Market (Overall)

Reports in the Market (Overall) category.

248 documents

Digital Market Index: Q1 2024

Global consumer spending on mobile applications reached a record $45 billion in the first quarter of 2024, reflecting a 9.5% year‑over‑year increase that was largely driven by the iOS ecosystem, which grew 11.5% versus a 5.3% rise on Google Play. Despite this surge in spend, total app downloads fell 3.5%, marking the third consecutive quarterly decline since Q1 2021; nevertheless, iOS maintained its highest quarterly download volume since 2020. Entertainment and productivity categories led the spend growth, each expanding over 30% YoY, while gaming spending rebounded on iOS but remained flat on Google Play. Hyper‑casual games continued to dominate the download landscape, with racing and action titles generating the largest volumes. Conversely, casual sub‑genres such as arcade and simulation experienced double‑digit declines. TikTok remained the top spender globally, generating more than $1.2 billion in revenue and outpacing YouTube by a wide margin, while emerging short‑form drama apps—ReelShort, DramaBox, and ShortMax—entered the top ten for both revenue and download growth. In mobile gaming, “Monopoly GO” set a new quarterly spend record of $770 million, surpassing the previous $765 million benchmark and standing alone as a title to exceed $600 million in a single quarter. Retail‑media advertising in the United States was led by Walmart and Target, which together delivered over 18 billion impressions in Q1 2024. Specialized retailers such as Chewy and Home Depot captured significant niche shares, with personal care emerging as the top category overall—driven by Ulta and Sephora. Walmart dominated food, beverages, and consumer packaged goods, while Target excelled in shopping, household supplies, and baby & toddler segments. Co‑branded partnerships—including Chewy × Purina, Walmart × Unilever, and Target × Apple—generated hundreds of millions of impressions, underscoring the strategic value of retailer‑brand collaborations in expanding digital ad reach.

market-analysis global mobile+1

Sensor TowerJan 2024

Report

The Xsolla Report: State of Play – Summer Edition 2024

The Summer Edition of the Xsolla Report demonstrates that indie game development has entered a phase of rapid democratization and commercial viability. Accessible engines such as Unity, Unreal, and the fast‑growing Godot now dominate production pipelines, enabling more than 8 000 titles to launch in 2023. Coupled with free or low‑cost asset stores and cloud backend services, indie studios can cut development time and costs dramatically, accelerating time‑to‑market and allowing them to compete with larger studios. Sales data confirm the shift: indie titles generated over $15 million in lifetime revenue on Steam alone, and now account for 31 % of total Steam earnings. Action, adventure, and RPG genres remain the most lucrative, while indie games enjoy higher average Steam ratings (≈72 %) than AAA titles. The market share of indie games on PC and console platforms rose from 13 % in 2021 to 18 % in the United States, underscoring a growing consumer appetite for independent titles. Influencer marketing has become the primary driver of discovery and purchase decisions, with YouTube still commanding the highest impact but TikTok and Instagram offering more cost‑effective alternatives. The sector’s marketing spend is projected to triple, reaching $24 billion by 2024. Meanwhile, the convergence of education and gaming—through MOOCs, online academies, and immersive technologies—has expanded the talent pipeline, raising average developer salaries from $60 k in 2010 to $95 k in 2024. Geographically, the report focuses on North America and Europe, with a particular emphasis on U.S. market dynamics, while the time frame spans 2021–2024. The findings highlight that strategic adaptability, influencer partnerships, and cloud‑based commerce tools are essential for publishers, developers, and investors to capture the expanding indie market.

