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Americas, Middle East & Africa

Americas, Middle East & Africa

North and Latin America, MENA, Turkey and Africa.

144 documents

Cover of How to Win on Mobile in LATAM: 2021

App Annie · 2021

How to Win on Mobile in LATAM: 2021

The analysis focuses on Latin America’s mobile ecosystem from July 2020 to June 2021, revealing a region that has accelerated digital adoption and monetization amid the pandemic. Mobile downloads surged 76 % year‑on‑year, reaching roughly 21 billion across iOS and Google Play, while consumer spend climbed 26 % to $2.9 billion. Android dominates downloads (≈89 %) yet iOS retains a higher spend share, commanding 56 % of total consumer expenditure. Brazil and Mexico together generate 73 % of regional downloads, with Brazil’s per‑capita income lower than Uruguay’s but still driving significant spend growth. Gaming remains a key driver, accounting for 50 % of LATAM consumer spend—below the global average of 68 %. Brazil leads in both downloads (4.6 billion) and revenue ($557 million), with Chile showing a strong spend‑to‑download ratio. Non‑gaming verticals such as Finance, Shopping, and Entertainment also expanded; finance apps grew 36 % YoY in Brazil, while shopping app downloads rose 30 %. Entertainment became the largest spend category in four of six major markets, reflecting limited Smart TV penetration and a shift to mobile streaming. User engagement metrics underscore high daily time spent, with Brazil averaging 5.4 hours per user and Mexico 4.8 hours—up 32 % and 36 % respectively from two years prior. Social, tools, and business categories saw the largest increases in sessions and minutes, indicating opportunities for productivity and contactless payment solutions. Demographic analysis shows a youthful audience: 61 % of shopping app users in Brazil are Millennials, and Gen Z dominates photo‑video and entertainment segments. Overall, the report highlights LATAM as a high‑growth mobile market with distinct platform dynamics, strong gaming and finance opportunities, and an emerging preference for mobile‑first entertainment and productivity apps.

Cover of The State of Mobile Game Advertising 2021

Sensor Tower · 2021

The State of Mobile Game Advertising 2021

The report examines U.S. mobile game advertising in 2021, focusing on ad network share of voice (SOV), creative formats, genre‑specific trends, and demographic alignment. Five gaming‑centric networks—Chartboost, Unity, Adcolony, ironSource, and Vungle—dominated game advertising, each maintaining over 90 % SOV from games on iOS and Android. In contrast, mainstream social platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube) displayed a more balanced mix of gaming and non‑gaming ads, with SOV from games ranging 40–60 %. AppLovin and MoPub shifted toward gaming in late‑2018, investing heavily in hypercasual publishers; this pivot increased their game SOV to roughly 90 % on iOS and 80 % on Android by early‑2021. AdMob’s focus on Google Play titles grew, with its game SOV rising from 60 % to 80 % by Q2 2021. Creative analysis shows video ads remain the dominant format across networks, accounting for >50 % of game ad spend on iOS and Android. Playable ads gained traction among hypercasual publishers (e.g., AppLovin) and, more recently, mid‑core titles such as Call of Duty: Mobile and State of Survival. Full‑screen ads were more common on Android, especially for Google Play games. Genre‑level insights reveal puzzle and hypercasual games rely heavily on gaming‑focused networks (Chartboost, Unity), while mid‑core and strategy titles favor broader platforms like Facebook and YouTube. Casino games concentrated on Adcolony, which also hosts many real‑money reward creatives. The study concludes that despite IDFA changes, game advertising volumes remained stable into 2021. Publishers can optimize spend by matching network demographics to target audiences—YouTube for younger, male strategy players; Adcolony for older, female casino gamers—and by adopting emerging creative trends such as simple playable ads and background music to differentiate in a crowded market.

