Games Radar Thursday: LifeAfter MMO, Amazon Steam Competitor, and Crypto Gaming Survey

Key insights

6 takeaways

01
The mobile MMO 'LifeAfter' generates between $15 million and $16 million in monthly net revenue, with approximately 75% of its total lifetime revenue originating from China and Japan.
02
Leaked data from a Twitch.tv security breach indicates that Amazon is developing a Steam-competitive PC game store, internally codenamed 'Vapor'.
03
The 'Vapor' platform reportedly includes integration for Twitch features and specific support for titles such as Fortnite and PUBG, alongside a potential VR chat project called 'Vapeworld'.
04
While the US currently accounts for only 5.5% of 'LifeAfter's' lifetime net revenue, the game has shown a steady increase in both absolute and proportionate revenue from the region over the past two years.
05
Industry sentiment regarding crypto gaming is divided, with a 50/50 split on the long-term viability of NFTs and a general expectation that crypto-based games will capture approximately 25% of the market within five years.
06
Survey respondents largely anticipate that major industry players will eventually enter the market with NFT or crypto-based gaming products.

Summary

This analysis examines key developments in the mobile and PC gaming sectors as of October 2021, focusing on the financial performance of specific mobile titles, emerging platform competition, and industry sentiment regarding blockchain integration.

The mobile MMO title LifeAfter demonstrates significant commercial durability, generating between $15 million and $16 million in monthly net revenue. While the game’s historical revenue is heavily concentrated in China and Japan, which account for approximately 75% of total earnings, the United States market shows a steady, albeit small, upward trend. This growth suggests a potential, gradual increase in Western player acceptance of mobile-based massively multiplayer online experiences.

In the PC distribution space, leaked data from a security breach at Twitch indicates that Amazon is developing a competitive platform, codenamed Vapor. Technical documentation suggests this service aims to integrate existing Twitch functionality with game-specific support for major titles such as Fortnite and PUBG, alongside potential virtual reality features. This development highlights Amazon’s ongoing efforts to establish a foothold in the PC storefront market, a sector that has proven difficult for other major industry players to penetrate.

Finally, industry sentiment regarding crypto-gaming remains speculative but engaged. Survey results indicate that a majority of participants expect major publishers to eventually incorporate NFT or cryptocurrency elements into their titles. While respondents were evenly divided on the long-term viability of NFTs, there is a general consensus that crypto-based games could capture approximately 25% of the gaming market within five years. These findings reflect a broader industry trend of monitoring decentralized technologies as potential components of future monetization and engagement strategies.