August
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Documents about August
Article
Success Through Localization: A Look Into the Japanese Version of State of Survival
The successful relaunch of the 4X strategy game State of Survival in Japan demonstrates the critical impact of localized content on mobile game performance.
- The Japanese version of State of Survival achieved a top 100 grossing rank on the Japanese iOS market, more than doubling the revenue performance of the previous global version which had stagnated between ranks 300–500.
- The localized launch was supported by a pre-registration campaign that attracted over 600,000 sign-ups and utilized high-profile marketing, including a television commercial featuring actor Tatsuya Fujiwara.
- Localization strategy focused on cultural relevance rather than structural changes, featuring two exclusive Japanese heroes—Kaya and Nanami—complete with custom introductory cutscenes and traditional musical scores.
GameRefineryOct 2021
Article
Apple Arcade Former Head of Content Reportedly Becomes New VP of PlayStation’s Mobile Division
This summary covers two distinct developments regarding Sony’s strategic shifts and legal challenges within the gaming industry.
- The 'Stop Killing Games' initiative has joined a class-action lawsuit in the Netherlands against Sony, alleging that the PlayStation Store artificially inflates digital game prices by an average of 47% compared to physical editions.
- Plaintiffs in the Dutch lawsuit claim that consumers in the Netherlands have overpaid approximately 435 million euros for digital games on the PlayStation Store since 2013.
- Activists argue that Sony’s planned cessation of physical game disc production by 2028 will create an illegal monopoly, and they are seeking compensation for affected gamers alongside the establishment of fair pricing and market alternatives.
Game World ObserverOct 2021
Article
When Lambo: Axie's $152M Raise and Amazon's Content Curse
The gaming industry is currently experiencing a period of unprecedented financial abundance, characterized by record-breaking venture capital investment and high consumer spending.
- The gaming industry saw record venture capital investment in the first nine months of 2021, with approximately $9 billion raised across nearly 500 deals.
- Sky Mavis secured $152 million in Series B funding at a $3 billion valuation, yet Axie Infinity's sales volume dropped 39% from $848 million in August to $518 million in September 2021.
- Amazon’s New World reached over 900,000 concurrent players, marking a significant milestone for the company after previous failures like Crucible.
SuperJoostOct 2021
Article
How the Games Industry M&A Frenzy is Making New Genre Leaders in Mobile
The mobile gaming industry is experiencing a significant transformation driven by aggressive merger and acquisition activity, which is enabling major publishers to rapidly secure leadership positions across diverse genres.
- The mobile gaming industry is experiencing a significant M&A frenzy, driven by a maturing market, a lockdown-induced bump, and intense competition, allowing major publishers to quickly become genre leaders.
- EA became the No. 1 mobile Sports games publisher by U.S. revenue ($176 million) and the No. 1 Lifestyle games publisher ($123 million) between January 1 and August 31, 2021, largely due to its acquisitions of Glu Mobile and Playdemic.
- Activision Blizzard (including King) maintained its position as the No. 1 publisher in the Puzzle genre, generating approximately $873 million in U.S. player spending from January 1 to August 31, 2021, with Candy Crush Saga performing strongly.
Sensor TowerSep 2021
Article
Indie Developer Arnold Rauers’s Revenue Increased by 41% After Adopting Free-to-Play Model
The transition to a free-to-play (F2P) model significantly impacted the financial performance of mobile games developed by Arnold Rauers, the founder of the indie studio Tinytouchtales.
- Indie developer Arnold Rauers (Tinytouchtales) saw a 41% increase in total revenue on the App Store after transitioning his portfolio of six mobile games to a free-to-play model in August 2021.
- The transition to free-to-play resulted in a 280% increase in total iOS downloads for the studio's titles.
- Performance varied by title: while Card Crawl revenue grew by 168%, Card Thief revenue experienced a slight decline of 1% despite maintaining the highest download volume.
Game World ObserverSep 2021
Article
Harry Potter: Magic Awakened Rakes in $22.7M in First Week: China
The provided text covers two distinct developments within the global gaming industry, focusing on market performance in China and strategic investments in game engine technology.
- NetEase and Portkey Games' 'Harry Potter: Magic Awakened' generated $22.7 million in its first week on the Chinese iOS App Store, successfully dethroning Tencent's titles from the top revenue spot.
- The game achieved over 2.8 million iOS downloads in its debut week, marking the first time a non-Tencent title has held the number one spot for more than seven consecutive days since 2016.