market-forecast player-behavior global+1

XsollaJan 2024

Report

Mobile App Trends: 2024 Edition

The mobile app industry demonstrated significant resilience throughout 2023, characterized by a global advertising spend of $362 billion and a late-year surge in installations. While the landscape faced challenges such as rising acquisition costs and evolving privacy regulations, the fintech and e-commerce sectors emerged as primary growth engines. Fintech experienced a 42% increase in installs and a 118% surge in in-app revenue, while e-commerce saw a 43% year-over-year rise in installs alongside a 34% increase in revenue. These sectors successfully optimized their acquisition strategies, with banking eCPIs falling from $2.33 to $1.37, allowing marketers to achieve rapid returns on investment within the first week of user acquisition. The gaming sector navigated a more complex trajectory, ending the year with a 2% annual decline in installs despite a notable recovery in the fourth quarter. This rebound was driven by a 7% year-over-year growth in installs and the emergence of the hybrid casual genre. Although overall gaming sessions dipped, specific subverticals like racing and simulation saw dramatic install spikes of 61% and 53%, respectively. Global gaming stickiness remained stable at 20%, and high-engagement genres like RPG and adventure continued to command strong lifetime value, even as broader retention rates across the mobile ecosystem faced downward pressure. Future industry success depends on the strategic integration of artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to enhance personalization and automate complex workflows. To achieve sustained growth in 2024 and beyond, developers must diversify their media mixes by expanding into emerging channels like Connected TV and adopting holistic measurement frameworks. By combining incrementality testing with media mix modeling, stakeholders can better navigate the shift toward privacy-centric marketing while capitalizing on the high-potential returns offered by the global mobile marketplace.

market-analysis marketing advertising+2

AdjustJan 2024

Report

Annual Universe of Positive Gaming Experiences 2024

Stillfront Group’s 2024 fiscal year marks a pivotal transition into a synergy-driven operational phase, characterized by a major geographic reorganization into Europe, North America, and MENA & APAC business areas. This strategic shift aims to drive efficiency and mitigate a 2% organic revenue decline, which resulted in total net revenues of 6,737 MSEK. The financial year was defined by a significant net loss of 7,378 MSEK, primarily driven by a 6.9 billion SEK goodwill impairment in the North American segment due to lower-than-expected growth. Despite these non-cash charges, the group maintained a resilient financial foundation, generating over 1 billion SEK in free cash flow and improving gross margins to 80% through successful direct-to-consumer initiatives. The group’s portfolio remains focused on free-to-play franchises, with North America and Europe accounting for 71% of player bookings. To reduce dependency on third-party platforms, which still facilitate 54% of revenue, management is prioritizing its internal payment systems and the "Stillops" platform for cost optimization. A comprehensive cost-savings program is underway, targeting up to 250 MSEK in annual savings by late 2025. Leadership has also stabilized under a new CEO and a board that remains fully compliant with the Swedish Code of Corporate Governance, focusing on organic growth and franchise scaling over dividend distributions. Sustainability and governance have been deeply integrated into the corporate strategy in preparation for the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. The group achieved Science Based Targets initiative validation, reducing market-based greenhouse gas emissions by 7% and more than doubling its renewable energy share to 37%. While social metrics show a stable workforce with improved turnover rates and high data security standards, challenges remain in gender diversity at the executive level. Executive remuneration is now tied to long-term sustainability targets, including employee satisfaction and data privacy, ensuring that environmental and social governance remains central to the group’s long-term value creation.

market-analysis player-behavior global+1

StillfrontJan 2024

Report

2024 State of Game Technology Report

The global game technology landscape has reached a critical inflection point in 2024, characterized by the widespread expansion of game engines into non-gaming sectors such as automotive, healthcare, and media. Approximately 50% of developers now utilize these engines for cross-industry applications, with Unreal Engine maintaining a dominant 63% market share, particularly within media and entertainment. Despite this growth, the industry contends with significant structural challenges, including acute funding shortages, personnel deficits, and the technical complexities of managing massive data sets across distributed teams. To mitigate these hurdles, organizations are prioritizing toolset consolidation and robust version control systems, with Perforce Helix Core and Git-based platforms serving as the primary infrastructure for modern development pipelines. The technical ecosystem remains highly fragmented but is increasingly defined by a shift toward automation and cloud integration. Microsoft Visual Studio and Jenkins continue to lead in the AAA space, though modern alternatives like JetBrains Rider and GitHub Actions are gaining substantial traction. Cloud-based development has become a standard practice for nearly half of the industry, with Amazon Web Services emerging as the preferred provider. Furthermore, generative AI has seen rapid institutional integration, with 65% of organizations adopting the technology to streamline workflows. This technological evolution coincides with a shift in labor dynamics; following widespread industry layoffs, employers now prioritize cross-functional adaptability over narrow specialization, while the workforce increasingly values direct access to leadership and mental health support. Geographically and industrially broad, these findings reflect a transition toward more agile, cloud-native development environments that must balance aggressive timelines against resource constraints. The move toward indie development and the diversification of game engine utility suggest that the boundaries between traditional gaming and broader digital creation are permanently blurring. Success in this environment depends on the ability to manage increasingly large file sizes and complex collaboration requirements through integrated CI/CD and version control strategies.

