Mobile reports and market data
4,160 documents·280 writers·22,124 charts and tables
Documents
PocketGamer.biz7 min
Targeting isn't being used enough in gaming | Ofir Pasternak from Persona.ly
The mobile gaming user acquisition landscape is currently defined by a shift toward contextual targeting and retargeting as the industry adapts to privacy-centric changes like Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT).
- Retargeting is significantly underutilized in gaming compared to e-commerce, offering a cost-effective way to improve return on ad spend (ROAS) by segmenting users based on purchase frequency and activity history.
- Demand-side platforms (DSPs) are compensating for the loss of user-level signals post-ATT by utilizing machine learning models that process millions of auctions per second across 60 distinct data dimensions.
- The current privacy-centric landscape has lowered market prices for ad inventory, creating a strategic opportunity for advertisers who effectively leverage contextual targeting features.
PocketGamer.bizMar 2023
Gaming Founders Podcast58 min
The Halo Effect, 3x Gaming Entrepreneur Alex Seropian
The evolution of the gaming industry over the past three decades reflects a transition from garage-based bootstrapping to complex corporate integration and mobile-first strategies.
- Scaling a studio requires transitioning from early-stage creative risk-taking to organizational maturity, specifically by hiring specialized leadership early to manage operational complexities.
- The evolution of the Halo franchise from a real-time strategy concept to a first-person shooter demonstrates that long-term success relies on rigorous playtesting and active community engagement.
- Large conglomerates like Disney have struggled with vertical integration in gaming, suggesting that licensing models are often more pragmatic than attempting to build internal development capabilities without institutional experience.
Gaming Founders PodcastMar 2023
Report20 pages
The Mobile Economy and Digital Ad Space in 2022 and Beyond: An Analysis of the Global Trends Shaping the Mobile and Digital Advertising Industry
Mobile app growth has cooled after the COVID-19 surge but remains well above pre-pandemic levels, according to Sensor Tower's analysis of global App Store and Google Play data through 2022 and early 2023.
- Global consumer spending on mobile games declined for the first time in 2022, falling to $79 billion, with Android devices experiencing a 7 percent revenue drop.
- Entertainment apps have overtaken gaming as a primary revenue engine, with U.S. spending on entertainment doubling since 2019 and apps like TikTok, HBO Max, and Disney+ reaching record highs.
- Digital advertising reached $28 billion in North America and major European markets in Q4 2022, with TikTok emerging as the fastest-growing channel via a 60 percent quarterly increase in U.S. ad spend.
Sensor TowerMar 2023
Naavik46 min
Manish Agarwal: India x Web3 Gaming
The Indian Web3 gaming landscape is undergoing a fundamental shift, moving away from the unsustainable, extractive play-to-earn models that previously dominated the sector.
- The Indian gaming industry is shifting from extractive play-to-earn models toward a 'Web 2.5' approach that prioritizes engaging gameplay and progression before integrating asset ownership.
- India’s gaming market, supported by a base of 500 million gamers, is evolving into a digital goods factory that connects global developers with local players through decentralized distribution networks.
- Platforms are implementing quest-based economies that allow gamers to act as micro-entrepreneurs by performing tasks like quality assurance, tournament hosting, and user acquisition in exchange for economic rewards.
NaavikFeb 2023
Naavik65 min
Next Up with N3TWORK (Mobile Pivots to Web3)
N3TWORK Studios is strategically transitioning from traditional mobile free-to-play gaming to the Web3 sector, aiming to bridge the gap between mainstream players and blockchain-integrated ecosystems.
- N3TWORK Studios is pivoting from traditional mobile free-to-play gaming to Web3 by targeting the squad RPG genre, a multi-billion dollar market segment.
- The studio is deploying a two-pronged product strategy: a Web3-native title for crypto-enthusiasts and a Web 2.5 experience that integrates cosmetic NFTs and loyalty passes into familiar free-to-play mechanics.
- To lower barriers for non-technical users, the studio utilizes Forte’s infrastructure to provide custodial wallets, email-based authentication, and gasless transactions.
NaavikFeb 2023
PocketGamer.biz48 min
Panel: A Love Story: Essential Strategies to Attract (& Keep) an Audience.
Establishing a resonant game identity early in development is the foundational requirement for attracting and retaining a sustainable audience.
- Design games with a specific, well-defined audience in mind rather than relying on broad, ineffective demographic labels like 'millennial men.'
- Validate player feedback by investigating the root cause of requests; for example, increasing the volume of a weapon's sound effect can satisfy player demands for 'more power' without requiring actual mechanical changes.
