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South East Asian Mobile Game Market Insights 2024

Mobile game downloads across Southeast Asia grew by 3.4 % in the first half of 2024, reaching 4.2 billion installs, with Google Play accounting for 91 % of the volume. In‑app purchase revenue rose by 3.4 % to $1.16 billion, a slight decline of 3 % from the previous half‑year; Google Play contributed 57 % of total revenue. From January to August, mid‑core genres such as simulation, arcade, puzzle and lifestyle led download growth (11 %–14 %), while sports titles experienced a 39 % revenue surge, representing 9 % of total IAP income. Strategy and RPG games dominated downloads (47 %) but saw modest revenue declines of 3 %–9 %. Indonesia remains the largest market, with a 10 % download increase and 41 % of regional downloads; Thailand follows as the highest‑earning country, adding $400 million in revenue. The top ten download leaders are dominated by Garena Free Fire, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Roblox, with Garena Free Fire maintaining a 54 % growth rate. In revenue terms, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang leads with $1.16 billion, followed by eFootball™ 2024 and Garena Free Fire; Roblox and Coin Master also show strong growth, with Roblox’s revenue rising 90 %. The case study of Honor of Kings illustrates rapid penetration after its Southeast Asian launch in June 2024, achieving a 175 % month‑over‑month spike in Indonesia and capturing the top download spot in July. By August, Honor of Kings generated $1.7 billion in IAP revenue for the period and accounted for 51 % of its global downloads from Indonesia alone. The report relies on Sensor Tower’s estimated download and IAP data from the App Store and Google Play, excluding pre‑installs, duplicate downloads, ad revenue, third‑party sales, and direct developer payments.

market-analysis mobile southeast-asia+1

Sensor TowerJan 2024

Report

Digital Market Index: Q1 2024

Global consumer spending on mobile applications reached a record $45 billion in the first quarter of 2024, reflecting a 9.5% year‑over‑year increase that was largely driven by the iOS ecosystem, which grew 11.5% versus a 5.3% rise on Google Play. Despite this surge in spend, total app downloads fell 3.5%, marking the third consecutive quarterly decline since Q1 2021; nevertheless, iOS maintained its highest quarterly download volume since 2020. Entertainment and productivity categories led the spend growth, each expanding over 30% YoY, while gaming spending rebounded on iOS but remained flat on Google Play. Hyper‑casual games continued to dominate the download landscape, with racing and action titles generating the largest volumes. Conversely, casual sub‑genres such as arcade and simulation experienced double‑digit declines. TikTok remained the top spender globally, generating more than $1.2 billion in revenue and outpacing YouTube by a wide margin, while emerging short‑form drama apps—ReelShort, DramaBox, and ShortMax—entered the top ten for both revenue and download growth. In mobile gaming, “Monopoly GO” set a new quarterly spend record of $770 million, surpassing the previous $765 million benchmark and standing alone as a title to exceed $600 million in a single quarter. Retail‑media advertising in the United States was led by Walmart and Target, which together delivered over 18 billion impressions in Q1 2024. Specialized retailers such as Chewy and Home Depot captured significant niche shares, with personal care emerging as the top category overall—driven by Ulta and Sephora. Walmart dominated food, beverages, and consumer packaged goods, while Target excelled in shopping, household supplies, and baby & toddler segments. Co‑branded partnerships—including Chewy × Purina, Walmart × Unilever, and Target × Apple—generated hundreds of millions of impressions, underscoring the strategic value of retailer‑brand collaborations in expanding digital ad reach.

