As data privacy regulations tighten and expectations for transparency grow, game studios are under increasing pressure to ensure full compliance with frameworks like GDPR and CCPA—without compromising their ability to measure marketing performance. That’s where TRACKS comes in. At the heart of our privacy-first design is a hybrid cloud approach, which gives studios both control and flexibility in how their data is collected, processed, and stored.
The recommended deployment model for TRACKS is what we refer to as hybrid-hosted—a solution that functions similarly to an on-premise setup. In this architecture, all granular data is processed and stored within the publisher or studio’s Google Cloud account, ensuring full ownership and transparency. TRACKS itself operates as a managed service layered on top of this infrastructure, specifically the reporting and insights suite, which is hosted by Second Stage.
This approach has been optimised for the game industry’s specific needs. It allows studios to execute performance-driven media campaigns across platforms like Meta, TikTok, X, Google Ads, and more—without introducing server latency or compromising the fidelity of in-game telemetry. Just as importantly, it removes the ambiguity around where data lives and how it’s handled.
Here’s how it works in practice: ad clicks and website visits are tracked with UTM parameters and collected via the TRACKS JavaScript code. These interactions are hashed (not stored in raw form) and processed through endpoints that the studio fully controls. When a game is opened after a click-through journey, telemetry data like storefront source and OS platform is logged on the studio’s own backend and forwarded to TRACKS for aggregation and reporting.
No personal data (like user-level IP addresses) is stored in a readable format. Instead, IPs are hashed using a one-way SHA256 method and retained only for short-term operational use. Reporting surfaces only aggregated insights—never raw logs or identifiable records.
By isolating user-level data in the studio’s cloud environment and processing only the necessary aggregates for reporting, this hybrid model ensures GDPR compliance without adding operational friction. It also allows for strict EULA enforcement, granular consent handling, and full auditability—key requirements for any studio scaling its marketing efforts in Europe or other regulated markets.
Simply put, TRACKS’ hybrid cloud architecture offers the best of both worlds: privacy compliance and full attribution visibility, tailored for the demands of today’s cross-platform gaming ecosystem.
To learn more about how TRACKS leverages hybrid cloud architecture to deliver secure, privacy-compliant attribution for gaming studios, get in touch with our team or explore our deployment guide.
