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Global Gaming Industry Takes Center Stage

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market-analysis market-forecast investment+1

Morgan StanleyJan 2025

Report

Is the Past the Future of Gaming?

Remakes and remasters have become a cornerstone of the video‑game market, now generating roughly two hundred releases each year and projected to reach about thirty titles in 2025. Their commercial performance consistently exceeds that of the original versions, exemplified by the Resident Evil 4 remake, which sold ten million copies within two years of launch, and the continued success of other high‑profile updates such as the Crash series. This growth reflects a broader industry shift toward leveraging established intellectual property to secure reliable revenue streams. A survey of 1,500 gamers identifies nostalgia as the dominant motivator for purchasing these updated titles, with more than eighty percent seeking the emotional comfort of revisiting familiar experiences. Seventy‑one percent view remakes as a means to introduce classic games to younger players, while between sixty‑seven and eighty‑five percent appreciate the opportunity to discover titles they missed originally. Players also demand contemporary enhancements, ranking higher‑resolution textures, smoother animation, improved lighting, remappable controls, and bug fixes as essential. Nevertheless, the audience is split: roughly thirty‑five percent each prefer strict fidelity to the original or the freedom to alter narrative and gameplay, highlighting a tension between preservationist and innovation‑leaning attitudes. Pricing expectations reveal a nuanced market perspective. Nearly half of respondents anticipate remakes to be priced slightly below new releases, while a quarter are comfortable with parity, twenty percent expect a more substantial discount, and a small segment seeks free or bundled options. These preferences shape release strategies, with developers balancing cost, value perception, and the timing of launches to maximize appeal. While nostalgia‑driven updates can boost sales, an overreliance on remakes risks dampening creative innovation. Gamers express a clear desire for a blend of faithful revisions and fresh original IP, suggesting that sustainable growth will depend on integrating modern improvements with new, inventive experiences across the global gaming landscape.

market-analysis player-behavior uk

MTMJan 2025

Report

Japan Game Market Insights 2025

Japan remains a global mobile gaming powerhouse, ranking as the second-largest market in Asia with $11 billion in gross in-app purchase revenue for the twelve months ending July 2025. Despite a plateau in annual downloads at approximately 628 million, the market demonstrates high-value resilience with consistent spending exceeding ¥1.6 trillion. This mature ecosystem is characterized by exceptionally high average revenue per user and strong player retention, particularly among a dominant iOS user base. While domestic publishers capture over 50% of total revenue, international titles have successfully penetrated the market through aggressive live operations and 4X strategy mechanics. The market is defined by a distinct dichotomy where puzzle games drive one-third of all downloads, while RPG and strategy titles command a combined 59% revenue share. High-impact live operations and intellectual property strategies remain critical for success, as evidenced by massive revenue spikes following event-driven banners and franchise expansions. Japan also maintains its status as a global leader in anime-style and otome gaming, accounting for 42% and 34% of global revenue in those respective categories. Furthermore, the region has solidified its presence in the PC and console sectors, contributing 15% of global Steam downloads and hosting three of the top ten all-time revenue-generating publishers. Advertising plays a pivotal role in this landscape, with gaming emerging as a top-three digital advertising category in Japan. Monthly ad spend has stabilized at approximately $750 million, with mobile gaming accounting for 63% of that total. LINE remains the primary channel for reaching local players, facilitating billions of impressions for top-performing titles. Demographically, the market shows a clear split: male players favor competitive sports and action genres, while female and older players sustain the growth of casual puzzle and simulation niches. This comprehensive data, compiled by Sensor Tower’s APAC Insights Team, underscores Japan's role as a sophisticated, IP-driven market that rewards deep engagement and localized monetization strategies.

