Rise
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Documents about Rise
Analyst Bulletin: Mobile Game Market Review January 2022
The global mobile gaming landscape in January 2022 was defined by a strategic reliance on seasonal content and limited-time engagement mechanics.
- Mobile Legends: Bang Bang experienced a significant revenue spike in January 2022 following the launch of its 'Aspirants Unite' event, which featured exclusive, high-profile gacha skins.
- The music/rhythm game Beatstar successfully scaled its performance in the US market, reaching a peak top-grossing rank of 43 after implementing its 'Tour Pass' battle pass system.
- Match-3 games are increasingly adopting light PvP competitive events, such as the 'Showdown' event in which players compete to use the most bombs within a set timeframe to win boosters.
Plus: God of War's Perfect PC Transition
The primary objective of this analysis is to evaluate the commercial performance and market trends of recent video game releases across major PC and console platforms during January 2022.
- Sony’s strategy of releasing polished console exclusives on PC years after their original launch is commercially validated by God of War, which reached 46,000 concurrent users (CCUs) at launch.
- Monster Hunter Rise demonstrated strong market demand for PC ports by surpassing 100,000 CCUs on Steam.
- Streamer-driven engagement can sustain high player counts for niche titles, as evidenced by the success of Internet Cafe Simulator 2 despite mixed critical reviews.
Plus: Q1 on Steam - Let's Witness the Hotness
This analysis provides a comprehensive outlook on the Steam and console gaming markets for the first quarter of 2022.
- Steam's Q1 2022 market was defined by high-profile releases including Elden Ring, God of War, and Monster Hunter Rise, alongside the successful Western launch of the MMO Lost Ark.
- The tactical shooter Ready Or Not emerged as a significant sleeper hit in late 2021, achieving a 94% positive review rating despite low pre-launch visibility.
- Indie developers face a 'Game Pass or bust' environment on Xbox, where paid download charts are dominated by viral hits like Among Us rather than traditional indie titles.
The Rise of Game Subscription Services & Infinite Browsing Mode
Subscription services like Xbox Game Pass and Apple Arcade are fundamentally altering player behavior and game discovery through a phenomenon termed Infinite Browsing Mode.
- Subscription services like Xbox Game Pass and Apple Arcade trigger 'Infinite Browsing Mode,' where the paradox of choice and lack of individual financial investment lead to higher player abandonment rates, especially for games with slow starts.
- The success of the subscription model is evidenced by Forza Horizon 5, which achieved 4.5 million players at launch, highlighting the massive scale and rapid adoption potential for titles on these platforms.
- UX research on next-gen consoles reveals a trade-off between efficiency and cognitive load: the Xbox Series X interface requires 30% fewer button presses for common tasks, while the PlayStation 5 interface features 19% fewer significant screen changes.
Capcom Consolidated Financial Results for the 6 Months of the Fiscal Year Ending March 31, 2022
Capcom’s consolidated financial results for the six-month period ending September 30, 2021, demonstrate significant growth across all business segments compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year.
- Capcom reported significant growth for the six-month period ending September 30, 2021, with net sales rising 66.4% to 69,995 million yen and operating income increasing 61.9% to 28,924 million yen.
- The Digital Contents segment drove performance through the release of Resident Evil Village and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin, resulting in total unit sales of 19.8 million compared to 13.8 million in the prior year.
- Net income attributable to owners of the parent grew by 71.0% to 22,219 million yen, supported by a strong financial position with a shareholders' equity ratio of 76.1%.
The Rise of the Cookie Run: Kingdom – How the Game Managed to Multiply Its Daily Revenue by 10 in a Month
Cookie Run: Kingdom, a mobile title developed by Devsisters, experienced a significant financial transformation in September 2021, shifting from a mid-tier performer to a top-10 grossing game in the United States.
- Cookie Run: Kingdom achieved a 10x increase in daily revenue on iOS in the US during September 2021, moving from approximately $20k to $200k per day.
- The primary driver of the revenue and download surge was a targeted marketing campaign featuring English voice actors, which launched on September 2, 2021.
