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two & a half gamers session #34 - Low budget UA, Sheep a Sheep game in China, APS Update, Amazon UA
Amazon Publisher Services (APS) represents a significant opportunity for mobile game developers seeking to diversify their monetization strategies beyond traditional giants like Meta.
- Amazon's ad ecosystem is split into two tiers: UAM (Unified Ad Marketplace) for initial access and TAM (Transparent Ad Marketplace) for high-performance inventory, which requires individual IOs with 4–10 different DSPs.
- To gain access to Amazon's premium ad placements, publishers should leverage their Amazon account manager to advocate for whitelisting, a process that can take anywhere from one week to three months.
- For low-budget ad-monetized games, the recommended UA strategy is to start with Facebook for D0/D1 optimization, then pivot to Google tROAS campaigns once performance signals decline or stabilize.
two & a half gamers session #33 - The UA (r)evolution, from fake ads to fake core gameplay in games
The mobile gaming industry is currently defined by a strategic shift toward the use of misleading advertisements and deceptive core gameplay mechanics to drive user acquisition.
- Fake ads—creative that depicts gameplay not present in the actual app—are used to drastically lower Cost Per Install (CPI), even though they often result in lower user retention.
- The math behind fake ads relies on volume: acquiring 100 players at a low CPI via misleading creative can yield more total conversions than acquiring 10 players at a high CPI through accurate gameplay footage.
- A current industry trend involves integrating the 'fake' gameplay into the actual game as a secondary feature, such as using hyper-casual mini-games to occupy players while waiting for timers in 4X strategy games.
two & a half gamers session #32 - Global launch games like a pro, Playrix GL rumour, Google updates
Global mobile game launches have transitioned from high-risk, singular events to iterative, data-driven processes that prioritize long-term retention and technical stability.
- Modern mobile game launches should move away from single 'big splash' events in favor of iterative, data-driven processes that prioritize long-term retention and technical stability.
- Developers should set initial price floors 30 to 40 percent above benchmarks during the launch window, refining these figures only after two weeks of empirical performance data.
- Monetization strategy requires a mix of global and geocentric ad networks organized into tiered waterfalls based on eCPM values to maximize revenue.
two & a half gamers session #31 - survivor.io redemption story, You scaled your game, now what?
Survivor.io serves as a primary case study for modern mobile monetization, demonstrating the efficacy of a hybrid model that blends hyper-casual accessibility with deep, long-term progression.
- Survivor.io achieves over $1 million in daily in-app purchase revenue by utilizing a hybrid monetization model that combines hyper-casual accessibility with deep, long-term progression systems.
- To maximize monetization without sacrificing retention, developers should target a 45% to 70% rewarded video viewer rate with four to five impressions per daily active user.
- Long-term player engagement is best sustained by introducing secondary progression layers and new currency tracks, which prevent unsustainable spending gaps caused by simple stat-based scaling.
two & a half gamers session #30 - survivor.io global launch case study UA, GD, Admon view
Survivor.io represents a significant evolution in mobile gaming, successfully refining the established Archero formula into a faster, action-oriented experience.
- Survivor.io generates between $1 million and $1.5 million in daily revenue by refining the Archero formula into a faster, action-oriented experience.
- The developer sustains daily install volumes of 400,000 to 600,000 by utilizing aggressive, zombie-themed creative assets on platforms like TikTok and IronSource.
- Current daily ad revenue outside of China ranges from $60,000 to $90,000, with potential to reach $250,000 through optimized rewarded ad placements.
two & a half gamers session #29 - how to scale your mobile game, CPI vs LTV, Amazon gamescom rumours
The mobile gaming industry is currently undergoing a structural evolution defined by shifting ad monetization landscapes and the integration of cross-platform technology.
- Profitability in mobile gaming is driven by the ratio of lifetime value (LTV) to cost per install (CPI) and the target payback period, rather than marginal gains from creative or app store optimization.
- Successful monetization for non-hyper-casual titles requires a hybrid model that integrates in-app purchases with a high volume of rewarded video ads.
- Optimal player engagement with rewarded video ads occurs between four and fourteen views per session, with top-performing titles achieving four to five impressions per daily active user.
two & a half gamers session #28 - Admob bidder uplift update, how do hypercasual games make money?