Cover of An Analysis of IPs in U.S. Mobile Gaming

Sensor Tower · 2021

An Analysis of IPs in U.S. Mobile Gaming

The analysis evaluates the influence of licensed intellectual property (IP) on the U.S. mobile gaming market during 2020, using Sensor Tower’s taxonomy and revenue data from the App Store and Google Play. It finds that only 9 % of mobile titles in the United States carry an IP license, yet these games generated 23 % of total player spending and 17 % of installs, indicating a disproportionate revenue contribution. Video game IPs dominate the licensed segment, accounting for one‑third of IP revenue and 60 % of that share; manga IPs represent the second largest category at 13 %, followed by television (12 %) and comics (10 %). The report highlights that action, shooter, and role‑playing game genres exhibit the highest proportion of IP revenue—64 % in action, 45 % in shooter, and 47 % in RPG—while genres such as racing and puzzle show minimal IP influence. Top performers include Pokémon GO (video game IP), Call of Duty: Mobile (shooter IP), and Marvel Contest of Champions (comics IP). Year‑over‑year growth for IP titles matched non‑IP titles at 33.8 %, driven largely by Call of Duty: Mobile and new releases like PUBG Mobile. The findings suggest that, despite a small market share in terms of titles, IP‑based games command significant revenue and are poised for continued expansion as publishers leverage popular franchises across multiple genres.

Cover of The State of Mobile Gaming: An Analysis of Mobile Gaming Market Trends and Top Titles in the U.S., Europe, and Asia

Sensor Tower · 2021

The State of Mobile Gaming: An Analysis of Mobile Gaming Market Trends and Top Titles in the U.S., Europe, and Asia

The analysis demonstrates that the mobile‑gaming market expanded dramatically during the COVID‑19 pandemic, with global quarterly revenue reaching $33 billion in Q2 2020 and downloads climbing 39 % to 16 billion. The United States remains the dominant spend market, contributing 28 % of worldwide revenue in 2020 and generating $7 billion in Q1 2021, while emerging regions such as India (12 % of global installs) and Brazil drive download growth but lag in monetization. Hyper‑casual and shooter titles—PUBG Mobile, Garena Free Fire, Subway Surfers—consistently occupy top download positions worldwide. In 2020 and early 2021, revenue concentration persisted in mature markets (U.S., Japan, China), yet fast‑growing regions like Europe and Southeast Asia presented expanding opportunities. European revenue was led by Playrix ($700 M) and Supercell ($600 M), with Israeli publishers also in the top‑10, while installs remained near pandemic highs at roughly 4 billion in Q1 2021. In Asia, India’s explosive download growth (nearly 3 billion installs in Q3 2020) and Indonesia’s 26 % YoY rise positioned the region as the dominant market, with PUBG Mobile and Honor of Kings topping download charts. Despite a 44 % YoY decline in Chinese installs, mobile‑game spend there continued to rise, contributing to Asian revenue of $12 billion in Q1 2021. Genre‑level insights reveal hyper‑casual games as the fastest‑growing segment, expanding from 757 million installs in Q1 2018 to over 3.4 billion by Q1 2021 and accounting for more than 30 % of all mobile downloads that quarter. Freemium models dominate monetization, with 99 % of App Store revenue derived from free titles; subscription adoption remains a minority (≈29 %) among top U.S. games. Advertising revenue is heavily concentrated in puzzle and hyper‑casual titles, which captured over 30 % of ad spend across major networks in 2020. Playrix led overall ad spending, especially for its puzzle franchises, while Zynga’s acquisition of Rollic Games spurred a sharp increase in hyper‑casual ad spend on AdMob and Facebook. Overall, the data underscore a mobile‑gaming ecosystem where mature markets generate the bulk of revenue, emerging regions drive download growth, hyper‑casual and battle‑royale titles dominate user acquisition, and freemium monetization models—supported by advertising—remain the primary revenue engine.

