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State of Mobile: Brazil 2022

Brazil solidified its position as a global leader in mobile engagement throughout 2021, with users averaging 5.4 hours daily on their devices. This record-breaking activity drove 10.3 billion app downloads and a 22% year-over-year increase in consumer spending, which reached $1.13 billion. While social, communication, and video streaming apps captured 70% of total mobile minutes, the gaming sector emerged as the primary engine for monetization, accounting for more than half of all consumer expenditures. Hypercasual titles led in volume, while 4X Strategy games dominated revenue generation. The market underwent a profound digital transformation across the finance and retail sectors. Finance app downloads surged by 91% over a two-year period, fueled by a large underbanked population gravitating toward neobanks like Nubank and PicPay. Similarly, shopping app engagement rose 45%, though domestic players faced increasing competition as international publishers secured a 52% share of the local market. This shift toward digital-first services extended to the "rapid delivery" and food sectors, where sessions reached 4.5 billion, and the business category, where users increasingly utilized apps to secure alternative income through gig economy platforms. Post-pandemic recovery and lifestyle shifts further diversified the mobile landscape. Travel and sports apps saw significant rebounds in downloads and time spent, while the dating sector reached $47 million in consumer spend, marking a 62% increase since 2018. Health and fitness apps also maintained momentum with a 30% growth in downloads compared to pre-pandemic levels. Emerging trends, such as the 45% surge in TikTok usage and the rise of avatar-based social metaverses, indicate a maturing market where short-form video and interactive digital environments are becoming central to the Brazilian mobile experience.

market-analysis player-behavior mobile+1

data.aiJan 2022

Store Intelligence Data Digest: Q4 2022

In Q4 2022 the global mobile app ecosystem delivered 35.5 billion unique downloads, a marginal 0.1 % decline year‑over‑year. The Apple App Store grew 2.4 % to 8.1 billion installs, while Google Play fell 0.9 % to 27.5 billion. Instagram remained the world’s most‑downloaded app across both stores, and Stumble Guys emerged as the fastest‑growing mobile game worldwide. The Utilities category on the App Store sustained its quarterly growth streak, and Google Play’s Tools segment became the third‑fastest growing category in Q4 2022. In Asia, video‑centric titles dominated the App Store. TikTok led with over 29 million unique installs, though its downloads fell 19 % QoQ; VooV Meeting and CapCut maintained strong positions since Q2 2020. Other high‑performing apps—Kuaishou, Taobao, PinDuoDuo, WeChat, and DingTalk—highlight a regional trend toward social networking, e‑commerce, and communication features that drive user engagement. Video editing and social‑networking functionalities emerged as key growth drivers in Asian mobile markets. Globally, Meta Platforms topped downloads on both the App Store and Google Play with 559 million installs on Google Play alone, followed by Google. In the U.S., Google led with over 90 million downloads, while Amazon trailed by roughly 50 million. Europe saw Google again in the lead with over 124 million downloads, followed by Azur Interactive. In Asia, Meta and Google together accounted for the majority of installs, with Instagram and Facebook driving 31 % and 26 % of Meta’s Google Play downloads respectively. Google Play’s game category dominated Q4 2022, with 11.7 billion downloads—over 12 % higher year‑on‑year and surpassing the App Store’s 10 billion installs. Non‑game categories fell 1.5 % to 15.8 billion, yet the Tools category grew 25.8 % and ranked third fastest overall. India remained the top market on both stores, accounting for 25 % of Google Play installs and driving a 6.8 % YoY rise, while the U.S. was the only major App Store market with positive growth (+0.3 %) and China saw a 1.6 % decline, falling behind the U.S. by ~15 million installs. Stumble Guys achieved its highest download volumes in Indonesia (27.4 M) and Brazil (24.8 M), with the U.S., Mexico, India, Turkey, Vietnam, and Pakistan also ranking in the top ten markets. Revenue analysis shows the U.S. as the largest contributor ($18.1 M, 25% of global revenue) and Germany leading in revenue per download ($1.34), while Indonesia and Brazil had the lowest RPDs ($0.20–$0.30). Targeting high‑RPD markets such as Germany, Italy, and the U.S. could further boost profitability.

