Mobile reports and market data
4,099 documents·271 writers·21,905 charts and tables
Documents
PocketGamer.biz21 min
Exploring Alternatives: Mobile Gaming’s Megatrend for 2025
Alternative distribution channels and app stores are emerging as a critical growth frontier for the mobile gaming industry heading into 2025.
- Nearly 70% of mobile users report they would utilize new discoverability features if they were available, highlighting a significant market demand for alternatives to traditional app stores.
- Alternative distribution channels, including preloads and on-device opportunities, are positioned as a primary growth driver for mobile gaming in 2025.
- Industry leaders are increasingly diversifying user acquisition strategies by treating web-based platforms, manufacturer-integrated stores, and non-traditional partnerships as essential components of a balanced marketing mix.
PocketGamer.bizOct 2024
PocketGamer.biz23 min
Session: Automating App Store Optimization With Generative AI - Andy Carvell & Livio Marcheschi
App Store Optimization (ASO) is increasingly defined by the ability to conduct high-volume, iterative experimentation to drive conversion rate optimization.
- Automating A/B testing for App Store assets using generative AI can drive significant conversion rate increases, with some implementations yielding up to a 57% improvement over a two-month period.
- Phiture’s 'Press Play' platform automates the testing of icons, feature graphics, short descriptions, and screenshot ordering, supporting up to 50 concurrent experiments per game title.
- The platform utilizes fine-tuned AI models to generate game-specific assets by training on existing brand guidelines, character art, and historical performance data to ensure stylistic consistency.
PocketGamer.bizOct 2024
PocketGamer.biz33 min
Panel: User Acquisition in 2024 & Beyond.
The landscape of user acquisition in 2024 is defined by a strategic shift toward channel diversification and the integration of advanced technology.
- User acquisition strategies must shift away from reliance on top-tier platforms toward a diversified ecosystem including web-first launches, alternative app stores, and Connected TV.
- Marketers are transitioning to probabilistic attribution models to address the industry-wide challenges of privacy regulations and signal loss.
- AI should be utilized as a tool for optimizing creative assets and predicting high-value player behavior rather than a replacement for human creative strategy.
PocketGamer.bizOct 2024
PocketGamer.biz15 min
Session: No More BS: Demystifying Game Hosting Beyond Marketing Speak - Lucas Tak, i3D.net
Effective multiplayer game hosting requires balancing high-quality player experiences with strict cost management.
- To minimize latency, game servers must be physically located near the player base to overcome the speed-of-light limitations inherent in data transmission.
- A hybrid hosting strategy is the most effective approach, combining the rapid scalability of cloud computing for fluctuating player counts with the cost-efficient, high-performance nature of bare metal servers for steady-state traffic.
- Direct peering agreements with local internet service providers are essential to bypass inefficient public routing, which reduces both latency and unnecessary bandwidth costs.
PocketGamer.bizOct 2024
PocketGamer.biz37 min
Panel: Is Using a Webshop or Third-Party Payment Solution Worth it?
Direct-to-consumer webshops represent a strategic evolution for game publishers seeking to enhance profitability and deepen player engagement.
- Direct-to-consumer webshops increase profit margins by bypassing standard platform transaction fees.
- Webshops provide publishers with direct access to first-party data, enabling more personalized live operations and targeted loyalty programs.
- Successful integration requires the webshop to function as a seamless, branded extension of the core game rather than a disruptive external portal.
PocketGamer.bizOct 2024
PocketGamer.biz38 min
Panel: Is the Digital Markets Act Really Changing the Mobile Games Market for the Better?
The Digital Markets Act represents a pivotal regulatory effort to dismantle the long-standing duopoly of Apple and Google within the mobile gaming ecosystem.
- The Digital Markets Act (DMA) aims to open mobile markets by allowing alternative app stores and direct-to-consumer distribution, though Apple and Google continue to implement restrictive measures that complicate user adoption and obfuscate installation processes.
- Apple’s post-DMA terms include a 'Core Technology Fee' of 50 cents per year per user for any app install exceeding the 1 million threshold, which significantly impacts the cost structure for high-volume developers.
- Developers are increasingly adopting direct-to-consumer strategies, such as web stores and in-game payment SDKs, to bypass platform fees and regain control over their player relationships and profit margins.
PocketGamer.bizOct 2024
PocketGamer.biz29 min
Panel: Better Games Together: Uniting the Industry Through Pride and Pixels
Better Games Together is a collaborative initiative founded in 2022 by several prominent Finnish game companies, including Supercell, Metacore, Next Games, and Rovio, in partnership with We in Games Finland.