Cover of Market Snapshot: Q2 2021 US, China & Japan

GameRefinery · 2021

Market Snapshot: Q2 2021 US, China & Japan

The mobile gaming market in the second quarter of 2021 experienced notable shifts in genre performance and publisher dominance across the United States, China, and Japan. The primary objective is to provide a comparative analysis of these regional markets, highlighting evolving trends in genre market share, publisher success, and the increasing importance of live-service feature updates. The analysis utilizes a proprietary taxonomy and motivation framework, supported by a survey of over 7,000 mobile gamers in English-speaking western countries, to categorize games and identify player archetypes. Key findings indicate that the United States saw a decline in the Puzzle genre’s market share, while the Strategy genre experienced significant growth. In Japan, the Sports genre continued to gain momentum, largely driven by the success of titles like Umamusume Pretty Derby, while RPGs faced a decline. China exhibited a trend reversal from the previous quarter, with RPG and Strategy genres regaining market share at the expense of Shooters. Publisher performance was marked by strong results from Supercell in the US and Cygames in Japan, while Leiting Games nearly doubled its market share in China. A critical trend identified is the 37% year-over-year increase in feature updates, with Strategy games leading this surge at 208%. Developers are increasingly prioritizing engagement through non-recurring live events and limited in-app purchase offers, which saw frequency increases of 143% and 122%, respectively. These features are becoming essential for retention and monetization across major genres. Furthermore, player motivation data reveals that games appealing to fast-paced action and competitive play continue to dominate the top-grossing charts in the US, with specific archetypes like King of the Hill and Skill Master remaining highly relevant.

Cover of Rapport Annuel 2021

Association canadienne du logiciel de divertissement · 2021

Rapport Annuel 2021

The 2021 annual review underscores the emergence of video‑games as a pivotal social and economic force within Canada, where roughly 61 % of the population—about 23 million people—engage in regular play. Pandemic‑era surveys reveal that 58 % of adult gamers and 80 % of adolescents increased their gaming time, while disposable income previously allocated to cinema and travel was redirected toward interactive entertainment, positioning gaming as the dominant medium in the national leisure landscape. Advocacy and industry support intensified throughout the year. The association shifted to virtual engagement with parliamentarians, deployed a paid Globe and Mail advertisement, and produced a targeted video message to maintain policy visibility during COVID‑19. A new content‑manager bolstered digital capacity, and coordinated outreach—including bi‑weekly provincial briefings, a monthly liaison call with provincial bodies, and a legally vetted return‑to‑work guide—facilitated the successful exclusion of video‑game developers and console manufacturers from the revised Canadian Broadcasting Act, averting potential royalties amounting to tens of millions of dollars and avoiding additional regulatory burdens. Operational resilience was demonstrated as approximately 30 000 industry employees transitioned to remote work without disrupting the majority of scheduled releases. Financial stewardship met all set objectives, remaining within budget while expanding strategic initiatives. The sixth‑year student competition attracted 20 entries, awarding a $6,000 prize, reflecting ongoing investment in talent development and community engagement across the Canadian gaming sector.

Cover of The State of Mobile Game Advertising: An Analysis of U.S. Mobile Game Advertising Trends in 2021

Sensor Tower · 2021

The State of Mobile Game Advertising: An Analysis of U.S. Mobile Game Advertising Trends in 2021

Mobile game advertising in the United States remained resilient through the first half of 2021, showing no immediate negative impact from privacy changes such as the deprecation of IDFA. Analysis of the advertising landscape reveals a strategic divide between ad networks. Specialized platforms like AppLovin, Chartboost, and Vungle maintain a high concentration of gaming content, often exceeding 90 percent share of voice. In contrast, diversified platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube maintain a more balanced split between gaming and non-gaming advertisements, serving as critical channels for reaching broader audiences. Market trends indicate that ad network selection is increasingly driven by genre and demographic alignment. Puzzle and Hypercasual games dominate gaming-focused networks, while mid-core genres like Strategy and Shooter find higher engagement on social platforms like YouTube and Instagram. Notably, Adcolony emerged as a primary hub for Casino games, catering to an older, female-leaning demographic. Across most platforms, video remains the dominant creative format, though playable ads have gained significant traction, particularly on AppLovin where they account for over 40 percent of gaming share of voice. Creative strategies are evolving to include "fake playables," relaxing music for casual titles, and real-world testimonial-style conversations. Even mid-core titles with complex mechanics, such as Call of Duty: Mobile, have begun adopting simplified playable "mini-games" to lower the barrier for user acquisition. This data, compiled by Sensor Tower using its Ad Intelligence platform, covers U.S. trends across iOS and Android from 2018 through the second quarter of 2021, suggesting that success in the current market requires a sophisticated mix of genre-specific network targeting and experimental creative formats.

