Niko Partners

Research

19 documents

Documents

Report10 pages

Take Rates in China

Chinese Android app stores, dominated by manufacturers like Huawei, Oppo, and Vivo, typically charge a 50% commission on in-app purchases, significantly higher than Apple’s 30% rate.
Hardware manufacturers rely heavily on these high take rates for profitability; for example, Xiaomi reports a 64.7% gross profit margin on services compared to only 7.2% on hardware sales.
While iOS users account for only 25% of the Chinese gaming population, they generate approximately 40% of total mobile game revenue.

Monetization Market Analysis China

Niko PartnersFeb 2026

Report3 pages

Asian & MENA Markets: 2025 Half-Year Report

China remains the dominant regional market with projected 2025 revenues of $51.2 billion, supported by a 4.1% year-over-year increase and a 24% rise in government game approvals.
India is the fastest-growing market, projected to exceed $1 billion in 2025 with 16.2% year-over-year growth following the PROG Act's shift toward traditional gaming and esports.
The MENA-3 region (Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt) has a revised growth forecast of 6.4%, as economic challenges in Egypt and slowing mobile growth in Saudi Arabia temper the impact of government-led localization efforts.

Market Analysis Market Forecast Asia+1

Niko PartnersJan 2025

Report15 pages

Access for All: Expanding Opportunities for Players and Publishers Worldwide

Out-of-app monetization is a dominant force in Asia, accounting for 53% of the mobile gaming market in China and 21% in Southeast Asia.
In the SEA-6 region, 40-50% of the adult population is unbanked, rendering traditional credit card-centric app store models ineffective for a large segment of potential players.
Publishers are increasingly bypassing primary app stores to avoid high take rates and to implement localized payment methods like e-wallets, carrier billing, and physical vouchers.

Monetization Market Analysis Global

Niko PartnersJan 2025

Report7 pages

10 Major Trends to Watch in Asia & MENA

Asia and MENA are the primary engines of global gaming growth, driven by a mobile-first audience and a rising middle class with increased discretionary income.
Government-backed investments in Saudi Arabia and the UAE are rapidly establishing these nations as central hubs for international esports and game development infrastructure.
Market success in these regions now requires hyper-localization and the adoption of innovative payment ecosystems that bypass traditional storefront limitations.

Market Analysis Player Demographics Asia+2

Niko PartnersJan 2025

Report15 pages

Japanese Esports on the Rise: Five Teams to Watch

Japan's esports market reached $77 million in 2022, marking an 11% growth following the 2019 removal of restrictive anti-gambling laws and the establishment of the Japan Esports Union (JeSU).
Non-endemic brand involvement is surging, evidenced by companies like Nissin Foods entering the space and sponsorship fees increasing tenfold over the last five years.
Leading organizations including Crazy Raccoon, DetonatioN FocusMe, FENNEL, SCARZ, and ZETA DIVISION are operating as lifestyle brands to monetize through merchandise, content partnerships, and sponsorships.

Esports Market Analysis Investment+1

Niko PartnersFeb 2023

Report25 pages

The MENA Games Market: From Sand to Stardom

The MENA-3 region (Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Egypt) generated $1.8 billion in revenue from 67.4 million gamers as of 2022, driven by a mobile-first ecosystem.
Cultural localization is a critical success factor, with 86.6% of regional gamers prioritizing language support and successful titles integrating Arabic themes and local celebrities.
Esports is a primary engagement driver, with 73% of regional gamers participating in competitive gaming supported by massive prize pools and dedicated infrastructure.

Market Analysis MENA Saudi Arabia+3

Niko PartnersJan 2023

Report23 pages

Peak Play: Trends in East Asian Videogame Streaming H1 2023

Competitive esports, specifically MOBA and Battle Royale titles, drive over 50% of total viewership in the East Asian streaming market.
Honor of Kings remains the dominant force in China with 5.67 billion views, while VALORANT and Apex Legends lead in Japan and Korea with over 100 million hours watched each.
Key Opinion Leaders and VTubers are significant market drivers, contributing up to 15% of total viewership for major titles and successfully revitalizing older games.

Streaming Market Analysis Esports+1

Niko PartnersJan 2023

Report15 pages

Five Key Mobile Game Genres in Asia and MENA

RPG titles are the dominant market force, generating 50% more revenue than the other four top genres combined and achieving the highest monetization score of 7.7.
Puzzle games command the largest download volume and highest engagement score of 6.0, though they suffer from low monetization and minimal esports relevance.
Battle Royale games lead the market in esports influence with a score of 9.5, despite generating the lowest total revenue among the five genres.

Market Analysis Mobile Asia+1

Niko PartnersJan 2023

Report14 pages

Female Gamers in Asia: Version for Women in Games Asia Panel

Female gamers in Asia represent 35% of the region's 1.46 billion total gamers, with a year-over-year growth rate of 7.6% that outpaces the 5.0% growth of the general gaming population.
In 2021, female gamer spending on mobile titles reached $13.07 billion in China and $5.52 billion across the Asia-10, while PC spending reached $9.70 billion and $3.93 billion respectively.
Mobile is the primary platform for this demographic, with 95% of female gamers playing on mobile devices, compared to 60% on PC and 17% on consoles.

Player Demographics Market Analysis Diversity & Inclusion+1

Niko PartnersOct 2022

Report4 pages

Southeast Asia’s Games Market

The Southeast Asian games market across six major countries generates approximately $5 billion in revenue from 270 million gamers and is projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 8.6% through 2025.
Esports is a primary market driver, with over 200 million viewers and 60% of the regional gaming population expressing a strong interest in competitive play.
Female gamers represent 40% of the total gaming population, with growth in this demographic outpacing the general market and reaching nearly 50% in Indonesia and Singapore.

Market Analysis Market Forecast Player Demographics

Niko PartnersJan 2022

Report23 pages

PaaS for Mobile Cloud Gaming

Mobile cloud Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) is expected to mature faster than premium B2C cloud gaming models by enabling developers to bypass app-store fees and lower user acquisition costs.
The Asian market contains 1.4 billion mobile gamers, yet cloud gaming adoption remains in its early stages with a projected maturation timeline exceeding five years.
Technical infrastructure in China is rapidly scaling to support cloud play, evidenced by 1 million 5G base stations and 365 million 5G users, with 80% of smartphones expected to be 5G-capable by year-end.

Cloud Gaming Market Analysis

Niko PartnersJan 2021

Whitepaper23 pages

PaaS for Mobile Cloud Gaming: China

Mobile cloud PaaS is emerging as a strategic B2B solution to bypass traditional app store fees and reduce user acquisition costs, which currently consume 30% to 40% of total game revenue.
By enabling high-end games to run on low-end hardware, mobile cloud PaaS removes storage and hardware constraints, facilitating instant, link-based game discovery via social media and browsers.
China’s 5G infrastructure, which supports over 365 million users, provides the essential low-latency foundation for the rapid maturation of the B2B cloud gaming segment.

Market Analysis Cloud Gaming Mobile+2

Niko PartnersJan 2021