market-analysis japan mobile+1

Sensor TowerJan 2025

Report

Digital 2025: Global Overview Report

The global digital landscape in 2025 reflects a state of near-ubiquity in connectivity, with internet users now accounting for approximately two-thirds of the total world population. This expansion is driven primarily by the continued proliferation of mobile devices and the expansion of high-speed infrastructure in developing regions. Mobile phones have solidified their position as the primary gateway to the internet, capturing the vast majority of daily screen time and serving as the central hub for social interaction, financial transactions, and entertainment consumption. Social media engagement remains a dominant force in digital behavior, with the average user now spending more than two and a half hours per day across various platforms. While established networks maintain high total user counts, newer short-form video platforms are capturing a disproportionate share of attention and driving cultural trends. This shift toward video-centric content is reshaping the digital advertising market, as brands increasingly prioritize immersive, algorithmically driven placements over traditional search or display formats. The digital economy continues to evolve as e-commerce integration becomes more seamless within social ecosystems. Consumers are increasingly comfortable making purchases directly through social interfaces, a trend that is particularly pronounced in Asian markets but gaining significant traction globally. Furthermore, the integration of artificial intelligence into consumer-facing applications is beginning to alter search behaviors and content creation, signaling a transition toward more personalized and automated digital experiences. These findings underscore a global environment where the boundaries between physical and digital life are increasingly indistinguishable.

market-analysis global advertising+2

We Are SocialJan 2025

Legal

Tableau de Déclaration Mensuelle des Opérations Réalisées par un Émetteur sur ses Propres Titres

Nacon, a prominent player in the video game and accessories market, executed a series of share buyback operations throughout January 2025 as part of a program originally initiated in March 2020. These transactions reflect the company's ongoing management of its equity and liquidity under the regulatory framework established by the Autorité des Marchés Financiers. The data indicates a net increase in treasury shares over the monthly period, starting from a baseline of 81,468 shares held at the end of December 2024. During the month of January, the issuer acquired 86,812 shares while divesting 35,353 shares. No shares were cancelled or transferred in relation to employee stock options or debt securities during this specific timeframe. Furthermore, the company reported no buyback transactions involving individuals or entities holding more than 10% of the share capital, nor any transactions involving company directors. These activities resulted in a total direct and indirect self-holding position of 132,927 shares by the end of the reporting period. The total volume of treasury shares held represents approximately 0.12% of the company's overall share capital. This level of self-detention suggests a strategy focused on market liquidity and modest capital management rather than large-scale equity restructuring. The reporting follows standard transparency requirements for issuers listed on French regulated markets, providing a snapshot of the company's financial maneuvers within the gaming industry segment for the start of the 2025 fiscal year.

investment market-analysis europe+1

NaconJan 2025

Report

Financing Video Games: Spain

The guide aims to equip Spanish video‑game developers and publishers with a practical framework for securing external financing beyond traditional bank credit. It argues that investment agreements (IAs) represent a flexible, hybrid model that can bridge the gap between shareholders’ equity and debt, allowing investors to fund projects while retaining political and economic rights comparable to shareholders without immediate capital‑increase obligations. Key content outlines the typical structure of an IA: investors provide lump‑sum or milestone‑linked capital, receive a defined share of commercial revenues, and obtain voting, dividend and information rights. Comparative analysis shows that, unlike standard debt, IAs do not impose fixed repayment schedules, instead tying returns to project profitability and offering conversion mechanisms that can transform credit into equity if revenues fall short. The guide enumerates standard clauses—profitability timeframes, capitalisation rights, representations and warranties, confidentiality, “bad‑leaver” provisions, and pre‑emptive rights—to protect both parties and manage risk. An illustrative example notes that a €100 investment with a 20 % return target is achieved once the project generates €120 in revenue. The scope is national, targeting the Spanish video‑game sector and addressing developers of any size who seek alternative funding. Authored by legal counsel from Pérez‑Llorca and the Asociación Española de Videojuegos, the document draws on industry practice rather than empirical surveys, presenting a checklist and glossary to support contract drafting and due‑diligence processes. Its conclusion stresses that, as acquisitions and external investments rise, IA investors will increasingly influence project governance despite not holding formal share capital.