Cover of Turkey Game Market 2021 Report

Gaming in Turkey · 2021

Turkey Game Market 2021 Report

The Turkish gaming market experienced a transformative period of growth and institutionalization in 2021, reaching a total market volume of $1.2 billion. Despite global challenges such as hardware shortages and pandemic-related delays in AAA titles, the local ecosystem expanded to include over 42 million active players. This growth was primarily catalyzed by the mobile segment, which generated $620 million in revenue and solidified Turkey’s position as a global leader in the hyper-casual genre. The year was further defined by record-breaking financial activity, with $266 million invested across 54 startups and the emergence of Dream Games as a new industry "unicorn." Strategically, the market is shifting toward a "gaming-focused entertainment" model, characterized by the rapid adoption of Web3 technologies, including blockchain, NFTs, and Play-to-Earn (P2E) frameworks. While mobile gaming remains the dominant force, there is a burgeoning esports ecosystem supported by approximately 6 million followers and a national federation overseeing 165 licensed clubs. Turkey’s selection as the host for the Global Esports Games 2022 underscores its rising international profile. However, industry experts note a strategic need to diversify beyond mobile platforms into PC and console development to ensure long-term sustainability. The regional landscape reveals Turkey as the primary gaming powerhouse in the Middle East, outperforming neighboring markets in both revenue and player engagement. Success for international entrants remains contingent on high-quality localization and cultural adaptation, given the country's low English proficiency and unique consumer preferences for competitive genres and specific musical influences. As the sector transitions into 2022, the focus remains on bridging the talent gap through specialized academic programs and leveraging the return of large-scale physical exhibitions to maintain momentum in the evolving Metaverse and digital advertising spaces.

Cover of The African Mobile Apps Landscape (2021)

AppsFlyer · 2021

The African Mobile Apps Landscape (2021)

The African mobile app market experienced a period of rapid acceleration between Q1 2020 and Q1 2021, driven by a young, mobile-first population and the unique conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis of 6,000 apps and 2 billion installs across South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya reveals that overall app installs grew by 41% during this period. Nigeria led this growth with a 43% increase, while South Africa saw the most immediate surge in downloads following strict lockdown measures. The gaming sector proved particularly resilient, with installs jumping 50% in Q2 2020 as consumers sought home entertainment. This trend extended to monetization, as in-app advertising revenue surged by 167% between Q2 2020 and Q1 2021. Furthermore, in-app purchasing revenue peaked in Q3 2020, accounting for one-third of the year's total revenue. While Android remains the dominant platform with a 54% increase in non-organic installs, iOS also showed growth despite a 21% rise in cost-per-install. Several structural trends define the current landscape, including the rise of fintech apps addressing the needs of unbanked populations and the emergence of super apps that consolidate multiple services to overcome device storage limitations. Despite this progress, challenges remain regarding connectivity, as mobile internet adoption in Sub-Saharan Africa stands at 26%, well below the global average. To succeed, marketers are encouraged to move toward a multi-moment maturity model by integrating durable measurement foundations, focusing on high-value user acquisition, and utilizing remarketing strategies to drive long-term engagement.

