Computer game studio Square Enix has chosen to use 10gen's MongoDB non-relational database to process the vast amounts of data produced in game by players and use that information to improve game performance.
According to Square Enix, which is behind AAA computer games such as Tomb Raider, using the NoSQL system will allow the company to address the needs of online gamers better.
This is where the money is and I believe this is the future of how you manage customers
Haitham Rowley, group IT director at Square Enix, told IT Pro: "We have always collected in-game data how many bullets gamers shot, how long they spent on a level, and so on.
"When we started five years ago, Microsoft SQL was the tool of our choice. This was fine at the very beginning because the number and type of metrics we were collecting were manageable."
However, Rowley claimed that as gaming has moved online there was an explosion in data, leaving Microsoft SQL unable to cope.
Starting in 2010, Rowley carried out some investigations into how best to manage big data and what options were available, and he settled on MongoDB.
"Together with my engineers, we looked at how we could manage an infinite amount of data forevermore. Fortunately, we were able to benchmark lots of tools by collecting lots of data and MongoDB came out on top," Rowley said.
By using MongoDB, Rowley anticipates both better engagement, due to the ability of the system to process and relay back data extremely quickly for uses such as leader boards. However, he also claimed it can help maximise revenue by enticing players to make more in-game purchases.
"Whether you are a bank, a gaming company or a large PLC, you need to collect data because it is your customer information.
"[Using data to encourage more purchases] is a dark art ... but this is where the money is and I really believe that this is the future of how you manage customers," Rowley concluded.