market-analysis global mobile+1

Sensor TowerJan 2024

Report

AI's Everyday Evolution: The Expanding Role of Chatbots in Consumer Life

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence chatbots is fundamentally altering consumer behavior, signaling a shift away from the long-standing dominance of traditional search engines. By early 2025, OpenAI’s ChatGPT reached 500 million global monthly active users, achieving this milestone faster than any app in the last decade. This growth is accompanied by a significant increase in engagement; in April 2025, ChatGPT saw a 60% rise in session frequency and a 270% jump in web visits, while traditional search engines experienced a 3% decline in user engagement metrics. The demographic profile of AI users is evolving from technical early adopters to mainstream consumers. This transition is reflected in the shifting nature of user prompts. While software development queries accounted for 44% of prompts in early 2024, they fell to 29% by 2025. Conversely, categories such as economics, finance, and taxes saw a substantial increase, rising 9 percentage points year-over-year. This suggests that consumers are increasingly relying on AI for complex personal tasks, including investment planning and tax preparation. Data indicates that chatbots are becoming powerful engines for web traffic and commerce. The top referral destinations from ChatGPT include YouTube, Wikipedia, and the National Library of Medicine, with Amazon ranking fourth. This positioning highlights the growing role of AI in driving purchase intent and informational discovery. While early adopters of AI have already reduced their time spent on Google apps by approximately 6%, more recent converts have yet to show a material change in search habits, suggesting that the erosion of traditional search dominance may accelerate as user habits solidify over time.

ai marketing user-acquisition+1

Sensor TowerJan 2024

Report

Q4 2024 Digital Market Index

In Q4 2024 global in‑app purchase revenue reached a record $39.4 billion, up 13.5% year‑over‑year, with non‑game apps now nearly matching game revenue at $19.2 billion versus $20.2 billion. iOS dominates the market, generating roughly 70% of IAP revenue ($30 billion) and outpacing Google Play’s growth (15.4% versus 9.7%). Overall app downloads remained flat at about 34 billion, while non‑game downloads increased and game downloads stabilized after a pandemic peak. Strategy titles emerged as the most lucrative segment, generating over $4.8 billion in IAP revenue—a 80% quarter‑over‑quarter lift that offset an 11% year‑over‑year decline in RPGs. Strategy games also accounted for six of the top ten download growth drivers, with a 26% year‑over‑quarter increase. In contrast, RPG revenue fell 29% globally, though regional pivots in Korea—where strategy and puzzle games grew 55% and 14%, respectively—helped mitigate the loss. Puzzle titles also contributed to overall download growth. TikTok (including Douyin) led non‑game app monetization, delivering $6 billion in IAP revenue for the year—more than double any other app or game. Advertising spending in the United States reached $34 billion in Q4, with social media platforms capturing 77% of the spend; TikTok experienced the fastest year‑over‑year growth at 22%. Amazon drove U.S. digital ad spend growth, supporting campaigns for Audible, Prime Video and Amazon Music, while other major advertisers such as Verizon, Liberty Mutual, Coca‑Cola, Microsoft, Epic Games, Target and Walmart increased spend—particularly on gaming and social platforms. Retail‑media impressions hit a record 80 billion, up 4% year‑over‑year, with Walmart and Target dominating the top ten categories and Best Buy‑Samsung and Chewy‑Nestlé emerging as the most viewed co‑branded pairs. Collectively, these findings illustrate a strategic shift toward strategy titles, the continued dominance of TikTok in app monetization, and an outsized role for social media advertising and retail‑media partnerships during the holiday peak. The data cover global markets with a focus on U.S., Korean, and broader digital advertising trends for the fourth quarter of 2024.

market-analysis global mobile+1

Sensor TowerJan 2024

Report

State of Mobile Games in Japan

The analysis provides a comprehensive overview of Japan’s mobile‑gaming ecosystem in 2024, measuring the market’s size, growth dynamics, and competitive landscape. Total in‑app purchase (IAP) revenue reached roughly ¥2.5 trillion, marking a modest increase over 2023, while the combined share of the Apple App Store and Google Play stabilized at about 55 % and 45 % respectively. Advertising‑derived income expanded by 35 % year‑on‑year, now accounting for roughly 8 % of overall mobile‑gaming revenue, driven largely by user acquisition through YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. Top‑grossing publishers dominate the market, with Mixi, Bandai Namco, CyberAgent, miHoYo, Square Enix and GungHo each securing multiple titles in the upper echelon of revenue. Flagship games such as *Fate/Grand Order*, *eFootball*, *Pokémon GO*, and the *One Piece* franchise collectively generated more than ¥1 trillion, underscoring the continued strength of established IPs. Genre analysis shows 3D titles now represent roughly half of the top‑performing apps, reflecting a shift toward richer visual experiences, while 2D and casual games retain a sizable user base. The study covers the period January through July

