Mobile reports and market data
Documents
Keynote: Next Best Action: Best Practices for a Winning Portfolio Strategy
The mobile gaming industry faces significant challenges in player acquisition due to the deprecation of the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) and evolving data privacy regulations.
- Due to the deprecation of Apple's IDFA and rising acquisition costs, mobile game studios must shift focus from external user acquisition to maximizing player retention and lifetime value (LTV) within their existing game portfolios.
- Studios can implement 'feeder app' strategies by using low-monetization, high-organic-install games (such as hyper-casual titles) to funnel players into higher-LTV, IAP-oriented games within the same portfolio.
- Promotional pricing should be based on behavioral signals—such as device information, geolocation, and engagement metrics—rather than dynamic surge pricing, to offer the right price at the right time to specific player segments.
Keynote: Mobile Games Monetization Beyond App Stores in 2022
The mobile gaming industry is currently undergoing a significant shift in monetization strategy, moving away from exclusive reliance on the walled gardens of the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
- Mobile developers are increasingly bypassing Apple and Google’s 30% platform commissions by establishing direct-to-consumer web shops, which can increase per-purchase revenue by approximately 20%.
- The transition to independent web stores allows publishers to implement regional pricing and integrate local, cash-based payment systems essential for reaching unbanked players in markets like Brazil and Mexico.
- Developers are adopting a hybrid monetization model that maintains an app store presence while directing users to external web platforms for currency, virtual items, and subscriptions.
Blockchain must move beyond buzzwords & towards sustainable player asset value
Freeverse, a technology firm specializing in evolutionary non-fungible tokens (NFTs), recently secured 10.5 million dollars in a Series A funding round led by Earlybird Venture Capital and Target Global.
- Freeverse secured $10.5 million in Series A funding, led by Earlybird Venture Capital and Target Global, to advance evolutionary NFT technology in mobile gaming.
- The company is moving away from speculative play-to-earn models toward 'evolutionary NFTs' that change properties based on gameplay activity.
- To maintain game balance, all asset changes require a stamp of authority from the game developer, ensuring evolution follows established in-game rules.
Building Supercell Under the Sun with Massimo Caporale, CPO at Bandai Namco Mobile
Bandai Namco Mobile, headquartered in Barcelona, functions as a strategic innovation hub designed to complement the parent company’s traditional Japanese-led portfolio through the development of original mobile intellectual property.
- Bandai Namco Mobile operates as a strategic innovation hub in Barcelona, focusing on original mobile IP to complement the parent company’s traditional Japanese portfolio.
- The studio maintains agility by capping team size at approximately 70 people, prioritizing a flat organizational structure over rigid corporate hierarchies.
- Operational philosophy is modeled after Supercell, emphasizing peer-to-peer accountability and the removal of unnecessary management layers to accelerate iteration.
Is Diablo Immortal Fun for Mortal Wallets? - The Metacast by Naavik
The gaming industry is currently navigating a critical transition as major franchises attempt to adapt their core experiences for mobile platforms and broader ecosystem expansion.
- Aggressive monetization in mobile titles like Diablo Immortal, where character upgrades can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, risks alienating core fanbases and inviting increased global regulatory scrutiny.
- Successful mobile adaptation of major franchises requires bespoke development rather than simple ports, as evidenced by the performance of Apex Legends Mobile.
- Long-term mobile viability is increasingly dependent on sophisticated live-ops, personalized player segmentation, and strategic partnerships with experienced developers like Tencent.
Innovative Monetization Features Snapshot Report June 2022
GameRefinery, a game analytics service part of Liftoff, presents a snapshot report from June 2022 on innovative monetization features in mobile games, written by Senior Game Analyst Kalle Heikkinen.
- Around 60% of US (iOS) top 20% grossing mobile games use the Battle Pass feature, while only 14% of games outside the top 20% have it.
