the ability to cancel reloads for shotguns.* 00:43:24: The history of the Gears of War franchise in India, including past celebrity launch events.Ubisoft and Immortals Fenyx Rising* 00:34:12: Rahul discusses Immortals Fenyx Rising (formerly Gods and Monsters).* 00:35:16: Comparing Immortals to Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and discussing its quirky, fourth-wall-breaking tone.* 00:36:28: Gameplay mechanics, including stamina meters and world structure.* 00:38:38: A debate on whether Odyssey should have been branded as an Assassin’s Creed title.The Future of Halo* 00:45:32: Rishi’s experience with the Halo: Combat Evolved “remix,” including thoughts on the sprint toggle and broken checkpoint system.* 00:47:25: Critique of the writing quality in the new prequel missions.* 00:48:32: Rumours and “ping-ponging” reports regarding Halo 7, remakes of 2 and 3, and the status of Project Ekur.Closing* 00:50:42: Final thoughts on physical media and where to find the hosts and guests on social media.Welcome to Day Zero. This is a podcast about video games breaking down the bytes and bits behind the decisions that make and break the world’s greatest entertainment industry. Have a request? Hot take? Insider tip? Reach us at the handles mentioned below:* Linkedin - Rohin Bhaumik* Twitter/X - @RishiAlwani* Threads - @rishi.alwani* Instagram - @rishi.alwani* Twitter/X - @darthrahul* Threads - @darthrahul* Instagram - @darthrahul This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dayzeromedia.substack.com