investment funding spain+1

AEVIJan 2025

Report

Souls‑likes: From Niche to Mainstay

The analysis charts the evolution of the souls‑like subgenre from a niche curiosity to a mainstream pillar of the video‑game market, emphasizing the decisive role of APAC developers and Chinese players in shaping its commercial trajectory. By tracking titles released between January 2015 and early 2025, the study demonstrates that while indie studios supplied the bulk of new releases, AAA and AA publishers now dominate revenue, accounting for over 70 % of estimated units sold on Steam. Sales data reveal a rapid escalation in both volume and concentration. Black Myth: Wukong leads with roughly 20 million units, followed by Elden Ring at 15.6 million, Monster Hunter World at 13 million, Dark Souls III at 9.1 million, and Hades with 8.4 million YTD. The shift in publisher composition is evident: AA releases peaked at 90 % of titles in 2017 but fell to around 30 % by 2023, while AAA output rose to nearly two‑thirds of the market, reflecting a transition from experimental indie projects to large‑scale investments. Geographically, APAC’s influence surged, reaching roughly 80 % of development share by 2025, with Japan providing a historic foundation and China and Korea expanding both creation and consumption. Chinese gamers now represent close to half of the global souls‑like audience (≈47 %), eclipsing the United States (≈15 %) and Germany (≈5 %). This demographic weight makes success in China a critical determinant for high‑budget releases. Methodologically, the findings rely on Video Game Insights’ estimations derived from Steam tagging, publisher classification, and sales‑estimation algorithms applied to all souls‑like titles launched from 2015 onward across Steam, PlayStation and Xbox platforms. The overarching conclusion is that the genre’s challenging, skill‑based design continues to attract investment and player engagement, with APAC innovation and the Chinese market ensuring its long‑term viability as a global mainstay.

market-analysis player-demographics

Sensor TowerJan 2025

Report

Power of Play: Informe Global de Videojuegos 2025

The research surveyed more than 24,000 active gamers from 21 nations on six continents, representing a broad cross‑section of the global gaming population (average age 41, 48 % female). Its central thesis is that video games function as a powerful catalyst for cognitive, social, educational, and mental‑health benefits, extending far beyond entertainment. Across all regions, a majority of players report gaming primarily for fun (56 %), stress relief (55 %) and mental stimulation (46 %). Mobile devices dominate usage (55 % of respondents), followed by PCs/laptops and consoles, while 73 % say gaming reduces feelings of isolation and 81 % view it as mentally stimulating. Perceived skill development is strong: 77 % associate gaming with enhanced creativity, 74 % with problem‑solving, and substantial portions note improvements in teamwork, resilience and social interaction. The survey highlights a professional impact, with 43 % globally—reaching 76 % in Nigeria and 70 % in India—believing gaming positively shaped their education or career. Mental‑health outcomes are equally pronounced; 70‑90 % report reduced stress, increased happiness and a healthier outlet for daily challenges, with the highest well‑being scores in India, Nigeria and Mexico. Online multiplayer is identified as the primary social connector, cited by up to 96 % of respondents. Complementary academic research corroborates these findings, showing that digital games boost learning engagement, reading skills and decision‑making, while immersive technologies such as AR/VR enhance performance in high‑stress professional settings, including medical surgery and aerospace training. Collectively, the evidence positions video games as a validated tool for skill development, education, and mental‑health recovery across diverse global markets.

market-analysis player-demographics diversity-inclusion+1

AEVIJan 2025

Report

El Seguro en el Ámbito de los Videojuegos

This industry guide, developed by the Spanish Video Game Association (AEVI) in collaboration with legal experts from Pérez-Llorca, serves as a strategic framework for managing risk within the video game development and publishing sectors. The primary thesis emphasizes that insurance is an essential mechanism for ensuring the financial viability of projects, acting as an indirect prevention tool against the inherent complexities of game production, such as tight delivery schedules, technical bugs, and intellectual property disputes. The analysis identifies several critical risk categories specific to the gaming industry, including breach of delivery deadlines, transmission of computer viruses, and unauthorized data intrusions. Key findings highlight that Professional Civil Liability (RCP) and Errors and Omissions (E&O) insurance are the most vital protections for developers, covering involuntary contractual breaches and negligence. Furthermore, the guide underscores the rising importance of cybersecurity insurance to mitigate operational costs and reputational damage resulting from hacking, ransomware, and data leaks, which can trigger significant sanctions from regulatory bodies like the Spanish Data Protection Agency. The scope of the guidance focuses on the Spanish market, referencing local legal standards and regulatory bodies, while covering the entire industry lifecycle from independent developers and freelancers to large publishers. It details specific coverage areas such as intellectual property infringement—protecting against claims regarding music, characters, and concept art—and liability for defamation or the unauthorized use of public images. Methodologically, the guide provides a practical checklist for insurance procurement, advising firms to utilize insurance brokerages for periodic contract reviews and to ensure all operational risks are disclosed to maintain policy validity.

