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Report
15 pages
In-Game Spending: Parents' Supervision of In-Game Spending 2023
Three-quarters of children do not engage in in-game spending, a figure that has remained stable since 2020.
Average monthly in-game spending among children who do spend increased from €33 in 2020 to €39 in 2023, a rise consistent with inflation.
The majority of in-game spending (64%) is concentrated in the €1–20 monthly range, with gameplay-impacting content (34%) and cosmetic items (33%) being the most popular purchases.
Monetization
Player Behavior
Market Analysis
+1
Video Games Europe
Jan 2023
Report
13 pages
5 Mobile App Forecasts: 2023
Mobile gaming consumer spending is projected to decline to $107 billion in 2023 due to macroeconomic pressures and stricter privacy regulations like IDFA.
Global mobile advertising spend is expected to reach $362 billion in 2023, with short-form video apps serving as the primary growth driver to offset reduced performance marketing budgets.
Eleven of the fourteen new apps projected to surpass $2 billion in lifetime consumer spend during 2023 are games, demonstrating that top-tier titles remain resilient despite the broader market downturn.
Market Forecast
Mobile
Global
+1
data.ai
Jan 2023
Report
51 pages
The Xsolla Report: The State of Play
The global gaming market is projected to reach $211.2 billion in revenue by 2025, driven by multiplatform integration and the adoption of real-time payment systems.
Real-time payment systems like India’s UPI and Brazil’s PIX are expanding rapidly, with real-time payments expected to account for 28% of global electronic transactions by 2027.
Generative AI is becoming a core development pillar, with over 50% of top studios expected to use the technology by 2024 to improve production efficiency by up to 30%.
Market Analysis
Monetization
Cloud Gaming
+1
Xsolla
Jan 2023
Report
33 pages
Gaming Spotlight 2023: The Year in Review
Mobile gaming consumer spend is projected to decline 2% year-over-year to $108 billion in 2023, driven by macroeconomic instability, Apple’s App Tracking Transparency, and Chinese regulatory constraints.
Home console and PC/Mac gaming spending are bucking the mobile trend with projected growth of 3% and 4% respectively, fueled by improved hardware availability and subscription-based revenue models.
User acquisition is becoming more difficult and costly, forcing publishers to shift toward playable ads for action genres and diversify revenue through battle passes and subscriptions.
Market Analysis
Monetization
In-Game Advertising
+2
data.ai
Jan 2023
Report
27 pages
From Hyper to Hybrid: Hypercasual Gaming Trends 2023
The mobile gaming industry is shifting from hyper-casual to hybrid-casual models, driven by declining ad revenue profitability and the impact of iOS App Tracking Transparency.
Developers are increasingly adopting in-app purchases and meta-gameplay components to replace the traditional reliance on pure advertising revenue.
Data from 2022 shows a consistent downward trend in ad impressions and eCPMs across both Android and iOS platforms, while in-app purchase volume grew.
Market Analysis
Monetization
User Acquisition
+1
Tenjin
Jan 2023
Report
17 pages
Hyper-Casual Games Benchmark Report: Q4 2022
Hyper-casual median CPI reached an all-time high of $0.42 in Q4 2022, with iOS experiencing a significant $0.17 increase compared to the previous quarter.
iOS consistently outperformed Android in retention, with top-tier (top 2%) games achieving 45% Day 1 retention on iOS compared to 38% on Android.
The United States recorded the highest iOS median CPI among top ad-spending countries at $0.80, while Brazil fell out of the top ten ranking.
Market Analysis
Monetization
User Acquisition
+3
Tenjin
Dec 2022
Report
29 pages
The State of Social Apps in Europe 2022
European social app consumer spending reached $830 million in the first ten months of 2022, marking an 86% year-over-year increase.
TikTok dominated the European market in 2022 but saw its revenue growth decelerate by the third quarter, indicating a maturing market.
The barrier to entry for top-tier App Store rankings decreased, with the required download threshold falling 30% compared to 2019.
Market Analysis
Europe
Monetization
+1
Sensor Tower
Sept 2022
Report
19 pages
Hyper-Casual Benchmark Report Q3 2022
Hyper-casual revenue remains primarily driven by high-volume user acquisition paired with optimized ad mediation to maximize value during short player lifecycles.
Market leadership among ad networks is defined by the ability to deliver massive scale at low costs per install while integrating seamlessly with attribution partners.
Successful publishers are mitigating the impact of privacy-driven attribution changes by utilizing sophisticated data analytics to balance ad spend across diverse networks.
Market Analysis
Monetization
User Acquisition
+3
Tenjin
Sept 2022
Report
48 pages
Market Outlook 2022: An Overview & Analysis of Industry Trends
The global mobile gaming market is projected to reach $117 billion in annual revenue by 2026, despite a 6% year-over-year revenue decline to $21.2 billion in early 2022.
Mid-core genres, specifically RPG and strategy, drive 60% of total player spending, while casual titles account for 78% of total downloads.
Asian markets contribute 80% of total RPG and MMORPG revenue, though Western appetite for these complex titles is growing, evidenced by Diablo Immortal earning $28 million in the U.S. during its first six weeks.
Market Analysis
Player Demographics
Monetization
+1
Sensor Tower
Aug 2022
Report
35 pages
Innovative Monetization Features Snapshot Report
Gacha mechanics are the industry standard, appearing in 93% of the top 20% grossing mobile titles, while Battle Passes are utilized by 60% of that same demographic.
In the U.S. mobile market, 75% of top-grossing games now incorporate gacha mechanics.
Progressive reward systems, which offer escalating gifts based on cumulative spending, are nearly three times more likely to be found in top-performing iOS games than in lower-grossing titles.