market-analysis game-engines game-development+1

PerforceJan 2024

Report

Gaming Report 2024: Meet the Moment – How Gamers Are Changing the Game

The report demonstrates that the global video‑game market reached $196 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at roughly 6 % per year through 2028. Growth is driven by a youthful demographic—80 % of players aged 2‑18—who devote nearly one third of their entertainment time to gaming. These gamers increasingly engage in immersive, cross‑platform ecosystems that combine social interaction, co‑creation and real‑world extensions of game IP. Their spending per hour can be up to five times higher when they participate in multiple activities, underscoring the commercial value of integrated experiences. Key findings reveal that 70 % of players use multiple devices and 90 % desire a single consolidated marketplace, with half willing to pay for it. Publishers are therefore urged to develop device‑agnostic platforms, strengthen direct relationships with players and employ data‑driven marketing. In the mobile sector, an 80 % failure rate after three years contrasts sharply with a 10–25 % failure rate in software and retail, highlighting the need for highly targeted paid performance marketing, rigorous A/B testing and tight alignment across development, finance and marketing teams. Long‑term acquisition and retention strategies, coupled with generative AI for ad creation and optimization, are identified as critical success factors. Operating models at leading studios are shifting toward standardised core tools, autonomous entrepreneurial teams with clear milestones and strategic embedding of generative AI. Talent attraction now demands a comprehensive package that includes purpose, competitive pay, work‑life balance, learning paths and ESG commitments to remain competitive with the broader tech industry. The report’s thesis is that understanding diverse gamer segments, delivering interoperable cross‑platform experiences and investing in data‑driven, AI‑enhanced operations are essential for capturing the rapidly expanding, monetarily active gaming audience.

market-analysis player-behavior monetization+1

Bain & CompanyJan 2024

Report

Mobile App Predictions for 2024

Mobile market analysts project a dynamic yet uneven 2024 landscape, with generative AI and video‑first platforms driving growth while text‑centric microblogging contracts. Global app store revenue is expected to reach $111.4 billion, a 4 % rebound after a 3 % decline in 2023, with the United States accounting for roughly 80 % of that uptick. Gaming spend is projected to climb back to $111 billion, up 4 % from the 2023 forecast of $107.5 billion; key growth will come from RPG, match‑making, party and casino titles, particularly in the U.S., Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Germany and the UK. Video‑centric social media continues to dominate consumer spending, with TikTok poised to surpass $14.6 billion in lifetime spend and reach a $16 billion milestone by year‑end. The platform’s average monthly user hours are projected to hit 40 hours in December 2024, up from 32.5 hours in October 2023, underscoring its monetization potential beyond advertising through tipping and subscription models. In contrast, microblogging apps such as X (Twitter) and Threads are forecast to see daily active users fall by 53 million and 20 million respectively, reflecting a shift toward photo‑and video‑first experiences. Generative AI apps are set to experience a 40 % year‑over‑year download growth, with AI chatbots and art generators leading the surge. The overall trend suggests that AI‑enhanced features, video content, and direct consumer monetization will shape the mobile ecosystem in 2024, while traditional ad‑driven models face increasing pressure.