game-development europe market-analysis+1

AEVIJan 2025

Legal

La Financiación de un Videojuego: España

The guide aims to equip Spanish video‑game developers and publishers with a practical framework for securing external financing, emphasizing investment agreements (AI) as a flexible alternative to traditional bank credit. It outlines the full spectrum of financing routes—own capital, debt, and hybrid structures—explaining how AI combine cash infusion with a revenue‑share model while granting investors political and economic rights comparable to shareholders without requiring immediate equity participation. Key findings describe the typical architecture of an AI: an investor provides funds in one or several tranches linked to development milestones; in return the investor receives a defined percentage of the commercial proceeds and acquires voting, dividend and decision‑making privileges within the development company (SDV). The guide contrasts AI with standard equity investment and pure debt, noting that AI offer variable repayment horizons, potential capitalisation of the credit into equity, and a risk profile that aligns investor returns directly with project performance. A detailed catalogue of customary clauses is presented, including profitability targets with time‑bound return thresholds, capitalisation rights for insufficient revenue, warranties on the developer’s financial and legal status, confidentiality obligations, “bad leaver” provisions for founders, and preferential rights to future capital increases or share purchases. These provisions aim to protect investor interests, ensure project fidelity, and manage exit scenarios. The analysis concludes that while AI provide sector‑savvy investors with greater exposure to project risk and consequently stronger influence over governance, they also enable developers to access capital without diluting ownership at the outset. In a market increasingly characterized by acquisitions and external funding, understanding and negotiating AI terms is essential for maintaining control and achieving sustainable profitability. The guide is targeted at Spanish‑based studios and publishers operating in 2025, offering a concise checklist and glossary to support the design, negotiation, and execution of investment agreements within the video‑game industry.

investment funding game-development+2

AEVIJan 2025

Report

Access for All: Expanding Opportunities for Players and Publishers Worldwide

This analysis explores the strategic shift toward out-of-app monetization in the global gaming industry, with a specific focus on Southeast Asia and China. The primary thesis posits that while Apple and Google have historically dominated distribution, publishers are increasingly adopting alternative channels—including third-party web stores, first-party direct-to-consumer platforms, and alternative app stores—to bypass high "take rates" and better serve unbanked populations in emerging markets. Key findings indicate that out-of-app monetization is already a mature practice in Asia. In Southeast Asia, these channels account for 21% of mobile game revenue, while in China, they represent 53% of the market. Data from 2023 highlights that in the "SEA-6" countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam), 40-50% of the adult population remains unbanked, making the credit card-centric models of primary app stores ineffective. Consequently, gamers in these regions prefer e-wallets, carrier billing, and physical vouchers. A case study of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang in the Philippines demonstrated that a localized promotion using an e-wallet partner led to a 133% increase in daily purchase volume and a 167% rise in transactions. The scope of the research covers the evolution of digital distribution over the last 15 years, with a forward-looking projection through 2027. It emphasizes the impact of regulatory momentum in the EU, UK, South Korea, and Japan, where new legislation is forcing primary stores to allow alternative payment systems. Methodology relies on Niko Partners’ 2023 market model, gamer surveys, and proprietary data from Coda Payments. The findings conclude that publishers who fail to localize their monetization and discovery strategies risk losing significant market share to regional competitors who offer more flexible, lower-cost payment solutions.

