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103 documents

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The State of Mobile Gaming 2023: Mobile Gaming Market Trends and Top Titles in the U.S., Europe, and Asia

The global mobile gaming landscape underwent a significant structural transition in 2022, characterized by a 14% decline in total player spending from its 2021 peak alongside a stabilization of download volumes at approximately 13.8 billion per quarter. While major markets such as the United States, Japan, and South Korea experienced revenue contractions, China emerged as the second-largest market globally, and India solidified its position as the leader in download volume, accounting for 17% of total installs. This period marked a definitive shift away from the hypercasual genre, which saw an 18% decline in downloads due to rising user acquisition costs and broader economic pressures. In response to these market pressures, the industry is pivoting toward a hybridcasual model that blends accessible core mechanics with sophisticated mid-core monetization and meta-progression features. This emerging segment grew by 13% and generated $1.4 billion in revenue, driven by significantly higher player engagement than traditional casual titles. Success in the current environment is increasingly dictated by the effective use of Live Ops, which now accounts for 97% of revenue among top-grossing games. Features such as character collection and social clan systems have become essential for maintaining high engagement levels and driving long-term player retention. While established genres like RPGs and shooters faced revenue declines, the action genre grew by 9%, and subscription-based models gained momentum, exemplified by the expansion of ad-free gaming catalogs. Conversely, the crypto and NFT gaming sector experienced a sharp downturn, with downloads falling from 46 million to 29 million and revenue dropping by 35%. Despite the overall contraction in spending, the market remains larger than pre-pandemic levels, with legacy titles like Honor of Kings and Subway Surfers maintaining dominance in revenue and download rankings, respectively, across a diversifying global audience.

market-analysis monetization mobile+2

Sensor TowerJan 2023

Report

Q1 2023: Store Intelligence Data Digest

The global mobile app ecosystem experienced a slight contraction in early 2023, with total downloads falling 2.6% year-over-year to 35 billion. Despite this overall decline, the market remained bifurcated between Google Play’s 26.9 billion installs and the App Store’s 8.1 billion. While established giants like Meta and Google maintained their status as leading publishers, TikTok secured its eleventh consecutive quarter as the world’s top app. The gaming sector showed stability through the continued popularity of titles such as Subway Surfers and Roblox, even as broader consumer behavior shifted toward emerging technologies and new retail platforms. The most significant growth occurred within the artificial intelligence and marketplace sectors. AI-powered productivity tools saw an explosive 378% increase in downloads and a nearly 400% surge in revenue, reaching $20 million in quarterly earnings driven primarily by U.S. demand. Simultaneously, the North American retail landscape underwent a major disruption as the Chinese shopping app Temu captured a 50% market share. Following a high-profile Super Bowl campaign, Temu surpassed Amazon in average monthly user engagement, clocking 64 minutes per user. This shift coincided with a general downturn in traditional social networking and messaging installs, though privacy-centric platforms like Telegram and short-video leaders continued to grow. Comprehensive market intelligence across these sectors reveals a digital economy in transition, where established social media dominance is being challenged by specialized AI utilities and aggressive new e-commerce entrants. By tracking performance across major platforms including TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, data indicates that while total volume may be cooling, high-value engagement is concentrating in specific, high-growth niches. These trends reflect a broader evolution in consumer priorities toward utility-driven AI and highly competitive, gamified shopping experiences.

mobile user-acquisition market-analysis+1

Sensor TowerJan 2023

Report

How Starfield Reached 10M Users

The launch of Starfield represents a significant evolution in Bethesda’s marketing methodology, transitioning from traditional brand-focused teasers to a sophisticated, multi-channel digital strategy. By prioritizing TikTok, Instagram, and Twitch, the campaign successfully targeted modern gaming audiences, ultimately reaching 10 million players to become the largest launch in the studio's history. A central component of this success was the strategic integration with Microsoft’s ecosystem, which emphasized immediate availability on Xbox Game Pass and utilized AI-driven cross-promotion via Bing. This approach was bolstered by hardware partnerships with companies like AMD, which bundled the game with PC components to incentivize premium edition adoption. The financial scale of the campaign was substantial, involving a $21.2 million advertising spend in the United States, which accounted for approximately 70% to 77% of the total global marketing budget. During the critical launch window, investment pivoted heavily toward Over-the-Top media and short-form video content. While these efforts secured a top-30 all-time peak on Steam and record-breaking player counts, the title faced a complex competitive landscape. Simultaneous releases and updates for Baldur’s Gate 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 contributed to a polarized reception, reflected in a Metacritic user score of 6.6/10 despite the game's commercial dominance. Data-driven market intelligence remains essential for navigating such competitive environments, as evidenced by the reliance on digital monitoring tools to optimize regional targeting and creative messaging. By analyzing competitor spending and platform-specific engagement, major industry entities like Activision and Electronic Arts continue to refine their strategies. The Starfield case study illustrates that while massive financial investment and platform exclusivity can drive unprecedented user acquisition, long-term sentiment is increasingly shaped by the broader market context and the specific demands of a digitally native player base.