market-analysis mobile japan

Sensor TowerJan 2024

Report

The State of AAA Game Advertising

The analysis demonstrates that 2023 marked a peak in AAA game advertising, with live‑service titles such as Fortnite commanding the highest spend (US$57 M) and blockbuster launches—Hogwarts Legacy, Diablo IV, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III—each exceeding US$25 M. YouTube remained the dominant channel (35 % of spend), yet Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram captured significant shares, indicating a broadened media mix compared to 2022. Activision Blizzard and Epic Games led the market, each allocating over US$70 M to U.S. campaigns that supported both new intellectual properties and established franchises. Hogwarts Legacy’s strategy centered on PlayStation branding, with “PS5” references dominating pre‑launch and launch creatives across TikTok, Facebook, and other social platforms. The campaign’s largest spend outside social media was on OTT (US$1.8 M), supplemented by Twitch, Reddit, and niche sites such as fandom.com and Pluto TV. The title relied heavily on the PlayStation partnership and traditional OTT channels rather than extensive brand collaborations. Diablo IV leveraged a “hellish” fantasy narrative, consistently using terms like *devour*, *violence*, and *gore* throughout its campaign. The title partnered with diverse brands—from Mountain Dew to SteelSeries, Secretlab, and First We Feast—to extend reach across gaming hardware, lifestyle, and food sectors. In contrast, Starfield capitalized on its Xbox Game Pass launch, offering a $70 full price or a $10/month subscription model that attracted new players. Its spend focused on YouTube and TikTok 15‑second video ads (94 % of creative), blending gameplay and live‑action content across Hulu, YouTube, and Twitch. Brand partnerships spanned retailers like Target, hardware makers such as Seagate, and food brands like yfood, underscoring a multi‑channel approach that blended platform promotion with cross‑industry collaborations. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III executed a highly integrated, multi‑phase advertising strategy that blended pre‑order, beta, launch, and holiday campaigns into a single continuous push. Forty percent of spend was allocated to post‑launch activities, with creative focus shifting from celebrity endorsements to esports influencers. Ad formats diversified—reducing YouTube 15‑second ads from 92 % to 69 % and increasing Instagram video posts—while high‑profile collaborations (e.g., with 21 Savage and Monster) positioned the title as a leading example of modern AAA advertising. The campaign’s aggressive, format‑diverse approach drove strong post‑launch engagement and brand visibility. Fortnite remained the top‑spending game in U.S. PC/console advertising, supported by a broad brand partnership ecosystem that includes Nike, LEGO, and Disney. The year’s most significant launches—Hogwarts Legacy (highest sales and ad spend, capitalizing on the Harry Potter IP) and Diablo IV (the biggest 2Q launch with robust live‑service performance)—illustrate how new titles continue to drive high‑profile marketing campaigns. Major publishers such as Activision Blizzard and Epic Games dominate ad spend, while diversified media strategies and cross‑industry collaborations underpin the sector’s continued growth.

advertising marketing

Sensor TowerJan 2024

Report

Global Mobile Gaming Industry Outlook 2024

The global mobile gaming market experienced a period of stabilization in 2023, with total in-app purchase (IAP) revenue reaching $76.7 billion. While this figure represents a 2% year-on-year decline, it remains 22% higher than pre-pandemic levels recorded in 2019. The industry outlook is positive, with revenue projected to rebound to $78 billion in 2024 and surpass $100 billion by 2028, reflecting an anticipated average annual growth rate of approximately 6.8%. Market performance in 2023 was characterized by a shift in consumer preference away from mid-core and hardcore genres toward casual and hybrid-casual titles. Casual gaming revenue grew by 8% to $28.6 billion, now accounting for 38% of the global market. Within this segment, puzzle and board games performed exceptionally well, with both genres reaching $10 billion in revenue. Notable titles such as Royal Match and MONOPOLY GO! were primary drivers of this growth, with the latter emerging as a significant revenue contributor in the board game category. Conversely, traditional powerhouses like RPG and strategy games saw revenue declines of 10% as the pandemic-driven stay-at-home demand subsided. Geographically, the United States remains the largest mobile gaming market, generating $22.2 billion in 2023. While the U.S. market remained stable, other key regions experienced varied results; the Chinese iOS market held steady, whereas Japan and South Korea saw revenue contractions of 13% and 7%, respectively. Despite broader genre declines, high-quality new releases—particularly in the RPG sector—continued to secure top positions in growth rankings. The analysis relies on estimated IAP data from the Apple App Store and Google Play, excluding advertising revenue and third-party Android marketplace income.