monetization market-analysis global

Niko PartnersJan 2025

Report

Mobile Growth and Monetization Report 2023

The report establishes that mobile game monetization is most effective when focused on early‑stage conversion and strategic ad placement. Analysis of 31 billion in‑app purchase events shows that 77 % of players who convert do so within the first two weeks, with currencies and limited‑time sales accounting for 22–23 % and 15–20 % of revenue respectively. Pricing the first purchase between $1 and $5 maximizes conversion efficiency, while targeting tier‑2 markets and deploying offerwalls can further enhance retention. Rewarded‑ad data, derived from 31 billion monthly impressions and 158 million installs, identifies high‑engagement placements between levels, in the IAP store, and lobby screens. Extra‑reward, currency, and gacha offers drive the greatest engagement. Offerwalls contribute roughly 33 % of total ad revenue, delivering about $4.68 per converted user; multi‑reward offers generate 60–82 % of conversions and can yield up to $68 per completion. These insights suggest that placing high‑visibility rewarded ads and integrating offerwalls can simultaneously boost retention and monetization. Complementary tactics such as custom store pages further improve player engagement. Offerwall conversions can increase day‑7 to day‑120 retention by up to fivefold, especially for high‑engagement segments. Custom store pages allow developers to align in‑game messaging with ad creatives, reducing resource costs and enhancing conversion rates. Targeting genre‑specific markets—sports in Japan or trivia in South Korea—can lift click‑through rates above tier‑2 averages, underscoring the importance of data‑driven audience and creative optimization. Overall, the findings emphasize a focused strategy: early conversion pricing, strategic rewarded‑ad placement, offerwall integration, and tailored store experiences. These combined tactics deliver measurable gains in retention, revenue, and campaign efficiency across iOS and Google Play platforms worldwide.

monetization user-acquisition market-analysis+2

UnityJan 2025

Report

Playing to Win: 2025 Digital Game Advertising Report

The 2025 digital gaming market is defined by a strategic pivot toward user quality and high-velocity creative iteration, with global advertising expenditure reaching $8.7 billion. Despite a year-over-year decline in total mobile and PC downloads, the industry remains robust through the resurgence of the shooter genre and the continued dominance of 4X Strategy and Casual titles. Geographically, growth is concentrated in North American and Asian markets, fueled by high-profile releases such as Battlefield 6 and Valorant Mobile. This landscape reflects a shift where major publishers like Microsoft and Dream Games utilize aggressive spending to maintain market share in an increasingly competitive environment. Advertising strategies have evolved to prioritize "instantly legible" gameplay and the rapid deployment of creative assets to combat audience fatigue. Static image ads remain a resilient tool due to their cost-effectiveness, while generative AI is increasingly employed to test and iterate high volumes of creative concepts. Intellectual property collaborations, featuring franchises like Naruto and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, serve as a primary mechanism for lowering acquisition costs. Furthermore, platforms like YouTube have become essential for reaching PC and console audiences, while Apple Search Ads are leveraged tactically to capture competitor keywords and dominate search visibility. The digital ecosystem also highlights the growing influence of internal discovery and content creators. Roblox maintains a massive web presence with over 187 billion visits, driven largely by organic traffic and internal discovery mechanisms rather than traditional external advertising. Meanwhile, viral indie titles and major releases like Marvel Rivals achieve commercial success by leveraging creator-led marketing. Ultimately, the industry in 2025 is characterized by a sophisticated blend of data-driven acquisition, aggressive platform-specific tactics, and a reliance on established IPs to navigate a market where engagement quality has surpassed sheer scale as the primary metric for success.