- Founded in 2022, the 'Better Games Together' collective unites major Finnish studios including Supercell, Metacore, Next Games, and Rovio to drive systemic LGBTQIA+ inclusion through cross-company collaboration.
- Industry-wide research conducted by the group identified that while progress has been made regarding sexual orientation, there is a critical need for increased support and development for trans and non-binary professionals.
- The initiative has moved beyond corporate Pride branding to implement concrete actions, including quarterly employee meetups, roundtable discussions, and specialized training on topics like intersex awareness.
PocketGamer.bizOct 2024
Naavik63 min
How SciPlay Wins in Social Casino, Post-IDFA
SciPlay maintains a dominant position in the social casino sector by leveraging its unique integration with Light & Wonder, which allows for the seamless transition of popular land-based slot machine intellectual property into mobile environments.
- SciPlay leverages its integration with Light & Wonder to convert popular land-based slot machine intellectual property into mobile titles, targeting a core demographic where 60 percent of users are active physical casino visitors.
- The company has shifted its strategy from aggressive new user acquisition to prioritizing long-term portfolio health and deepening engagement within established franchises like Jackpot Party and Quick Hit.
- SciPlay uses its 11 mobile titles as high-speed testing environments for math models and slot mechanics, creating a data feedback loop that informs both digital development and the broader land-based gaming industry.
NaavikOct 2024
PocketGamer.biz42 min
Week in Mobile Games E33 - Destiny: Rising heads to mobile and Unity's charm offensive
The mobile gaming industry is currently navigating a period of significant structural and strategic realignment.
- Genshin Impact has solidified its market dominance by surpassing $5 billion in mobile revenue within the Chinese market.
- Bungie and NetEase have partnered to develop Destiny: Rising, a strategic entry into the mobile shooter market, though analysts express skepticism regarding its potential for global blockbuster success.
- Unity is attempting to rebuild developer trust by launching Unity 6 and formally canceling its controversial runtime fee following a period of significant internal layoffs.
PocketGamer.bizOct 2024
Deconstructor of Fun73 min
Peter Levin on Transmedia Trends, the Future of Global Gaming and Finland’s Gaming Legacy
The global gaming industry has transitioned from a niche hobby into the apex predator of the entertainment landscape, fundamentally altering how intellectual property is developed and consumed.
- Gaming has evolved into the primary entertainment medium, necessitating that legacy media companies treat it as a core business unit rather than a secondary licensing revenue stream.
- Successful transmedia adaptations require authentic creative leadership that prioritizes the player experience and deep integration over superficial brand licensing.
- The Finnish gaming ecosystem serves as a global model for success, characterized by a data-driven approach to mobile development and a disciplined, global-first entrepreneurial mindset.
Deconstructor of FunOct 2024
Two & a Half Gamers39 min
Soft launch Sonar #6: Is Capybara GO the next big hit from Habby?
The mobile gaming industry is currently defined by a strategic shift toward iterative design, where developers prioritize refining proven mechanics over original intellectual property.
- Mobile developers are increasingly prioritizing the refinement of proven mechanics over original IP, utilizing genre-mashups like merge, roguelite, and puzzle systems to optimize retention.
- Habby is shifting from hyper-casual roots toward complex hybrid-casual titles by integrating deep meta-layers such as collectible talent cards, gacha mechanics, and social casino elements.
- To combat rising user acquisition costs, 4X strategy studios are employing rapid prototyping and diverse creative hooks—including fantasy and survival mini-games—to validate concepts before global launch.
Two & a Half GamersOct 2024
Game Developers Conference61 min
Brawl Stars': Learnings from the Removal of Loot Boxes
Brawl Stars underwent a significant strategic pivot between 2021 and 2024 to combat declining engagement and revenue, moving away from a reliance on loot boxes toward a more transparent, deterministic progression model.
- Removing loot boxes from Brawl Stars initially caused a decline in engagement, forcing the team to pivot toward a system that balanced player choice with long-term progression.
- The introduction of 'Stardrops' and a re-engagement program for returning players resulted in a 60% month-over-month increase in Daily Active Users (DAU).
- The team learned that shipping multiple major changes simultaneously creates 'noise' in data, making it difficult to isolate the impact of individual features on player behavior.
Game Developers ConferenceOct 2024
Writers
Games and companies
Games