User Acquisition reports and market data
Documents
S07, E30: MDM Mailbag #8 (with Thomas Petit)
Modern mobile marketing demands a sophisticated, multi-layered strategy that balances deterministic last-click attribution with rigorous incrementality testing.
- Incrementality testing cannot replace deterministic last-click attribution for mobile advertisers because ad networks like Meta, Google, and TikTok require user-level data to function effectively within their auction mechanics.
- Scaling creative production is shifting from a challenge of volume to a challenge of technical deployment and the creation of truly unique concepts that avoid being mere clones of previous assets.
- The transition to web-to-app funnels should be driven by the need for merchant flexibility and improved user onboarding rather than solely as a strategy to bypass app store commission fees.
How to Add an App to Tenjin Using Claude | MCP Server Tutorial
The integration of the Tenjin Model Context Protocol (MCP) server with Claude desktop enables mobile marketing teams to automate administrative and configuration tasks through natural language processing.
- Tenjin has released an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that allows users to perform mobile measurement and configuration tasks directly within the Claude AI interface.
- The Tenjin MCP server enables users to execute administrative tasks via natural language prompts, including creating, listing, updating, and deleting mobile apps.
- Beyond app management, the MCP server supports broader campaign operations such as listing ad accounts, managing channels, configuring callbacks, and defining tracking events.
🚨📢 BREAKING NEWS: Will GTA 6 PC build be leaked? Roblox problems, Makers $250 Mil. raise
The gaming industry is currently navigating a period of significant structural shifts, characterized by corporate divestments, heightened regulatory scrutiny, and the disruptive potential of artificial intelligence.
- Rockstar Games faces a critical security threat from the group 'Cyber Leak,' which is threatening to release a playable PC build of Grand Theft Auto 6 unless the developer removes single-player monetization and adopts an all-digital release strategy.
- Roblox is under formal investigation by U.S. and Australian authorities regarding child safety, following reports of 65,000 suspected instances of child sexual exploitation on the platform in 2025.
- Makers Fund has raised $250 million to support interactive entertainment startups, bringing their total assets under management to $1.5 billion with a strategic focus on AI-driven platforms and consumer apps.
TWIG #397: Roblox’s Congressional Crisis, Apple’s EU Overhaul & Netflix Games’ Down to One Studio
Roblox currently faces a critical juncture as it navigates intense congressional scrutiny regarding child safety and systemic exploitation.
- Roblox faces significant operational and valuation risks due to intense congressional scrutiny over child safety, compounded by slowing viral growth and declining daily active user metrics.
- Apple’s revised EU fee structure replaces per-install charges with a flat commission on alternative distribution, a change that disproportionately benefits large-scale operators while disadvantaging smaller developers.
- The gaming industry is experiencing a structural correction from a period of over-valuation, leaving small-to-mid-sized public entities vulnerable due to their inability to achieve the scale required for a hit-driven economy.
💀Review Radar #12: Which games survived & which are actually DEAD (Poke It With a Stick!!)
The mobile gaming landscape is characterized by high volatility, yet many titles previously perceived as failing demonstrate remarkable resilience and long-term sustainability.
- Strategic iteration on core mechanics—specifically pacing, inventory management, and content depth—can successfully revitalize stagnant titles, as demonstrated by the turnaround of Multiccast.
- The distinction between a failing game and a thriving one is frequently determined by a developer's willingness to refine monetization strategies, such as optimizing rewarded video advertising, in response to player behavior.
- Revenue charts for gacha-based games are often misleading due to monetization spikes, masking the underlying stability and long-term growth potential of titles that maintain consistent development updates.
WEBTOON Is Bigger Than Monopoly Go: Inside a New Game Marketing Channel
WEBTOON has established itself as a potent marketing channel for the gaming industry, effectively bridging the gap between brand awareness and performance-based user acquisition.
- WEBTOON reaches a global audience of 160 million monthly active users, 90% of whom are under the age of 35, providing direct access to a core gaming demographic.
- The platform’s 'Coin Hunter' offerwall tool currently generates 10,000 verified Steam wishlist additions per week, demonstrating its capacity for measurable lower-funnel conversion.
- Brands can integrate into existing comic narratives through branded epilogues and creator partnerships, moving away from disruptive advertising to achieve higher engagement rates.
Unity vs AppLovin: Which One Is Actually Winning?