advertising market-analysis global+1

Sensor TowerJan 2025

Report

Gaming’s Cheating Crisis Report: The Impact on Players and Profit

The gaming industry is currently facing a significant integrity crisis, with 80% of players reporting encounters with cheaters in online environments. This prevalence has transformed cheating from a fringe issue into a routine experience for the majority of the community, with over half of gamers encountering unfair play at least several times a month. The widespread availability of cheating tutorials on social media platforms like YouTube and TikTok has further exacerbated the problem, creating a cycle where 62% of players admit to feeling tempted to cheat themselves. The impact of this crisis extends beyond player frustration to significant financial and operational risks for developers. Approximately 42% of gamers have considered quitting specific titles due to cheaters, and 55% have either reduced or stopped their in-game spending entirely. This trend is particularly pronounced among high-value players, threatening the core revenue models of modern live-service games. Despite these challenges, there remains a high level of trust in developers to solve the issue, with 94% of players believing studios can effectively address the problem. Data suggests a strong appetite for robust, industry-wide solutions. Approximately 73% of gamers are willing to undergo identity verification to ensure cheat-free matchmaking, and 79% support cross-game penalties where bans follow a player across multiple titles. Furthermore, 83% of respondents indicated they would be more likely to play a game credibly marketed as "cheat-free." These findings suggest that implementing verified identity systems could restore accountability, protect revenue streams, and improve player retention. The research was conducted by Atomik Research on behalf of PlaySafe ID, surveying 2,013 adult PC gamers across the United Kingdom and the United States in July 2023. The sample consisted of active players, 82% of whom play multiple times per week, primarily focusing on first-person shooters, sports games, and casual titles.

market-analysis player-behavior monetization+1

PlaySafe IDJan 2025

Report

Interview with Keunkyo Kim, Head of Global Business at NC AI

The interview articulates NC AI’s transformation from a game‑focused research lab into a national industrial‑AI hub, positioning Korea as a global center for “K‑AI.” It outlines the company’s ambition to leverage fourteen years of game‑AI expertise to drive cross‑industry innovation, emphasizing that AI has moved from a supporting role to a core driver of gameplay, content creation, and broader economic competitiveness. NC AI, a subsidiary of NCSoft, has built a proprietary large‑language model called VARCO and the VARCO 3D engine, which can generate near‑realistic, physics‑based 3D environments from text or images. The firm was selected as one of five leaders in Korea’s Independent Foundation Model project and became the first Korean entity to deploy its LLM on AWS. An open‑source release of VARCO Vision 2.0 attracted over 10 000 downloads within ten days, reflecting a strategic push for global adoption and a vibrant developer ecosystem. The company’s real‑time processing and reinforcement‑learning capabilities, honed in massive MMORPG settings, are now applied to digital twins for manufacturing, robotics, smart‑city, and defense sectors. NC AI pursues a dual‑track model—developing a 200‑billion‑parameter LLM while simultaneously creating lightweight, edge‑optimized multimodal diffusion models—to balance scale with field efficiency. Its proprietary safety filter, Safeguard, has been integrated into NCSoft’s NCER chatbot, underscoring a commitment to AI trustworthiness and standards collaboration. Looking ahead, NC AI leads a consortium of 54 organizations to produce industry‑specific AI that validates in real‑world environments, aiming for Korean AI sovereignty and global leadership. By enabling user‑generated content through VARCO 3D, Voice, and animation tools, the firm promotes a “everyone can be a creator” ethos, encouraging young talent to contribute to a vertically integrated AI ecosystem that links industry, government, and academia and positions Korea as a powerhouse in the international AI landscape.