- Tencent has led an $18 million investment round in W4 Games to accelerate the development and corporate adoption of the Godot engine.
Game World ObserverSep 2021
Article
43% of Users Consent to Their Personal Data Being Tracked on iOS Games Globally
Research conducted by GameAnalytics provides insight into user behavior regarding Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework within the mobile gaming sector.
- Starting October 1, 2026, Apple will reduce App Store commissions in the EU, offering rates of 26% for standard payments, 20% for third-party payment systems, 15% for external payment links, and 5% for apps downloaded from alternative stores or websites.
- Small Business Program participants, as well as those in the Mini Apps and Video Partner programs, will benefit from reduced commission rates of 10% for third-party payment systems and external payment links in the EU.
- A 2021 GameAnalytics study of 121 million iOS 14.5+ users found a 43% global opt-in rate for personal data tracking in mobile games, significantly higher than the 15% rate reported by Flurry for all app categories.
Game World ObserverSep 2021
Article
Xbox Game Pass Subscription Market Insights
Market analysis from August 2021 highlights the continued dominance of Xbox Game Pass within the subscription gaming sector.
- The Stellar Blade demo reached a peak of 690,000 daily active users (DAU) upon its March 29, 2024 release, nearly doubling the 380,000 peak DAU recorded by the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth demo.
- Shift Up, the developer of Stellar Blade, reported 2023 revenue of $125 million, a 154.5% year-over-year increase, and an operating profit of $82.4 million, up 516%.
- As of August 2021, Xbox Game Pass maintained its position as the most active game subscription service, with 27% of its library consisting of new additions and 30% of titles being removed during that month.
Game World ObserverSep 2021
Article
Mobile Game Market Review: August 2021
The mobile gaming landscape in August 2021 was defined by a strategic shift toward sophisticated live operations and high-profile intellectual property collaborations.
- In the US market, Project Makeover introduced a Battle Pass with a premium tier that removes 5-hour wait timers for challenge progression, incentivizing monetization through time-gating.
- New mobile titles saw significant traction in August 2021, with Marvel Future Revolution debuting in the top 30 grossing US charts and NetEase’s Infinite Lagrange entering the top 20 grossing in China.
- Collaboration events remain a primary engagement strategy, exemplified by PUBG Mobile’s Tesla partnership, Roblox’s physical-to-digital Nerf gun integration, and various anime-themed events in the Japanese market.
GameRefinerySep 2021
Article
What Drives Success in 4X Strategy/SLG Games: Part 2
This analysis explores the primary drivers of success for 4X strategy and simulation (SLG) games, focusing on social engagement, retention mechanics, audiovisual design, and monetization strategies.
- Social features, particularly guild systems, are critical to 4X success by providing mutual assistance, shared goals like 'Kingdom vs. Kingdom' events, and defensive benefits that incentivize long-term player retention.
- Successful 4X games maintain player engagement through a constant stream of recurring and non-recurring live events, such as 5v5 PvP modes, which provide diverse activities beyond traditional base-building.
- Modern 4X titles are shifting from traditional grim 2D aesthetics toward more colorful, high-fidelity art styles and improved user interfaces to increase accessibility for a broader, non-hardcore audience.
GameRefineryAug 2021
Article
Does Imgur Still Work?
This analysis evaluates the declining efficacy of Imgur as a marketing channel for independent video games.
- Imgur has significantly declined as a marketing channel for indie games, with data from April 2020 to August 2021 showing a clear downward trend in both 'most viral' placements and total view counts.
- The Imgur algorithm requires a post to reach 100 upvotes within four hours to achieve 'most viral' status, which typically results in 1,000+ upvotes; otherwise, posts generally fail to gain traction.
- Successful Imgur posts are now rare and primarily limited to high-production-value 3D games or major marketing beats, such as launch date announcements or 'I quit my job' personal narratives.
How To Market A GameAug 2021
Article
We're Having a Total War With Pathfinder?
This market analysis examines the performance and anticipation of premium PC and console games during late August 2021.
- Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous entered its late August 2021 launch week with 250,000 to 300,000 wishlists and a #33 Hype ranking, highlighting strong demand for deep fantasy CRPGs.
- Aliens: Fireteam Elite led Steam global top sellers with 15,000 peak concurrent users, while Psychonauts 2 achieved 7,000 peak concurrent users despite being available day-one on Xbox Game Pass.
- A Total War Saga: Troy transitioned to Steam following a successful Epic Games Store promotion that saw 7.5 million redemptions.
GameDiscoverCoAug 2021