market-analysis market-forecast monetization+2

Sensor TowerJan 2024

Report

Sensor Tower Global Mobile Gaming Industry Outlook 2024

Global mobile gaming experienced a minor 2% year-on-year decline in in-app purchase revenue in 2023, totaling $76.7 billion. Despite this slight contraction, the market remains 22% larger than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Projections indicate a recovery to $78 billion in 2024, with a long-term growth trajectory expected to surpass $100 billion by 2028 at an average annual growth rate of 6.8%. These findings are based on Sensor Tower App Performance Insights, covering the App Store and Google Play across major global markets including the United States, China, Japan, and South Korea. The industry is currently defined by a shift in consumer spending from mid-core and hardcore titles toward casual and hybrid-casual models. Casual game revenue grew 8% to $28.6 billion in 2023, now accounting for 38% of the global market. Hybrid-casual games showed the most aggressive growth, increasing 30% to exceed $2.1 billion. In contrast, traditional high-revenue genres like RPGs and Strategy games both saw 10% revenue declines as the pandemic-era stay-at-home boost faded. Despite these drops, RPGs and Strategy remain the largest individual segments, generating $20 billion and $14.8 billion respectively. Geographically, the United States remains the largest market at $22.2 billion, followed by the Chinese iOS market at $15.1 billion. While the Japanese and South Korean markets saw declines of 13% and 7% respectively, specific titles defied broader trends. MONOPOLY GO! and Royal Match emerged as major drivers in the casual sector, with the former generating $1.2 billion and the latter surpassing Candy Crush Saga in monthly revenue. In the mid-core space, new entrants like Honkai: Star Rail and Whiteout Survival achieved significant growth, particularly in APAC markets, by utilizing innovative themes and integrated gameplay mechanics.

mobile market-analysis monetization+2

Sensor TowerJan 2024

Report

Store Intelligence Data Digest: Q3 2023

This analysis examines global mobile application performance during the third quarter of 2023, covering downloads across the Apple App Store and Google Play. Total worldwide downloads reached 35.1 billion, representing a slight 0.7% year-over-year decline. While App Store installs grew by 6.1% to 8.7 billion, Google Play downloads fell by 2% to 26.4 billion. The data, compiled via the Sensor Tower Store Intelligence platform, focuses on unique, per-user installs and excludes pre-installed apps and third-party Android stores. Meta emerged as the dominant publisher, driven by the July 2023 launch of Threads. The new social platform garnered nearly 40 million installs on its launch day and became the fifth most downloaded app globally for the quarter. Instagram secured the top global spot, fueled largely by the Indian market, which accounted for 51% of its new installs. In the United States and Europe, the e-commerce platform Temu maintained its leadership position, significantly outperforming competitors like Shein and Amazon in terms of download velocity. The mobile gaming sector saw Garena Free Fire reclaim the top global position with 60 million installs, surpassing long-time leader Subway Surfers. Monopoly Go showed the most significant momentum in the U.S. market with 44% quarter-over-quarter growth. Regionally, India remained the largest market by volume with 6.6 billion total downloads, more than double that of the United States. While the U.S. and China continued to lead App Store activity, Brazil showed the most robust growth on that platform with a 24% year-over-year increase. Conversely, major Google Play markets like Brazil and Indonesia saw single-digit declines in download volume during this period.