Cover of How to Win on Mobile in LATAM

data.ai · 2021

How to Win on Mobile in LATAM

This analysis examines the mobile application ecosystem in Latin America (LATAM) from July 2020 through June 2021, a period marked by rapid digital acceleration due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The region emerged as a high-growth market, generating 20.9 billion new app downloads and $3 billion in consumer spend. A defining characteristic of this landscape is the dominance of Android, which accounted for 89% of all downloads, though iOS maintained a significant 56% share of total consumer spend, indicating high monetization potential per user. The geographic scope focuses primarily on Brazil and Mexico, which together generated 73% of the region's downloads. However, the findings highlight a fragmented market where smaller nations like Uruguay show higher per capita spend despite lower download volumes. Engagement is exceptionally high across the region; users in Brazil and Mexico averaged 5.4 and 4.8 hours daily on mobile devices, respectively, surpassing averages in the United States. This high engagement is driven by a young demographic, particularly in Brazil, where the average age is 33. Industry segments showing the most significant momentum include Finance, Shopping, and Gaming. Finance app downloads in Brazil grew by 36% year-over-year as users shifted toward neobanks and digital wallets. In the gaming sector, which represents 50% of total consumer spend, hypercasual titles lead in downloads while core subgenres like Strategy and RPGs drive 60% of revenue. The retail sector saw the rapid rise of foreign entities like Shopee alongside established regional leaders like MercadoLibre, often utilizing gamification to drive retention. The data, sourced from App Annie Intelligence, suggests that success in LATAM requires a platform-specific strategy favoring Android for reach and a localized approach to subscription pricing. As internet penetration continues to expand, the region is positioned as a critical frontier for global mobile publishers and developers.

Cover of The Modern Mobile Gamer: 2021 Gen Z Edition

Tapjoy · 2021

The Modern Mobile Gamer: 2021 Gen Z Edition

This analysis examines the mobile behaviors, gaming habits, and advertising preferences of Generation Z, defined as individuals born in 1997 or later. Based on a February 2021 survey of 7,103 U.S. consumers aged 18–24 on the Tapjoy network, the findings characterize this demographic as "digital natives" who view the smartphone as their primary device for entertainment, social connection, and commerce. The study utilizes opt-in participation and rewarded survey methodology to gather data on a generation that currently represents $140 billion in buying power. Key findings indicate that Gen Z is heavily invested in the mobile ecosystem, with 86% using mobile as a gaming platform—significantly higher than the 42% who use consoles. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated these trends, as 71% of respondents reported playing more mobile games in 2020. Beyond gaming, the demographic is highly active in mobile commerce; 68% shop via mobile one to four times per week, frequently purchasing to-go food, retail items, and subscription services. Socially, Gen Z favors Instagram and TikTok over Facebook and increasingly rejects traditional gender stereotypes in marketing. The research concludes that Gen Z has a unique, high-standard relationship with advertising. They largely reject intrusive, non-skippable, or inauthentic content, preferring ads that offer a value exchange. Consequently, 54% of respondents prefer rewarded ads over other formats, and 53% engage with rewarded mobile game ads—outperforming engagement rates on Instagram (38%) and TikTok (23%). To successfully reach this audience, brands must prioritize humor, social and environmental awareness, and opt-in experiences that respect the user's digital autonomy.

Cover of Diversity and Inclusion in Gaming: Insights and Opportunities 2021

Newzoo · 2021

Diversity and Inclusion in Gaming: Insights and Opportunities 2021

This analysis examines the state of representation and accessibility within the United States gaming market, challenging the misconception that the gaming audience is primarily composed of young, white males. Based on a 2020 study of 1,824 gamers aged 10–65, the research argues that the industry’s future growth depends on its ability to cater to a diverse global population of 2.7 billion players. The thesis posits that strengthening diversity and inclusion (D&I) requires a dual approach: improving the representation of marginalized groups in software and increasing the affordability of hardware. Key findings indicate that 47% of U.S. gamers avoid titles they feel are not made for them, while over half believe it is important for games to feature diverse characters. This sentiment is particularly strong among LGBTQIA+ players and people with disabilities. Data shows that players of color are often more "serious" gamers than their white counterparts; for instance, Black and Asian PC players skew younger and more female. Furthermore, the popularity of the fighting game genre among Black players is linked to historical arcade accessibility, suggesting that low barriers to entry foster long-term community engagement. The research highlights a significant correlation between socioeconomic status and gaming habits. Black and Hispanic/Latinx players are more likely to use standard laptops or consoles rather than expensive high-end desktops and are more inclined to use subscription services like Xbox Game Pass to manage costs. Ultimately, the analysis concludes that brands taking active stances on social issues and prioritizing inclusive character design can drive higher engagement and revenue, as gamers increasingly prefer companies that reflect their values and identities.

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