market-analysis global mobile+1

Sensor TowerJan 2022

2022 Israeli Mobile Game Market Report

Israel’s mobile game market reached an estimated $9 billion in 2022, propelled by a surge in app installs during the COVID‑19 pandemic and a strong focus on social and casual titles. The country’s developers—Playtika, Plarium, Moon Active—have emerged as global leaders, with flagship games such as *Coin Master* and *PUBG Mobile* dominating revenue streams. Advertising spend remains high, and several Israeli studios have achieved notable exits, underscoring the region’s growing influence in the worldwide mobile gaming ecosystem. Key performance data illustrate this trend. *RAID: Shadow Legends* amassed over 50 million downloads and generated $700 million in revenue, with the United States contributing roughly 70 % of earnings and 40 % of installs. The title released about 1,100 ad creatives daily in 2022, predominantly on iOS, and achieved a 351‑point popularity score thanks to high‑quality CG and expressive facial animations. *Coin Master* reported $1.3 billion in 2021 revenue, more than half of which came from the U.S., and saw a sharp increase after adding PvP and city‑building features in 2019. In 2022, the game averaged 2,500 creatives per day across Google Ads and Facebook, leveraging celebrity endorsements and influencer marketing to expand reach. Regional creative strategies differ markedly. In the United States, live‑action key opinion leaders (KOLs) dominate campaigns, whereas China prefers scenario‑based ads. Japanese promotions emphasize character art and voice to drive gacha revenue, while South Korean MMO campaigns showcase high‑tech visuals in long‑form videos. Genre‑specific tactics also vary: hyper‑casual and strategy titles focus on gameplay demos that end positively, RPGs rely on short influencer clips to spark conversation, and simulation games employ sympathetic narratives with simple mechanics to attract female players. These insights highlight the nuanced approaches required for success across diverse markets and game genres.

market-analysis in-game-advertising mobile+1

SocialPetaJan 2022

State of Mobile 2022 – Indonesia

Indonesia emerged as one of the world’s most mobile-centric markets in 2021, with users averaging 5.4 hours daily on mobile devices, representing a 38% increase since 2019. This engagement translates to roughly one-third of total waking hours, fueling 7.31 billion new app downloads and $532 million in consumer spending. While social, communication, and video applications captured 70% of total time spent, the gaming sector remained the primary economic driver, accounting for 42% of all downloads and 61% of total consumer expenditure. Titles such as Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Free Fire led the market in both engagement and monetization, while Hypercasual games dominated the download charts. Beyond entertainment, the Indonesian mobile landscape experienced transformative growth in utility and commerce sectors. Finance app downloads surged by 82% year-over-year, and time spent in shopping applications reached 5.5 billion hours, a 52% increase. The Food and Drink category saw the most explosive growth, with sessions increasing by over 480% due to the rise of quick-service restaurant brands and delivery services. Additionally, the video streaming market nearly doubled its engagement levels since 2019, driven by a shift toward mobile-first content and the continued dominance of platforms like YouTube and TikTok, the latter of which saw 75% year-over-year growth. Niche sectors also demonstrated significant momentum as the market matured. Consumer spending on dating apps rose 188% since 2018, while Health and Fitness engagement remained 56% higher than pre-pandemic levels. Business and utility apps like BukuWarung and PLN Mobile emerged as breakout leaders, signaling a deeper integration of mobile solutions into daily professional and civic life. As travel restrictions eased in late 2021, the recovery of travel and sports applications further solidified the mobile device as the central hub for the Indonesian consumer's digital and physical interactions.

market-analysis player-behavior mobile+1

data.aiJan 2022

The New Destination to Reach Global Gamers: The 2021 Global Mobile Gamers Whitepaper