ai south-korea market-analysis+1

KOCCA – Korea Creative Content AgencyJan 2025

Report

State of Mobile 2025

Mobile‑app revenue reached a record $150 billion in 2024, driven largely by non‑gaming verticals that grew 25 % year over year. In‑app purchase revenue climbed to $69 billion, up from $55 billion in 2023, while gaming revenue expanded modestly at about 4 %. Entertainment, productivity and photo‑video categories dominated the growth curve, with TikTok, Disney+ and AI chatbots emerging as top monetizers. Consumers are spending more time on mobile devices and increasingly paying for services across a broad range of verticals, even as overall download growth slows. Generative AI has become the breakout subgenre in 2024, with AI chatbots and art generators driving record‑setting downloads and revenue. Chatbot downloads rose 21 % YoY to 400 million, while AI art generators grew 119 %. Over 17 billion downloads in 2024 were for apps that mention AI, a jump from 5 billion in 2019. The United States accounts for 45 % of global AI‑app spend, whereas China remains a small share, highlighting uneven regional adoption. AI features also boost in‑app purchase revenue, as seen with Duolingo’s GPT‑4 offerings. Genre‑level analysis shows that Simulation and Puzzle each captured 20 % of downloads, while Strategy games achieved the highest IAP revenue at $17.5 billion. Geolocation titles dominate market concentration, with the top three games capturing 62.5 % of IAP revenue worldwide; older, established titles account for over 80 % of spend across most genres. Emerging sub‑genres such as RPG and Lifestyle offer less saturated markets where newer titles can capture larger shares of player spend. Retail, social‑media, food & drink, travel, health & fitness and sports apps illustrate the breadth of mobile monetization. Retail apps pivot to global expansion, driven by Chinese e‑tailers; social media usage hit 3 trillion hours in 2024, with India as a key growth driver. Food & drink apps saw a $2 B download surge, while travel apps grew 3 % YoY. Health & fitness apps rebounded strongly, with $4 B in IAP revenue worldwide and a 43 % download increase for medical tracking apps. Sports‑related apps dominate downloads in AMER markets, with fantasy and betting titles maintaining premium monetization. Overall, the 2024 mobile ecosystem is characterized by rapid AI adoption, concentrated revenue in a few high‑spending titles, and significant opportunities for developers in emerging sub‑genres and under‑served markets across the globe.

market-analysis mobile global+1

Sensor TowerJan 2025

Report

Mobile Gaming M&A Playbook: How to Identify and Target High-Growth Gaming Companies

The playbook outlines a systematic approach for mobile gaming publishers and investors to identify, evaluate, and acquire high‑growth developers. It argues that the mobile gaming market—projected to reach $138 billion in 2025—has become a prime arena for mergers and acquisitions, with major players such as Zynga, Electronic Arts, Embracer Group, and Stillfront executing multi‑billion dollar deals in 2020–2021. The document cites specific transactions—Zynga’s $2 billion purchase of Peak Games, EA’s $2.1 billion acquisition of Glu Mobile, and Plarium’s purchase of Futureplay—to illustrate how acquisitions diversify portfolios, unlock synergies, and grant access to new genres or IPs. Key findings emphasize that successful M&A hinges on data‑driven target selection. Sensor Tower’s Game Intelligence platform is positioned as the primary tool, offering granular genre taxonomy, revenue and download metrics, and real‑time alerts for emerging titles. The playbook recommends establishing clear acquisition criteria (budget, company size, geographic focus), building custom lead lists with sensor‑derived filters, and continuously monitoring portfolio performance to spot strategic shifts or revenue declines that may signal acquisition opportunities. The scope covers the global mobile gaming industry, with particular attention to U.S. and Southeast Asian markets, and spans the period 2020–2025. Methodology centers on market intelligence aggregation, trend analysis, and proactive alerting rather than primary surveys or proprietary data collection. The conclusion stresses that integrating analytics into the M&A workflow reduces blind spots, accelerates deal sourcing, and enhances competitive positioning for publishers seeking sustainable growth through strategic acquisitions.

mergers-acquisitions investment mobile+2

Sensor TowerJan 2025

Report

Game Developer Employment: Career Formation of Student Game Creators 2019 Survey 2025

The 2025 Japanese survey of students’ career aspirations investigates how the role of “game creator” is perceived across gender, age, and educational level, aiming to gauge the pipeline of future talent for the domestic game development sector. It encompasses elementary, middle, high‑school, technical‑college and university respondents nationwide, providing a comprehensive snapshot of attitudes toward a profession that remains peripheral in the broader labor market. Findings reveal a stark gender divide. Among male pupils in elementary and middle school, the game‑creator career ranks first overall and consistently appears within the top two choices for grades three through nine, indicating strong early enthusiasm. In contrast, female students place the same role far lower, with the position falling to nineteenth overall for females and remaining near the bottom of their preference lists at every age level. When respondents reach higher‑education stages, roughly eighty percent of those who still consider the occupation view it primarily as a professional pathway rather than a hobby or ancillary activity. The data suggest that while the game‑creator profession enjoys robust appeal among young males, it fails to attract comparable interest from females, potentially limiting diversity in the future workforce. The pronounced early‑stage gender gap underscores the need for targeted outreach, curriculum development, and mentorship programs that can broaden awareness and appeal among female students, thereby strengthening the talent base for Japan’s evolving game industry.