The mobile gaming industry is currently experiencing a period of significant structural evolution, characterized by aggressive corporate expansion and the refinement of ad-monetization technologies.
- Transitioning to a hybrid monetization model that combines traditional waterfall placements with Google’s AdMob bidder can increase average revenue per user (ARPU) by 14% to 18% for rewarded video inventory.
- While hybrid bidding offers significant revenue potential, it currently suffers from inconsistent eCPM stability and lower performance on low-quality traffic compared to fixed placements.
- Top-tier hyper-casual studios are maintaining profitability by replacing intrusive interstitial ads with compliant, end-of-level ad formats that adhere to new platform regulations.
two & a half gamers session #27 - Unity - Applovin bomb, Zynga gambling, worst career mistakes
The mobile gaming industry currently faces a period of significant structural and operational volatility.
- AppLovin proposed a merger with Unity, a move that would require Unity to terminate its pending acquisition of ironSource and pay a $150 million termination fee.
- Netflix has struggled to gain traction in mobile gaming, with only 1% of its subscribers engaging with its 23.3 million total downloads since the initiative launched in November 2021.
- Zynga reached a $12 million class action settlement regarding its gambling-themed mobile applications.
two & a half gamers honest interviews #3 - Sophie Vo (How to motivate your team?)
Effective studio leadership in the gaming industry hinges on prioritizing team culture, clear vision, and defined behavioral values over a narrow focus on game-centric metrics.
- Sustainable studio success relies on treating leadership development as an iterative product that prioritizes team culture and clear behavioral values over narrow game-centric metrics.
- Recruitment strategies should prioritize alignment with shared values and individual growth drivers over purely technical assessments to reduce turnover and management overhead.
- Leaders must foster financial literacy among staff and involve teams in project evaluation processes to ensure transparency when making difficult decisions, such as project termination.
two & a half gamers session #26 - Unpacking Google ads "disaster", ASA Today's new ad, Google ＜3 MAX
Google’s recent implementation of stricter ad guidelines, which limit intrusive full-screen interstitials and specific app-open formats, represents a strategic shift toward rewarded advertising rather than a systemic threat to the hyper-casual gaming sector.
- Google is enforcing stricter ad placement policies, specifically targeting full-screen interstitial ads that appear before app loading screens and those that remain unclosable for 15 seconds, leading to increased app rejections.
- Apple has expanded its search ad inventory by adding two new placements in the Search tab and the Search results page, a move expected to significantly increase Apple's advertising revenue following the implementation of the ATT privacy framework.
- AdMob has historically used its mediation platform to incentivize developers, with reports of the company throttling ad traffic by 90-95% for developers who exceeded a three-placement limit, effectively forcing them toward Google's own mediation tools.
two & a half gamers session #25 - Does Ubisoft give a F! about mobile games? GD, UA & Admon analysis
Ubisoft faces a significant strategic impasse regarding its mobile gaming division, which currently contributes only 8% of the company’s total revenue.
- Ubisoft’s mobile division currently contributes only 8% of the company’s total revenue, signaling a significant strategic underperformance.
- The mobile portfolio is heavily reliant on aging legacy titles released between 2013 and 2016, such as Hungry Shark and Growtopia, with no successful scaling of new mobile launches.
- Marketing efforts are hampered by a reliance on traditional channels like Facebook and Google, while failing to utilize high-growth platforms such as TikTok and Unity.
two & a half gamers session #24 - 1 year after IDFA Apocalypse. State of the UA, Admon & retargeting
The mobile gaming industry has successfully navigated the initial disruption caused by Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework, moving beyond the narrative of an industry apocalypse toward a more sophisticated, privacy-centric operational model.
- Optimizing pre-prompt messaging and timing is critical for iOS user acquisition; effective implementation can increase opt-in rates from a baseline of 15–20% to as high as 40–54%.
- Retargeting remains a vital performance channel, with sophisticated studios now hiring dedicated specialists and using verifiable incrementality studies—often involving control groups—to justify spend and measure true ROI.
- The industry has shifted toward a more fluid budget allocation strategy between iOS and Android, moving away from the initial post-IDFA panic that caused a mass migration of spend toward Android.
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