Mobile gaming represents the largest and fastest-growing segment of the global entertainment industry, generating $93.2 billion in 2021 with a projected trajectory toward $126.1 billion by 2024. Within this landscape, a distinct synergy has emerged between mobile gaming and social media platforms, particularly TikTok, where nearly half of all mobile gamers are active. These users demonstrate significantly higher value than non-users, installing 50% more games, playing 36% longer, and showing a 66% higher likelihood of making in-game purchases. This demographic functions as a highly social and evangelical audience that consumes an average of seven different genres and responds more favorably to innovative advertising formats like sponsored livestreams and user-generated content. Global player behavior reveals a consistent preference for realistic art styles and fantasy or mystery settings, though regional nuances remain critical for market penetration. While Southeast Asian markets are dominated by MOBA titles, Japanese and South Korean audiences show a marked preference for immersive RPGs and Puzzle RPGs. Across all regions, the primary motivation for gameplay is relaxation or passing time, yet monetization is driven by progression-based incentives, such as the desire to unlock content or bypass difficult levels. This suggests that while the initial draw of a game is often casual, long-term financial viability depends on structured advancement and consistent content updates. Retention and re-engagement strategies must address the primary drivers of player churn, which are identified as technical bugs and slow leveling speeds. Conversely, the introduction of new missions, story-driven updates, and technical optimizations are the most effective methods for reclaiming lapsed players. To maximize impact, advertisers and developers should prioritize action-packed, narrative-driven creative content that leverages the social metaverse. By focusing on regional aesthetic preferences—such as "cute" or anime styles in Asia versus cartoonish realism in Western markets—and addressing the specific progression needs of players, stakeholders can better navigate the increasingly competitive global mobile gaming ecosystem.

market-analysis player-demographics mobile+2

NewzooJan 2022

Mobile App Trends 2022

The mobile app industry experienced a period of robust expansion throughout 2021, characterized by $170 billion in consumer spending and $288 billion in advertising expenditures. Despite the implementation of Apple’s App Tracking Transparency framework, the sector demonstrated unexpected resilience as global opt-in rates reached 25%, significantly outperforming initial industry forecasts. This growth was distributed across several key verticals, with fintech and gaming leading the surge in installs at 35% and 32% respectively, while e-commerce maintained steady upward momentum with a 12% increase in downloads. Fintech emerged as a primary driver of engagement, particularly within the asset management and cryptocurrency subverticals. While traditional banking and payment apps maintained the highest share of installs, crypto apps achieved record session lengths exceeding 15 minutes. This heightened engagement occurred alongside a sharp rise in acquisition costs, with effective cost-per-install (eCPI) for fintech apps more than tripling. Consequently, developers are increasingly pivoting toward subscription-based models to ensure long-term profitability and offset the rising price of user acquisition. The e-commerce and gaming sectors mirrored this trend of higher costs paired with increased user value. Although e-commerce retention rates saw a slight decline, total in-app revenue jumped by 46%, driven by longer session durations in marketplace apps. Similarly, the gaming industry saw hyper-casual titles dominate download volumes while adventure and strategy games secured deeper engagement. Across all sectors, the transition toward higher-quality user bases is evident; while it is becoming more expensive to acquire users, those who remain are spending more time and money within apps, making retention and lifetime value the critical metrics for sustained success in a maturing mobile market.

market-analysis user-acquisition retention+2

AdjustJan 2022

IP-Based Mobile Games: 2022

The mobile gaming landscape has shifted toward intellectual property (IP) as a primary strategy for navigating user-tracking challenges like Apple’s App Tracking Transparency. By 2021, nearly all top-downloaded new iOS titles were based on existing IPs, demonstrating that established brands are essential for driving organic acquisition and attracting high-spending players. While Western franchises like Disney and Marvel lead in global download volume, Eastern IPs—particularly those rooted in Japanese manga and Chinese literature—command superior revenue through specialized monetization models like gacha. This geographic divide highlights a fundamental difference in market behavior, where Western audiences prioritize battle mechanics while Asian markets focus on deep character development and simulation. Success in this sector requires a rigorous alignment between an IP’s core values and the chosen game genre. Titles such as Marvel Strike Force and Umamusume: Pretty Derby illustrate how faithful adherence to lore and character-driven mechanics fosters emotional attachment and long-term retention. However, leveraging a known brand introduces operational complexities, including intensive stakeholder management, extended development timelines for licensor approvals, and the necessity of localized adaptations to meet regional preferences. The primary objective for developers is to deliver a unique IP experience rather than prioritizing original game design, as any perceived misalignment with the source material can lead to immediate user churn. The industry is currently evolving toward a transmedia model where mobile games are no longer secondary products but integral components of a franchise’s universe. This strategy involves integrating game-original content back into the broader IP narrative to sustain community engagement across multiple platforms. Ultimately, the effectiveness of an IP-based title hinges on its ability to lower user acquisition costs while maintaining a "perfect fit" between the theme and gameplay. As the market matures, the integration of cross-platform strategies will be vital for publishers seeking to maximize the lifecycle and monetization potential of global entertainment brands.

