Marketing reports and market data
Documents
Mobile Ads Monetisation: The Tips & Tricks That Make A Difference - Oleg Shlyamovych
Mobile game monetization requires a strategic shift from focusing solely on game design to managing the business metrics of lifetime value (LTV) and cost per install (CPI).
- Scalability requires maintaining a positive margin where lifetime value (LTV) consistently exceeds the cost per install (CPI).
- Ad monetization is mandatory for capturing revenue from the approximately 95% of players who do not make in-app purchases.
- Programmatic mediation is the most efficient industry standard for developers earning between $100 and $1 million monthly, as it automates manual waterfall management.
Successful User Acquisition Strategies During the Recession - Ratko Bozovic, from Sandsoft
The mobile gaming industry faces significant headwinds due to the current global economic recession, characterized by declining consumer spending and increased operational complexity.
- Despite a recent contraction in mobile gaming revenue over the last three quarters, the industry is projected to grow by over 50 percent in the next eight years with an annual growth rate of five to ten percent.
- Developers should shift from brand-focused marketing to performance-based channels, utilizing media mix modeling and incrementality testing to eliminate ad waste and optimize return on investment.
- Companies must secure sufficient financial runway through credit lines or partnerships to account for extended user payback periods caused by current economic pressures.
From Hyper to Hybrid: 2023 Follow-up
The mobile gaming landscape experienced a notable shift in monetization and user acquisition patterns between 2022 and the first half of 2023.
- In-app purchase (IAP) activity grew significantly between 2022 and H1 2023, with revenue increasing by 23% on Android and 24% on Apple platforms.
- On iOS, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany have displaced China and Saudi Arabia in the top five markets for installs, signaling a pivot toward Western regions.
- Google Ads became the top-performing network for Android installs in H1 2023, while AppLovin reclaimed the leading position for iOS installs.
The State of Mobile Gaming in India: 2023
India’s mobile-gaming ecosystem is experiencing rapid expansion, with a projected market value of $8.6 billion by 2027 and more than 600 million active users.
- India’s mobile gaming market is projected to reach a value of $8.6 billion by 2027, supported by a user base of over 600 million active players.
- In-app purchase revenue in the Indian mobile gaming sector is forecasted to reach $284 billion by 2026.
- Retention is critical for profitability, as acquiring new customers is five times more expensive than retaining existing ones.
Developer's Guide to the Chinese Market
The Chinese gaming market represents a massive, recovering ecosystem that reached a record 668 million players by mid-2023.
- The Chinese gaming market reached 668 million players by June 2023, constituting roughly half of the Chinese population. Sales revenue for the first half of 2023 was 144.263 billion Chinese yuan ($20.23 billion), showing a 22.2% increase QoQ, indicating market recovery.
- PC/console games should prioritize global distribution with local PR, while mobile games require local distribution due to Google Play's unavailability and the App Store's ISBN requirement in Mainland China.
- Localization is crucial and involves translating into Simplified Chinese (ZHCN), localizing the game's title, and adapting game features by removing inaccessible foreign services (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Google services) and adding local payment methods.
Global Mobile Game & App (Non‑Game) Marketing White Paper 2022
The global mobile landscape in 2022 was defined by a 17.5% year-on-year increase in quarterly advertisers despite a 16% decline in total creative volume.
- The mobile gaming sector saw a decoupling of engagement and monetization in 2022, with strategy, simulation, and casual genres experiencing 8% to 10% download growth alongside 9% to 16% revenue declines.
- To counter rising acquisition costs, developers are adopting 'Casual + X' strategies, integrating hyper-casual mini-games into complex RPG and strategy titles to broaden appeal and lower entry barriers.
- Marketing strategy shifted toward higher efficiency in 2022, characterized by a 17.5% increase in quarterly advertisers despite a 16% reduction in total creative volume.
In-Game Advertising Report 2023
This analysis examines the efficacy of intrinsic in-game advertising as a high-engagement medium compared to traditional digital channels.
- In-game advertising achieves a 98% viewability rate, significantly outperforming the 78% average observed across standard digital advertising formats.
- Gaming environments generate 2,795 attentive seconds per 1,000 impressions, representing a 22% higher attention level than the average for other digital media.
- 85% of in-game ad impressions are actively viewed by players, compared to a 65% norm for traditional digital channels.
Q1 2023 Insights into Global Mobile Game Marketing Trends
The global mobile game marketing landscape in early 2023 is characterized by a strategic pivot toward high-quality video content and localized engagement strategies.
- Mobile game advertisers are shifting from quantity to quality, evidenced by a 15% increase in active advertisers to over 160,000 alongside a 16% decline in new creative asset volume.
- Video content now dominates the advertising landscape, accounting for over 80% of all ad creatives and frequently utilizing playable mechanics or 'deliberate failure' tropes to improve engagement.
- Android remains the dominant advertising platform, capturing nearly 70% of total global ad volume.
Insights into Marketing Trends of Global Mobile Apps
The global mobile app marketing landscape in the first half of 2023 was defined by intense competition and a decisive shift toward dynamic content.
- Video content now accounts for 45% of global ad impressions, reaching up to 72% in the Middle East, as traditional static image performance continues to decline.
- AI-integrated tool apps experienced over 100% year-over-year advertiser growth across all tracked regions in the first half of 2023.
- Android remains the dominant marketing platform, accounting for over 70% of the total creatives launched by the 170,000 active advertisers.
How Starfield Reached 10M Users
The launch of Starfield represents a significant evolution in Bethesda’s marketing methodology, transitioning from traditional brand-focused teasers to a sophisticated, multi-channel digital strategy.
- Starfield achieved the largest launch in Bethesda’s history with 10 million players, driven by a $21.2 million U.S. advertising spend that represented roughly 70% to 77% of the total global marketing budget.
- The marketing strategy shifted from traditional teasers to a multi-channel digital approach, prioritizing TikTok, Instagram, Twitch, and AI-driven cross-promotion via Bing.
- Integration with the Microsoft ecosystem and immediate availability on Xbox Game Pass were central to the game's commercial scale and user acquisition.
Mobile App Trends: 2023 Edition
The mobile application market entered a period of significant transition in 2023, navigating a complex landscape defined by economic volatility and evolving privacy regulations.
- The mobile app market reached a record half-trillion dollars in combined advertising and consumer spending in 2023, despite a 2% decline in consumer spending and a cooling of advertising growth to 14%.
- Fintech in-app revenue surged by over 90% between late 2022 and early 2023, while e-commerce sessions grew by 12%.
- After a difficult 2022 that saw a 12% decline in installs and a 9% drop in consumer spending, the mobile gaming sector showed early 2023 signs of recovery with a 10% increase in installs and an 11% rise in sessions.
Thomas Brush Channel Update (Huge News For 2023)
The establishment of Black Window, a new film production studio, marks a strategic expansion into the horror genre for independent creator Thomas Brush.
- Thomas Brush has launched Black Window, a new film production studio dedicated to producing dark, cerebral, and dramatic short horror films.
- The studio’s debut project, 'The Unlocking,' has secured nine awards and distribution through Alter, a horror-focused platform with over one million subscribers.
- The studio is strategically separating its cinematic content from existing game development channels to maintain focused audience engagement.