market-analysis global mobile+1

Sensor TowerSept 2023

Report

Store Intelligence Data Digest: Q2 2023

Global mobile app performance in the second quarter of 2023 reflects a stabilizing market, with total downloads reaching 34.3 billion despite a marginal 1.5% year-over-year decline. While TikTok maintained its long-standing position as the most downloaded app globally, the quarter was defined by the rapid expansion of the shopping platform Temu, which achieved 74 million downloads and secured a top-ten global ranking. In the gaming sector, established titles like Subway Surfers and Ludo King continued to lead worldwide, though new entries such as MONOPOLY GO! and Honkai: Star Rail demonstrated significant momentum by dominating Western markets and leveraging existing brand equity. Geographic trends highlight a shift in growth centers, as traditional markets like the United States, China, and the United Kingdom experienced download contractions. In contrast, India solidified its status as the world’s largest mobile market, accounting for 24% of global Google Play downloads. Emerging markets also showed resilience, with the App Store seeing double-digit growth in Brazil and Indonesia. While Meta and Google remain the preeminent global publishers, Meta faced regional headwinds in Asia due to regulatory shifts in India that impacted Instagram and Facebook adoption. Sector-specific analysis reveals a transition toward gamification and retention-focused strategies. Education apps, led by Duolingo, successfully utilized streak features to drive high user engagement, whereas the food delivery and streaming sectors faced saturation. Food delivery downloads fell below pre-pandemic levels, and streaming services pivoted toward aggressive monetization and advertising strategies to combat slowing acquisition. Although Netflix maintains a superior 79% retention rate, its low new-user acquisition rate of 3% underscores the broader challenge of maintaining growth in a mature digital landscape.

market-analysis global mobile+1

Sensor TowerJul 2023

Report

The Mobile Economy and Digital Ad Space in 2022 and Beyond: An Analysis of Global Trends

The analysis evaluates how the mobile ecosystem and digital advertising evolved through 2022 and projects future dynamics, using Sensor Tower’s App Store and Google Play data, quarterly download and revenue estimates, and ad‑spend figures from North America and major European markets. It frames the mobile economy as still expanding beyond pre‑COVID levels while noting a slowdown in install growth, with India, the United States, Brazil and Indonesia leading global downloads and emerging markets such as Africa poised for rapid gains as smartphone penetration rises. Mobile games retained dominance, accounting for over 50 billion downloads and generating roughly $79 billion in revenue, yet 2022 marked the first year of year‑over‑year revenue decline, driven by reduced spending in the United States, Japan and other major economies. Utilities—particularly VPN apps in India—became the fastest‑growing category, while Turkey showed the sharpest adoption increase but faced inflation‑driven limits on consumer spend. Venture‑capital funding contracted, raising concerns about the emergence of new app disruptors, and Android revenue fell 30 percent year‑over‑year, contrasted with a modest 1 percent iOS growth. Spending patterns shifted as entertainment apps eclipsed social networking in the United States, with TikTok, HBO Max and Disney+ leading a surge that doubled 2019 levels and made entertainment revenue twice that of the next‑largest non‑game category. In Japan, a manga‑reader app topped overall gross revenue for the first time, highlighting diversification beyond games.

market-analysis market-forecast advertising+1

Sensor TowerMar 2023

Report

The Mobile Economy and Digital Ad Space in 2022 and Beyond: An Analysis of the Global Trends Shaping the Mobile and Digital Advertising Industry

This analysis examines the global mobile economy and digital advertising landscape throughout 2022 and into early 2023, utilizing proprietary market intelligence data from the App Store and Google Play. While global app installs have slowed following the initial pandemic surge, they remain significantly above 2019 levels. Mobile games continue to be the primary driver of downloads globally, exceeding 50 billion installs in 2022, though the utilities category has recently emerged as a significant growth leader, particularly in emerging markets like India. A major shift occurred in 2022 as global consumer spending on mobile games declined for the first time, falling to $79 billion. This downturn was particularly pronounced on Android devices, which saw a 7 percent revenue drop driven by high inflation and the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. Japan experienced the most significant contraction, with game revenue falling by $3.2 billion. Conversely, the entertainment category has become a primary engine for revenue growth, with spending on apps like TikTok, HBO Max, and Disney+ reaching record highs. In the United States, entertainment spending doubled compared to 2019 levels, while in Japan, a manga reader app became the top-grossing title for the first time, displacing traditional gaming leaders. The digital advertising sector reached $28 billion across North America and major European markets in the fourth quarter of 2022. While established platforms like Facebook maintain the largest market share, TikTok has emerged as the fastest-growing ad channel, recording a 60 percent quarterly increase in U.S. ad spend. Facing headwinds from Apple’s privacy changes and reduced marketing budgets, many developers are pivoting toward subscription models and diversified monetization strategies. Looking forward, the reopening of China and the high smartphone penetration growth in Africa are identified as critical factors for the next phase of global mobile adoption.

market-analysis advertising global+1

Sensor TowerMar 2023