- The developer, Devsisters, leveraged the social media reach of voice actors by having them share content, review fan art, and participate in interviews to build community engagement.
Microsoft Paid $100 Million for Rise of the Tomb Raider Timed Exclusive
The financial terms of the 2015 timed exclusivity agreement for the video game Rise of the Tomb Raider have surfaced, revealing that Microsoft paid $100 million to secure the title for the Xbox platform.
- Microsoft reportedly paid $100 million to secure a one-year timed exclusivity deal for the 2015 release of Rise of the Tomb Raider on Xbox.
- The financial detail was revealed on the LinkedIn profile of Fabien Rossini, the former director of strategic planning at Square Enix, before being removed.
- Rise of the Tomb Raider sold over 1 million units within its first two months of release.
Capcom Consolidated Financial Results: Three Months Ended June 30, 2021
Capcom’s consolidated financial results for the first quarter of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, demonstrate significant growth across all primary financial metrics compared to the same period in the previous year.
- Capcom achieved significant growth in Q1 of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, with net sales rising 104.1% to 48,423 million yen and operating income increasing 120.4% to 23,604 million yen.
- The Digital Contents segment drove performance with 13.3 million total unit sales, led by the release of Resident Evil Village, which surpassed 4.5 million units shipped, and the continued success of Monster Hunter Rise.
- Net income attributable to owners of the parent reached 17,340 million yen, marking a 121.9% increase compared to the same period in the previous year.
The Continued Rise of Hypercasual in the East & How to Break Your Game into the Chinese Market
China currently stands as the world’s most significant mobile gaming market, valued at $25 billion and representing a quarter of the global industry.
- China's mobile gaming market reached $29 billion in 2020, representing a 30% year-over-year growth and accounting for approximately 25% of the global mobile games market.
- Hypercasual games are the fastest-growing segment in China, leading at least 72% of total game sessions by the end of 2020.
- Foreign developers face significant legal barriers to entry, specifically the requirement for an ISBN certificate, which can take three to six months to obtain and is notably more difficult for non-domestic entities to secure.
MTG Q2 2021 Financial Results
The second quarter 2021 financial results for MTG demonstrate a period of strategic expansion and operational growth, characterized by a dual-focus strategy in the gaming and esports verticals.
- MTG achieved a 15% increase in net sales at constant currencies in Q2 2021, reaching a total of SEK 1,198 million.
- The gaming vertical reported pro forma sales of SEK 1,169 million, representing an 8% year-over-year increase driven by mobile acquisitions like Ninja Kiwi and Hutch.
- MTG expanded its gaming portfolio through the acquisition of PlaySimple, a leader in the word games genre, as part of its ongoing 'Buy & Build' strategy.
Nintendo Switch: The State of Player Discovery
The Nintendo Switch ecosystem is characterized by a broadening of player libraries and a continued dominance of first-party software.
- Nintendo Switch users significantly expanded their libraries in 2022, with the median number of owned games rising to 35 titles, up from 20 in 2021.
- First-party Nintendo titles dominate the ecosystem, with ownership rates for major releases like Pokemon Legends: Arceus and Metroid Dread reaching between 39% and 50% among the core demographic.
- Physical media remains a strong force on the Switch, accounting for nearly 47% of user libraries due to collector interest and the perceived value of premium-priced software.
Analyzing Game Updates to Build Even Better Content for Your Game
Analyzing the update history of competing titles serves as a strategic method for developers to identify successful content trends and monetization mechanics.
- Analyzing competitor update histories provides actionable insights into content strategy and monetization mechanics regardless of a game's specific genre.
- The 'Lanterns of Togetherness' event in Rise of Kingdoms utilized a multi-layered 'mini Battle Pass' structure, including a third tier that required a premium currency purchase to unlock.
- While the premium currency required for event tiers in Rise of Kingdoms is obtainable for free-to-play users, it requires approximately two months of gameplay, creating a strong incentive for players to purchase currency via in-app purchases (IAPs).