- Gacha shops are reported as even more common than Battle Passes, with 93% of Japan's top 20% grossing titles featuring a shop with gacha mechanics or refreshing wares.
- In the US market, 75% of top 20% grossing mobile games feature a shop with gacha mechanics or refreshing wares, while 49% feature five or more gacha types.
The Highest-Grossing Mobile Games on iOS & Android: Q2 2022
Mobile game revenue in the second quarter of 2022 is analyzed across iOS and Android, with games ranked within the casual, casino and mid-core genres. Publishers and their headquarters locations are profiled as well.
- Mid-core titles dominated Q2 2022 revenue, led by 'Rise of Kingdoms' which generated $179.5 million.
- King was the highest-grossing publisher during the period, earning over $264 million across four leading titles.
- Top-earning games outside the mid-core category included 'Candy Crush Saga' ($122 million), 'Coin Master' ($99.2 million), and 'Roblox' ($68.1 million).
Mobile Advertising Benchmark Report Q2 2022
Mobile app advertisers' media mix shifted noticeably in the year after Apple's AppTrackingTransparency (ATT) framework reached mass adoption in June 2021.
- Apple Search Ads (ASA) has emerged as a core duopoly partner alongside Google, with advertiser adoption reaching 94.8% and share-of-wallet increasing by five points to 15%.
- Facebook’s market position declined between Q2 2021 and Q2 2022, with adoption dropping to 82.8% and share-of-wallet falling four points to 28%.
- Google remains the dominant advertising channel with 95% adoption and a 34% share-of-wallet, largely driven by its stability on the Android platform.
Innovative Monetization Features Snapshot Report
The document is a June 2022 snapshot report from GameRefinery, part of Liftoff, on innovative monetization features in mobile games.
- Around 60% of US (iOS) top 20% grossing mobile games use Battle Passes, versus 14% of games outside the top 20%.
- Gacha shops are reported as even more common than Battle Passes, with 93% of Japan's top 20% grossing titles featuring them.
- In the US, 75% of top 20% grossing mobile games feature a shop with gacha mechanics or refreshing wares, while 49% feature five or more gacha types.
The Highest-Grossing Mobile Games on iOS & Android: Q2 2022 Report & Infographics
Mobile game revenue rankings for Q2 2022 are analyzed across iOS and Android, covering the top ten grossing titles in three genres: casual, casino and mid-core.
- Mid-core games emerged as the highest-grossing genre in Q2 2022, underscoring the sector's dominance in mobile revenue generation.
- King was the top-earning publisher for the quarter with over $264 million in aggregate revenue, followed by Lilith Games at $254.6 million and Playrix at $182.8 million.
- Rise of Kingdoms by Lilith Games led iOS revenue with over $179.5 million, while Candy Crush Saga topped Android charts with more than $122 million.
Top 10 Ad Networks For Hyper-Casual Mobile Games 2022
The hyper-casual mobile gaming market experienced notable shifts in advertising expenditure and network performance between the third quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of 2022.
- iOS market share for hyper-casual games rebounded by 5% between Q3 2021 and Q1 2022, indicating successful advertiser adaptation to privacy-first ecosystem constraints.
- AppLovin, Unity, ironSource, and Google remain the top-performing ad networks for the hyper-casual genre.
- TikTok has emerged as a significant competitor in the hyper-casual advertising space, showing notable growth in network rankings.
Gaming Spotlight: 2022 Review
Gaming Spotlight: 2022 Review is a data.ai and IDC publication on the global games market, covering mobile, PC/Mac, and console gaming, with regional, genre, demographic, and advertising analysis.
- Gaming spending is set to reach $222 billion in 2022, and mobile gaming is set to extend its global lead to 3.3x home game consoles.
- Among the top 1,000 games by US consumer spend in 2021, 47% skewed toward female audiences, up from 37% two years prior.
- Among top US games by consumer spend, those also monetizing through ads rose from 39% in 2019 to 42% in 2021.
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