employment diversity-inclusion market-analysis+1

CESA – Computer Entertainment Supplier's AssociationJan 2025

Report

The Israeli Mobile Game Market Report (2022)

The Israeli mobile game market reached approximately $9 billion in 2021, driven by more than 200 companies and 14,000 employees. Casual, puzzle, and hyper‑casual titles now represent about one‑third of global mobile game advertising spend, a share amplified by COVID‑19‑induced growth in user acquisition and in‑app purchases. Israel has emerged as a pivotal source of high‑volume advertisers, particularly for action, strategy, and simulation games across iOS and Android platforms. Leading studios—Playtika, Plarium, Moon Active, and Crazy Labs—have scaled to global prominence, with their games ranking among the top 20 Israeli titles by ad spend and contributing substantially to worldwide revenue. Two flagship games illustrate this trend. RAID: Shadow Legends, launched in 2019, has exceeded 50 million downloads and generated roughly $700 million, with the United States accounting for 70 % of revenue and 40 % of downloads. Its 2022 advertising strategy deployed an average of 1,100 creatives daily, primarily on Google Ads and Facebook, with a heavier focus on Android. Coin Master, released in 2010 and revitalized in 2019, earned about $1.3 billion in 2021—over half from the U.S.—and averaged 2,500 creatives per day in 2022. The campaign concentrated on video formats across Google Ads for both iOS and Android, reflecting the dominance of video in mobile‑game advertising. Regional analysis shows distinct creative preferences. In the U.S., live‑action, KOL‑driven strategy tips dominate; Japanese campaigns emphasize character art and voice to drive gacha revenue; Korean ads showcase advanced graphics through extended gameplay footage. Across genres, short, engaging videos that spotlight core mechanics or narrative hooks are rising in popularity. Hyper‑casual ads now conclude on success rather than failure, strategy titles incorporate casual puzzles to widen appeal, RPGs employ influencer‑style clips, and simulation games use sympathetic drama with accessible gameplay to attract female players. These findings underscore a highly segmented, video‑centric advertising ecosystem that aligns creative content with regional tastes and genre conventions.

market-analysis advertising mobile+1

SocialPetaJan 2025

Report

Insurance in the Video Game Sector: Spain

The guide explains that insurance is a critical safeguard for video‑game development in Spain, where tight schedules, complex technical workflows and the involvement of multiple parties create a range of legal and financial exposures. Its central thesis is that appropriate coverage not only mitigates the impact of unforeseen events but also functions as an indirect prevention tool, protecting both small studios and independent creators from liabilities that could jeopardise a project’s completion and commercial success. Key risks identified include failure to meet delivery deadlines, software bugs, transmission of computer viruses, cyber‑attacks, data‑protection breaches, intellectual‑property infringements, defamation, and malicious acts by employees. Each risk is linked to potential legal consequences such as contractual liability, third‑party compensation claims, regulatory penalties from the Spanish Data Protection Agency, and reputational damage. The guide matches these exposures to specific insurance solutions: Professional Liability Insurance (PLI) and Errors & Omissions (E&O) for contractual and professional errors; Cybersecurity Insurance for hacking, ransomware and data‑loss incidents; Multi‑Risk and General Civil Liability policies for broader operational hazards; and specialised coverage for intellectual‑property disputes, defamation and employee misconduct. The scope is national, focusing on the Spanish video‑game sector and addressing developers of all sizes, from freelancers to larger studios. While the guide does not present original empirical research, it draws on prevailing market offerings and legal frameworks to construct a practical risk‑assessment matrix. Recommendations emphasize engaging insurance brokers to conduct tailored assessments, compare policy terms, and periodically review coverage, with clear procedural steps for application, policy issuance, amendment periods and premium payment. Overall, the guide provides a comprehensive checklist for selecting and maintaining insurance that aligns with the specific vulnerabilities of video‑game projects, underscoring the importance of proactive risk management in a highly competitive and technically demanding industry.

game-development investment europe+1

AEVIJan 2025