market-analysis monetization mobile

NewzooJan 2022

Global White Paper on Mobile Advertising & Marketing Game

Mobile game advertising in 2022 experienced a pronounced contraction, with total creatives falling nearly 30 % year‑over‑year to 15.8 million while the advertiser base stayed flat at 45,100. The decline stemmed from a shift toward quality‑focused marketing and the impact of Apple’s IDFA changes, which pushed spend to Android. Video ads dominated the format mix (over 86 % of creatives), and casual/puzzle titles captured the majority of spend, displacing RPGs in many markets. Tier 2 and Tier 3 regions saw significant growth, driven by cross‑platform titles such as *Genshin Impact* and the rise of esports and metaverse expectations. Geographically, China’s HK/Macau/TW region maintained RPG dominance but broadened to action, casual and MOBA campaigns with large budgets. In the United States, mid‑core and hardcore titles produced the most creatives despite a 10 % revenue decline. Japan’s simulation games led advertising, while Korea shifted from MMOs to card‑RPGs and early NFT experimentation. South Asia’s market was shooter‑heavy, with casual games generating the most creatives and RPGs producing the highest volumes. Turkey’s top titles were ARPGs and shooters, with a surge in casual and parkour advertising tied to esports and influencer content. Cost dynamics varied by genre and platform: strategy games commanded the highest CPM ($21.58), while casual titles hovered around $17–$18; iOS ads were 15 % costlier than Android. Female and older users (55–64) paid the highest CPMs ($22.26) and CPCs ($2.90), yet CTR increased with age across formats. Playable ads delivered the lowest CPI but weakest ROAS, whereas banner ads offered the best return on spend. Emerging channels such as social‑first platforms and AR filters proved highly engaging, with Snapchat’s concise, sound‑driven ads capturing attention within five seconds and AR filters generating 1.7× more immersive brand links. In India, vernacular marketing and programmatic unified platforms are expanding reach to Tier II/III audiences, while playable and rewarded video formats mitigate banner blindness. Overall, the data underscore a diversification of genre advertising, a continued emphasis on high‑budget flexible media strategies, and a pivot toward video‑centric, narrative‑driven campaigns across high‑revenue titles.

marketing advertising global+2

TencentJan 2022

Games Can Be Good for the Mind: State of Mobile Games – Cognitive and Psychological Benefits

This empirical report by Skillprint examines the cognitive and psychological benefits of mobile gaming, challenging the narrative that gaming is primarily detrimental to mental health. Based on a large-scale study of nearly 500 U.S. participants and 28 individual game impact studies, the research explores the intersection of the Big 5 personality traits, player motivations, and the emotional shifts experienced after gameplay. The methodology utilizes the Big 5 Inventory to assess traits such as Conscientiousness and Emotionality, while measuring mood changes across categories like focus, creativity, and determination using Cohen’s d effect sizes. The findings indicate that mobile games can significantly enhance specific mental states, often outperforming traditional psychological interventions like guided meditation or journaling. For instance, rhythm and puzzle games such as Sound Sky and Colorize showed large effect sizes for improving focus and creativity. The data also reveals that personality traits moderate these benefits; more emotional players tend to prefer word and idle games for relaxation, while open-minded individuals seek immersion and inspiration. Younger players are notably more driven by challenge and focus-oriented gameplay. The report concludes that game developers should prioritize personalization to appeal to diverse personality profiles, such as offering adjustable difficulty levels to satisfy both high-conscientiousness and high-emotionality players. It suggests that health professionals consider mobile games as supplemental tools for treating mood and attention disorders. Ultimately, the research advocates for a nuanced understanding of gaming as a customizable resource for psychological well-being, where specific genres and mechanics—such as timed challenges for focus or sandbox environments for creativity—can be matched to individual user needs.