market-analysis user-acquisition marketing+1

Sensor TowerJan 2023

Report

The State of OTT Advertising in the U.S.: An Analysis of OTT Ad Spending Trends and Top Advertisers

Over the course of late 2021 through 2022, the United States Over-the-Top (OTT) advertising market solidified its position as a critical component of the digital landscape, averaging $3.26 billion in quarterly expenditures. This investment represents nearly 15% of all digital advertising spend, signaling a maturation of the sector. While Financial Services previously led the market, Consumer Packaged Goods emerged as the primary spending category by mid-2022. Simultaneously, the automotive industry demonstrated aggressive expansion with a 74% year-over-year increase in ad spend, reflecting a broader trend of traditional industries pivoting toward streaming platforms to capture shifting consumer attention. Platform dynamics reveal a competitive environment where established services and rising challengers cater to distinct demographics. Hulu and Peacock maintain a strong foothold among viewers under the age of 35, while Tubi has distinguished itself as the fastest-growing publisher, recording a 37% increase in ad revenue. This growth is mirrored by specific service sectors, particularly travel and food delivery, which utilized OTT to drive direct consumer actions. For instance, strategic campaigns from brands like Booking.com and UberEats resulted in measurable performance gains, such as significant spikes in mobile app installations following targeted high-spend periods. The transportation and grocery sectors further illustrate the shift toward OTT-centric digital strategies. Companies like Turo now allocate more than half of their total digital budgets to streaming advertisements, while grocery delivery services saw a 14% year-over-year increase in investment. These trends underscore a broader industry conclusion: OTT has evolved from a secondary experimental channel into a primary driver for brand visibility and user acquisition across the American economy. As brands like United Airlines and Instacart dominate their respective niches, the ability to track creative impressions and seasonal spikes remains essential for navigating this high-growth advertising vertical.

market-analysis advertising usa

Sensor TowerJan 2023

Report

The State of Payment Apps: An Analysis of Payment App Market Trends and Top Apps in the U.S.

The United States payment application market underwent a period of unprecedented expansion between 2020 and early 2021, catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the distribution of federal stimulus payments. Total downloads reached a record 35 million in the second quarter of 2020 as consumers transitioned toward digital-first financial tools and safer, contactless payment methods. While established platforms like Cash App maintained overall market leadership, the landscape became increasingly competitive due to aggressive promotional strategies and significant app relaunches. Google Pay, for instance, achieved a 347% year-over-year surge in early 2021 by leveraging referral incentives and expanded feature sets including cryptocurrency integration and cashback rewards. The "Buy Now, Pay Later" (BNPL) segment emerged as a primary driver of industry growth, particularly during the 2020 holiday season. Services such as Klarna and Afterpay saw exceptional adoption rates, with Klarna surpassing one million monthly installs by optimizing its App Store presence and pivoting toward influencer-led video advertising and gaming-related messaging. This growth was further bolstered by deep integrations with major retail applications, positioning BNPL as a mainstream alternative to traditional credit. Simultaneously, money transfer services like Western Union and Remitly experienced a peak in adoption in April 2020, growing 85% over the previous year as users sought reliable digital channels for domestic and international remittances. As the market continues to diversify, leading payment applications are evolving into comprehensive financial ecosystems. The integration of advanced financial management tools and cryptocurrency support reflects a broader shift in consumer expectations. To maintain dominance, top-tier apps are increasingly relying on strategic keyword bidding and multi-channel marketing to capture a user base that now prioritizes versatility and digital integration in their financial transactions. This evolution signifies a permanent shift in the American financial landscape toward decentralized and flexible payment solutions.