market-forecast marketing

data.aiJan 2024

Report

The Alumni Effect: A Deep Dive into Studios Founded by Ex-Rioters

The emergence of startups founded by former Riot Games employees represents a significant sub-sector of the venture capital landscape in gaming. Since 2020, investors have funneled nearly $500 million into 27 startups led by these alumni across 38 funding rounds. These founders command a substantial premium in the market, with an average round size of $11 million, which is 53% higher than the $7 million average seen across the broader gaming startup ecosystem. The investment data reveals a high level of confidence from specialized venture capital firms, with Andreessen Horowitz (a16z Games) and Bitkraft Ventures leading the activity. These firms have participated in deals valued at $339.3 million and $236.3 million respectively. Furthermore, ex-Riot teams demonstrate superior fundraising momentum compared to the general market. A significantly higher percentage of these studios successfully secure follow-on financing within two to three years of their initial rounds, whereas the broader gaming market sees a much sharper decline in subsequent funding success over the same period. While capital infusion is high, the majority of these ventures are currently in the pre-release phase. Out of 27 identified startups, only six have released products to date. The most well-funded projects include Theorycraft’s Supervoke, Believer’s unannounced AAA title, and Singularity 6’s Palia. The scope of these projects primarily focuses on high-ambition genres such as multiplayer RPGs, extraction MOBAs, and backend infrastructure. This trend underscores a strategic focus on complex, scalable platforms that mirror the live-service expertise associated with the founders' professional origins.

investment funding market-analysis+1

InvestGameJan 2024

Report

Inside Gaming: It's Personal! 2024

The 2024 Inside Gaming analysis reveals that video games have evolved into a primary medium for identity formation and self-expression, surpassing traditional motivations like competition or time-killing. Based on a global survey of 5,000 entertainment and gaming consumers alongside proprietary first-party data, the findings indicate that 46% of players now prioritize creation and imagination as their primary reason for gaming, marking a 10% year-over-year increase. This shift is driving significant engagement, as players who view gaming as a platform for authenticity are 30% more likely to increase their playtime compared to previous years. The data highlights a profound psychological disconnect between players' digital and physical lives, with 80% of respondents stating their gaming personality differs from their real-life persona. Furthermore, 64% of gamers find it easier to be themselves with a controller in hand than in person. This desire for authenticity is reflected in gameplay preferences, where 76% of players utilize character personalization and 48% focus on unique gamertags to express themselves. Games that facilitate this expression through in-game customization, vast open worlds, and constant updates see 60% higher engagement than industry norms, a trend exemplified by titles such as Roblox, Fortnite, and The Sims. There is a significant commercial opportunity for brands to bridge the gap between virtual and physical identities. Nearly half of all players express a desire for their real-life presence to mirror their gaming presence, particularly regarding physical appearance and skill sets. This sentiment is especially strong among marginalized and younger demographics, including women, non-binary individuals, and multicultural players. Consequently, 72% of consumers report they would view brands more favorably if those companies helped them translate their gaming-inspired self-expression into the real world through products, skills, or lifestyle alignments.

market-analysis player-behavior marketing+1

FandomJan 2024

Report

Annual Report 2024

Thunderful Group’s 2024 Annual Report documents a decisive pivot toward a pure gaming focus, achieved through divestment of non‑gaming assets and a 20 % workforce reduction. The restructuring tightened the balance sheet, halving interest‑bearing net debt and leaving a modest cash position of SEK 29.6 million, yet it also produced a sharp decline in operating performance: net revenue fell 23.8 % to SEK 292.8 million and adjusted EBITA swung to a loss of SEK 383.9 million, largely due to cost‑cutting and the transition to higher‑margin publishing and co‑development activities. The global gaming market grew modestly in 2024, reaching USD 187.7 billion with a 5 % rise in the player base to 1.5 billion, projected to reach 1.67 billion by 2027. Thunderful’s strategy targets a 3.1 % CAGR in the PC segment, high‑quality titles priced USD 10–30, and external project investments capped at EUR 2 million. The company has reorganised into Publishing and Co‑development & Services segments to optimise resource allocation, lower fixed costs through third‑party publishing, and balance riskier internal IP development with predictable service revenue. Governance remains robust: a board‑led risk framework, annual review of a Zero‑tolerance Code of Conduct, and an anonymous whistleblowing function reinforce ethical standards. Executive remuneration is tightly linked to long‑term value, with fixed salaries capped at 30 % variable pay and share‑based incentives that could dilute equity by up to 4.65 % if fully exercised. Despite a net loss of SEK 887.5 million in 2024, the Group’s operating profit rose 57 % to SEK 292.8 million, signalling a turnaround post‑restructuring. Financially, the Group’s liquidity is constrained; total assets fell from SEK 3.15 billion to SEK 772.9 million, and net cash turned negative. Impairments of over SEK 444 million on goodwill and other intangibles, coupled with significant restructuring costs, underpin the negative operating margin of –46.9 %. The company’s exposure to foreign‑exchange, interest‑rate and liquidity risks remains moderate but requires ongoing monitoring. Overall, the report presents a company in transition, balancing aggressive cost discipline and strategic realignment against a challenging financial backdrop.