Monetization
Market Analysis
Global
+1
GameRefinery
Jun 2022
Report
16 pages
The Highest-Grossing Mobile Games on iOS & Android: Q2 2022
Mid-core titles dominated Q2 2022 revenue, led by 'Rise of Kingdoms' which generated $179.5 million.
King was the highest-grossing publisher during the period, earning over $264 million across four leading titles.
Top-earning games outside the mid-core category included 'Candy Crush Saga' ($122 million), 'Coin Master' ($99.2 million), and 'Roblox' ($68.1 million).
Market Analysis
Monetization
Mobile
+2
Apptica
Jun 2022
Report
35 pages
Innovative Monetization Features Snapshot Report June 2022
Gacha mechanics are the dominant revenue driver, integrated into 93% of top-grossing Japanese titles and 75% of the top 20% of US-grossing games.
Battle Passes have matured into primary retention tools, appearing in 60% of high-performing games and increasingly incorporating social and cooperative progression features.
Progressive reward systems, which grant bonuses based on cumulative spending, are utilized by 23% of top-performing US iOS games compared to only 9% of lower-performing titles.
Monetization
Market Analysis
Global
+1
GameRefinery
Jun 2022
Report
32 pages
Gaming Spotlight: 2022 Review
Mobile gaming is the dominant industry force, projected to reach $136 billion in 2022 and accounting for over 60% of the total $222 billion global market valuation.
The mobile segment is expanding 3.3 times faster than the home console market, bolstered by the sustained popularity of core titles like Genshin Impact and Roblox.
Hybrid monetization is becoming standard, with 42% of top-grossing U.S. games now combining in-app purchases with advertising.
Market Analysis
Global
Mobile
+1
data.ai & IDC
May 2022
Report
67 pages
The State of Mobile Gaming 2022: Market Trends and Top Titles in the U.S., Europe, and Asia
Global mobile gaming revenue declined 6% year-over-year in Q1 2022 to $21.2 billion, ending a period of pandemic-driven growth due to market stabilization and inflation.
Consumer spending dropped 10% in the U.S. and 7% in Asia, while Google Play saw a 22% decrease in spending despite global downloads remaining resilient at 14 billion.
Emerging markets are driving growth, led by India’s 73% increase in consumer spending and Turkey’s 36% revenue surge, which established it as Europe’s fastest-growing market.
Market Analysis
Global
Mobile
+1
Sensor Tower
Jan 2022
Report
16 pages
Modern Mobile Consumer 2022: App Discovery Report
Mobile gaming has become a universal behavior, with 60% of non-gaming app users playing mobile games daily, matching social media as the top usage category.
In-app advertising is a primary driver for app discovery, leading to downloads for 70% of gaming audiences and 78% of non-gaming control group users.
While users typically maintain over 20 apps on their devices, the majority limit their daily engagement to only five to ten apps.
User Acquisition
Monetization
In-Game Advertising
+3
ironSource
Jan 2022
Report
39 pages
IP-Based Mobile Games: 2022
By 2021, nearly all top-downloaded new iOS titles were based on existing intellectual property, confirming IP as the primary strategy for organic user acquisition following privacy shifts like Apple’s App Tracking Transparency.
Western IPs (e.g., Disney, Marvel) drive higher global download volumes, while Eastern IPs (e.g., Japanese manga, Chinese literature) generate superior revenue through specialized monetization models like gacha.
Successful IP-based games require a 'perfect fit' between core gameplay mechanics and source material lore, as seen in titles like Marvel Strike Force and Umamusume: Pretty Derby.
Market Analysis
Monetization
Mobile
Newzoo
Jan 2022
Report
18 pages
Consumer Insights: Games and Esports 2022
The research is based on a global dataset of over 75,000 consumers across 36 international markets, covering North America, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific region.
Consumer spending is primarily driven by three factors: price sensitivity, the desire for exclusive content, and the need for social connectivity.
Gaming engagement is categorized into distinct personas, with 'Time Fillers' and 'Mainstream Gamers' identified as the most prevalent segments.
Market Analysis
Player Demographics
Player Behavior
+5
Newzoo
Jan 2022
Report
39 pages
Newzoo IP-Based Mobile Games Report (2022)
Established intellectual property is now a primary driver of mobile success, evidenced by the fact that only one non-IP title reached the top ten global downloads in 2021.
High-spending players, defined as those investing over $25 per month, show a significantly higher propensity to download games based on familiar franchises than low spenders.
While Western IPs like Disney and Marvel drive high global download volumes, Eastern IPs from Japanese manga and Chinese literature dominate top-grossing charts due to deep monetization mechanics like gacha systems.
Market Analysis
Monetization
Mobile
+1
Newzoo
Jan 2022
Report
17 pages
The Hyper-Casual Benchmark Report: Q3 2022
Retention is the primary differentiator for success, with top-tier hyper-casual games significantly outperforming the median cohort as acquisition costs rise.
Median cost-per-install (CPI) reached record highs in Q4 2022, hitting $0.20 on Android and $0.42 on iOS.
iOS consistently outperforms Android in retention, with top-tier titles achieving 45% Day 1 retention on iOS compared to 38% on Android.
Market Analysis
Monetization
User Acquisition
+5
Tenjin
Jan 2022
Report
12 pages
Modern Mobile Consumer 2022: App Monetization Report
Rewarded ads and in-app purchases (IAP) do not cannibalize each other, allowing for a hybrid monetization strategy that maximizes revenue without sacrificing user experience.
The percentage of users making occasional IAPs has grown significantly to approximately one-third of the total user base, up from 2-3% five years ago.
Free apps with IAP are the dominant model, accounting for 52% of all gaming app downloads.
Monetization
Market Analysis
Player Behavior
+2
ironSource
Jan 2022
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