player-behavior mobile global+1

SkillprintJan 2022

Global White Paper on Mobile Advertising & Marketing Game

The white paper examines the global mobile game advertising landscape in 2022, focusing on spend trends, genre dynamics, and creative performance across key markets. Mobile advertising contracted sharply in the first half of 2022, with creatives falling 27.8 % YoY to 15.8 million while the advertiser base stayed flat at roughly 45,000. Video formats dominated (over 86 % of creatives), and Android captured about 70 % of activity, a shift driven by Apple’s IDFA changes. Casual and puzzle titles remained the most popular genres for spend, whereas RPGs saw a steep decline in both advertiser and creative share. Regional analysis reveals divergent patterns. In China’s HK/Macau/TW region, RPGs still led creative spend but action and MOBA titles gained traction. The U.S. saw mid‑core and hardcore titles drive revenue, yet casual/puzzle games attracted the largest advertiser base. Japan’s simulation and RPG sectors dominated, while South Korea shifted from MMO revenue to card‑RPG advertising. Turkey’s market is driven by high‑engagement shooters and casual titles, with peak activity in January. South Asia’s top downloads are shooters and board games, with Meta platforms hosting the majority of ads. Cost metrics vary by genre and demographic. Strategy games command the highest CPM ($21.58), while female users and older cohorts (55‑64) pay 12–13 % more. Playable ads deliver the lowest CPI but also the lowest ROAS, whereas banner ads yield the highest return on spend. Creative trends show a heavy reliance on video (≈92 % in casino ads) and narrative hooks such as free‑coin offers or small wins to build anticipation. Interest in emerging experiences remains modest: only 39 % of gamers desire metaverse titles, and NFT games attract just 16 %. Nonetheless, AR on platforms like Snapchat is gaining traction, with immersive filters driving higher engagement. Overall, the data underscore a shift toward diversified genre portfolios, targeted creative strategies, and a growing emphasis on localized, programmatic solutions to navigate privacy constraints and declining traditional ad revenues.

marketing advertising user-acquisition+2

SocialPetaJan 2022

Store Intelligence Data Digest: Q2 2022

The global mobile application market experienced a pivotal transition in the second quarter of 2022, characterized by a 2.5% year-over-year decline in total downloads to 35 billion. While Google Play maintained the largest volume with 27.2 billion installs, the most significant development occurred within the United States, where consumer spending on non-gaming applications surpassed gaming revenue on the App Store for the first time. This shift was fueled by a 40% compound annual growth rate in subscriptions, with non-game subscription revenue soaring 129% above 2019 levels. This trend underscores a fundamental change in consumer behavior as 400 non-game titles generated over $1 million in quarterly revenue, signaling a maturation of the subscription economy. The gaming landscape remained highly competitive, led by the resurgence of Subway Surfers, which achieved its best performance since 2014 with over 80 million downloads. While Garena Free Fire continued its dominance on Google Play, particularly in Asia, the quarter was defined by the successful entry of mid-core titles like Apex Legends Mobile and Diablo Immortal. Regional growth was most pronounced in Indonesia, which surpassed 2 billion quarterly downloads for the first time, while the U.S. market saw a resurgence in travel and ticketing sectors as consumers returned to pre-pandemic activities. Publisher dynamics remained concentrated among established giants, with Meta and Google maintaining their global leadership. Meta saw an 11% year-over-year increase in downloads, driven by its ownership of four of the top five most-installed apps worldwide. The industry also witnessed significant consolidation and strategic shifts, notably Take-Two Interactive’s rise to the top of the U.S. gaming market following its acquisition of Zynga, and Miniclip’s acquisition of the Subway Surfers franchise. These movements, combined with the rising influence of domestic publishers in China and the U.S., illustrate a market balancing global scale with localized dominance.

market-analysis global mobile+1

Sensor TowerJan 2022