market-analysis investment diversity-inclusion+1

ThunderfulJan 2024

Report

State of Play: Xsolla Report

The report argues that the indie game sector has become a dominant force in the global market, driven by lowered entry barriers, widespread use of accessible engines, and a shift toward influencer‑led discovery. Data show that 2024 indie sales surpassed AAA titles, generating over $15 million in lifetime revenue across PC, Xbox, and Steam, with action, adventure, and RPG genres leading. Indie titles now account for 18 % of U.S. PC/console players and achieve higher average Steam ratings (≈72 %) than AAA games, reflecting a 12‑month YoY growth spike in early 2024 that continues to push positive momentum. Key enablers include Unity’s 38 % market share, Unreal’s steady growth, and Godot’s sharp rise, which together support the release of 8 000–10 000 titles annually. Free or low‑cost asset stores and backend services such as Xsolla Backend reduce development time and cost, with studios reporting average backend build costs of $21 million versus in‑house development. Cross‑platform publishing and a 29 % share of Steam revenue in 2023 further accelerate market penetration. The U.S. remains the largest gaming market, but regional hubs like Wisconsin are emerging through local publisher support and flexible work models. QA professionals increasingly influence inclusive design, while systemic barriers to gender and LGBTQ+ representation persist. Average U.S. developer salaries rose from $88,010 in 2023 to $91,009 in 2024, and the edutainment sector is projected to grow from $9.1 B in 2020 to $30.7 B by 2025, driven by online learning platforms. Online education and influencer marketing are rapidly expanding; MOOCs are expected to reach $279 billion by 2029, and the global influencer market is projected at $36 billion in 2024. These trends underscore continuous skill development and targeted influencer partnerships as cost‑effective channels for monetization, marketing, and distribution. The synthesis highlights the need for strategic adaptability among publishers, developers, and investors to capitalize on the evolving indie landscape.

market-analysis game-development monetization

XsollaJan 2024

Report

State of Play: Winter 2024

The analysis projects global gaming revenue to reach approximately $205.7 billion by 2026, up from $106.8 billion in 2023, reflecting an average annual growth rate of 3.9 percent. Mobile and cloud gaming are identified as the primary engines of this expansion, with the mobile sector alone expected to generate $111.4 billion in spend and to be bolstered by record app‑download volumes—76.8 billion downloads across iOS and Google Play in the first half of 2023. Consumer spending surged by as much as 60 percent in early 2023 before stabilising within a –10 percent to +20 percent range for the remainder of the year, underscoring the volatility of post‑pandemic demand. In the United States, women now comprise roughly half of the gaming audience and represent a significant portion of spending power, yet only 26 percent of studios report inclusive hiring practices and 18 percent provide diversity training. This disparity highlights a persistent gap between audience demographics and industry representation, even as iOS‑based role‑playing games alone generated about $1.33 billion in revenue during Q3 2023. Growth is further driven by financial realignments, the emergence of metaverse, AR/VR, and cloud‑based experiences, and evolving consumer habits that favour direct‑to‑consumer commerce. A mobile‑gaming platform that enables web‑store sales has become a major revenue source, positioning service providers as essential partners for developers seeking funding, marketing, launch, and monetisation across multiple regions. Concurrently, a cultural shift toward greater gender diversity in executive, design, and development roles is expanding the industry’s creative talent pool, reinforcing the sector’s long‑term resilience and innovation potential.

market-analysis market-forecast monetization+2

XsollaJan 2024