- Prioritize authenticity when partnering with influencers by conducting research to ensure their content and values align with your specific game, rather than simply targeting the largest creators.
PocketGamer.bizFeb 2023
PocketGamer.biz32 min
Looking to TikTok For Trends and Product Madness' Alex Haley On Live Ops Made Simple
Successful live operations strategy in the mobile gaming sector centers on the principles of simplicity, agility, and rigorous documentation.
- Successful live operations rely on simplifying technical workflows and documentation to shift team focus from maintenance to rapid experimentation and iteration.
- Building a flexible infrastructure is essential for scaling, as it allows developers to test new concepts quickly and respond dynamically to shifting market demands.
- Effective live ops management requires a dual focus on fostering strong cross-departmental relationships for realistic roadmapping and maintaining analytical, enthusiastic internal teams.
PocketGamer.bizFeb 2023
PocketGamer.biz9 min
The value of a user is not only monetary | Alex Pham from Adjust
Mobile marketing analytics requires a strategic shift toward privacy-first infrastructure and holistic performance measurement.
- Mobile marketing must shift from deterministic tracking to privacy-first infrastructure, utilizing predictive modeling and aggregated intelligence to navigate regulations like GDPR and Apple’s SKAdNetwork.
- Success requires moving beyond cost-per-install metrics to evaluate long-term user value, specifically focusing on retention, virality, and delayed monetization patterns.
- Developers are increasingly adopting all-in-one platforms that integrate analytics, visualization, and campaign automation to improve efficiency and manage leaner teams amid industry consolidation.
PocketGamer.bizFeb 2023
PocketGamer.biz8 min
Understanding the important events in your app | Neasa Bannon from Meta
Optimizing user acquisition and advertising performance in the mobile gaming sector requires a strategic shift toward automation, privacy-compliant measurement, and creative innovation.
- Advertisers must shift from granular, user-level tracking to aggregate measurement solutions like conversion lift testing and marketing mix modeling to maintain efficacy in a privacy-centric landscape.
- Developers should refine conversion schemas to prioritize high-value in-app events and analyze customer lifetime value rather than focusing solely on bottom-funnel acquisition metrics.
- Integrating AI and automation tools is essential for achieving liquidity and efficient campaign scaling across Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms, which serve several billion monthly active users.
PocketGamer.bizFeb 2023
PocketGamer.biz9 min
Serving ads that users want | Hajar Noreddine from Adjoe
Adjoe specializes in innovative ad tech solutions, focusing on user acquisition and monetization through time-based rewarded advertising.
- Integrating rewarded ad units can generate over 50% in incremental revenue for mobile developers, reducing reliance on in-app purchases alone.
- Demand-side partners utilizing machine learning-driven targeting through the Playtime platform have achieved a 30% increase in return on ad spend (ROAS).
- User sentiment toward rewarded advertising is highly positive, with 76% of UK users and 56% of US users expressing satisfaction with relevant ads in mobile games.
PocketGamer.bizFeb 2023
PocketGamer.biz21 min
Succeed by Failing – A Game Dev’s Journey Into a Mobile Dev Ops Tool Chain - Mac Clark, Sauce Labs.
The primary objective of this presentation is to provide game developers with a framework for integrating mobile DevOps toolchains to improve game quality, stability, and long-term success.
- Technical stability is a primary driver of player retention, as games with ratings below three stars suffer significant declines in conversion rates and require higher marketing spend to compensate for poor sentiment.
- Implementing automated testing and real-time monitoring tools like Backtrace can reduce the mean time to detection and resolution of crashes by up to 70% through automated fingerprinting and call stack analysis.
- Developers should adopt a 'shift left and shift right' strategy, integrating automated testing during the development phase and utilizing real-time analytics once the game is in production.
PocketGamer.bizFeb 2023
PocketGamer.biz23 min
Understanding SKAN 4.0 & Its Implications - David Philippson, Co-founder & CEO, Dataseat.
The primary objective of this analysis is to demystify Apple’s SKAdNetwork (SKAN) 4.0, an attribution framework designed for the iOS ecosystem.
- Apple is phasing out probabilistic attribution and fingerprinting, necessitating a shift toward internal mastery of SKAN 4.0 rather than reliance on third-party mobile measurement partners.
- SKAN 4.0 expands data collection by introducing three distinct postback windows covering Day 0–2, Day 3–7, and Day 8–35.
- To combat data loss from privacy thresholds, SKAN 4.0 implements a hierarchical 'coarse-grained' conversion value system categorized as low, medium, or high.
PocketGamer.bizFeb 2023
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