The mobile gaming industry is currently navigating a period of significant volatility and strategic realignment, characterized by intense competition between major ad networks and shifting market valuations.
- AppLovin experienced a $27 billion loss in market value and a 29% share price decline despite reporting a 53% year-over-year revenue increase to $1.9 billion.
- Unity is attempting a strategic pivot by integrating engine data into its advertising infrastructure through its Vector AI initiative and new day-28 (D28) optimization models.
- Unity remains at a competitive disadvantage because it must pay fees to bid into AppLovin’s MAX platform while simultaneously competing against AppLovin’s superior data scale.
Appendix J: Apple's and Google's Privacy Changes
The mobile advertising ecosystem is undergoing a fundamental transformation as Apple and Google implement restrictive privacy frameworks, including App Tracking Transparency, the Privacy Sandbox, and Intelligent Tracking Prevention.
- Apple and Google’s privacy frameworks—including App Tracking Transparency, Privacy Sandbox, and Intelligent Tracking Prevention—have fundamentally disrupted the technical infrastructure for third-party ad targeting and attribution.
- The restriction of device-level identifiers like IDFA and AdID has increased costs for developers while simultaneously reducing the efficacy of digital marketing campaigns.
- Apple’s proprietary attribution tools, such as SKAdNetwork, provide lower data granularity than the insights available through Apple Search Ads, creating a competitive disadvantage for third-party advertisers.
Session: From Code To Continent: Distribution Strategies & Partnerships For Scaling H5 Games......
The expansion of H5 gaming into emerging markets, particularly Africa, offers a significant growth opportunity for developers seeking to move beyond the saturated landscapes of China and the West.
- Africa represents a high-growth frontier with a population of over 1.3 billion, characterized by a young demographic (average age 19) that relies on mobile devices as their primary internet access point.
- H5 gaming is the dominant distribution model in emerging markets because it bypasses the need for app store installations, which is critical for users with limited device storage and data constraints.
- Traditional user acquisition playbooks fail in Africa; success relies on community-based distribution and social discovery, where games gain traction through peer-to-peer recommendations on platforms like WhatsApp rather than individual app downloads.
Session: Winning In China: Apple Ads Growth Strategies For Global Mobile Game Publishers.
Entering the Chinese mobile gaming market requires a shift in focus from mere scale to operational readiness.
- Entering the Chinese mobile game market requires rigorous operational readiness, including securing ISBN approvals, establishing local reporting structures, and ensuring App Store metadata is culturally localized rather than simply translated.
- Apple Search Ads remain the primary global media source for iOS gaming, providing visibility across the entire user journey from initial discovery to high-intent downloads.
- Campaign performance is frequently hindered by five common mistakes: direct keyword translation, mixing intent signals (brand vs. category), weak landing page relevance, premature scaling, and lack of a regular reporting cadence.
Session: Winning In China: Market Opportunities, Monetization & Growth Strategies For Global Game...
The Chinese mobile gaming market represents the world’s largest and most highly engaged user base, with over 1 billion monthly mobile internet users averaging 192.2 hours of usage per capita.
- China’s mobile market is a distinct ecosystem with over 1 billion monthly users averaging 192.2 hours of usage per capita, requiring a strategy separate from Western markets.
- Distribution in China is highly fragmented, lacking a unified app store and requiring customized adaptations for the Apple App Store, Harmony OS, and individual manufacturer stores like Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo.
- The 'CHAM' model defines local player behavior: Connected (social/community-driven), Highly engaged (frequent content updates), Incentive-driven (rewarded video acceptance), and Mobile-first (smartphone-centric).
TWIG #396: AppLovin's Q2, Unity's Supersonic Fire Sale and GTA VI's Netflix Trailer Drama
The mobile gaming industry is currently navigating a period of significant structural realignment, characterized by aggressive consolidation, shifting monetization strategies, and a cooling of growth expectations for major ad-tech players.
- AppLovin experienced a 29% share price decline despite 53% year-over-year revenue growth, as investors reacted to decelerating AI performance improvements and conservative forward guidance.
- Unity sold its Supersonic publishing arm to Triple Dot for $40 million, marking a strategic pivot away from direct publishing to focus on its Vector AI ad-tech infrastructure.
- The mobile gaming industry is shifting its primary performance metric from short-term acquisition cycles to 28-day return-on-ad-spend (ROAS) to prioritize sustainable user value.