market-analysis mobile usa

Sensor TowerJan 2023

Report

Hybrid Casual Games Playbook

The mobile gaming landscape is undergoing a significant shift as developers move from hypercasual to hybridcasual models. This evolution combines the simple, accessible mechanics of hypercasual titles with the sophisticated progression and monetization strategies typically found in mid-core games. The primary thesis is that hybridcasual games offer a more sustainable business model by prioritizing long-term user engagement and diversified revenue streams, specifically balancing advertisements with in-app purchases (IAPs). Data from 2022 highlights this trend, showing a 3% increase in hybridcasual downloads to 5 billion, while hypercasual downloads saw a 15% decrease. Hybridcasual titles demonstrate superior retention and engagement metrics; for instance, top-performing games in this category achieved a 54% Day 1 retention rate and a 9% Day 60 retention rate, significantly outperforming hypercasual benchmarks. Furthermore, average session lengths for hybridcasual games reached 372 seconds, nearly 75% longer than their hypercasual counterparts. The geographic scope is global, focusing on the mobile industry throughout 2021 and 2022. Methodology involves a comparative analysis of top-performing titles across various subgenres, including Arcade Idle, Tower Defense, and Battle games. Case studies, such as Zombie Defense and Aquarium Land, illustrate that successful hybridization can increase IAP revenue to 35% of total earnings and boost lifetime value (LTV) by optimizing game economies through rigorous A/B testing. Key conclusions suggest that developers must deepen the "metagame" by adding narrative elements, social features, and complex progression to maintain interest. The transition to hybridcasual requires a strategic shift in focus toward metrics like Day 30 retention and "whale" potential. By simplifying core mechanics while layering in strategic depth, developers can attract a broader audience and achieve higher profitability through a balanced 50/50 split between ad revenue and IAPs.

market-analysis game-design monetization+2

Sensor TowerJan 2023

Report

Store Intelligence Data Digest: Q4 2022

The fourth quarter of 2022 delivered a nuanced portrait of the mobile‑app ecosystem, tracking download activity across the world’s two dominant storefronts and highlighting shifts in consumer preference. Global install volume slipped marginally to 35.5 billion, a 0.1 % decline, while the Apple App Store posted a 2.4 % rise to 8.1 billion downloads and Google Play contracted 0.9 % to 27.5 billion. Instagram reclaimed the top‑ranked position worldwide, and Meta’s portfolio occupied half of the top‑ten list, underscoring the company’s entrenched influence. TikTok, CapCut and the newly launched game Stumble Guys emerged as the fastest‑growing titles, signaling continued appetite for short‑form video and casual gaming. In the Asian market, video‑centric applications remained dominant. TikTok delivered roughly 29 million installs despite a 19 % quarter‑over‑quarter dip, while Instagram led Google Play with more than 116 million downloads, driven largely by India’s sizable user base. The FIFA World Cup spurred a surge in football‑related games, with FIFA Mobile and Soccer Super Star posting 136 % and 112 % QoQ growth respectively. New releases such as Gas (7,102 % QoQ in the United States), Makeover Studio (2,035 % QoQ) and MARVEL SNAP broke into the top‑20, and Ludo King amassed over 36 million Asian downloads. Meta and Google continued to dominate the download landscape, with Meta recapturing the No. 1 slot on Google Play. Regional spikes, notably Stumble Guys’ peak performance in Indonesia, illustrate how localized trends can amplify global patterns. Overall, the quarter reflects a stable yet evolving market where established platforms retain supremacy while emerging titles and event‑driven spikes reshape the

market-analysis global mobile+1

Sensor TowerSept 2022

Report

The State of Social Apps in Europe 2022

The European social application market in 2022 was characterized by a significant shift from rapid user acquisition toward aggressive monetization and the rise of niche, authenticity-driven platforms. While overall download volumes stabilized following the 2020 pandemic peak, consumer spending reached a record $830 million in the first ten months of 2022, representing an 86% year-over-year increase. This financial surge was primarily driven by TikTok, which maintained its position as the region's most downloaded app while diversifying its revenue streams through gaming, music, and high-value in-app purchases. Despite this dominance, TikTok’s revenue growth began to decelerate by the third quarter of 2022, signaling a maturing market. Competitive dynamics within the messaging and social networking subsectors revealed a diversifying landscape. Telegram emerged as a formidable challenger to WhatsApp, nearly closing the download gap and capturing significant market share in Russia. Simultaneously, BeReal disrupted the market by targeting Gen Z with dual-camera, privacy-focused content, forcing established giants like Instagram and TikTok to develop similar features to retain younger demographics. These shifts occurred against a backdrop of lower barriers to entry for new apps, as the download threshold required to reach the top of the App Store rankings declined by 30% compared to 2019. Despite the emergence of new competitors and shifting consumer preferences, legacy platforms maintained a strong foothold across the continent. Meta-owned applications, particularly Facebook, continued to lead in monthly active users across most European markets, with sustained dominance in Central and Eastern Europe. The industry's evolution reflects a broader transition where established leaders leverage massive existing user bases to pivot toward new monetization strategies, while newcomers focus on hyper-specific engagement models to challenge the status quo in an increasingly fragmented digital ecosystem.

market-analysis europe monetization+1

Sensor TowerSept 2022

Report

Market Outlook 2022: An Overview & Analysis of Industry Trends

The global mobile gaming market is currently undergoing a period of stabilization following unprecedented pandemic-era growth, characterized by a slight 6% year-over-year revenue decline to $21.2 billion in early 2022. Despite this correction, the industry maintains a high baseline of approximately 14 billion quarterly downloads and is projected to reach $117 billion in annual revenue by 2026. While casual titles account for 78% of total downloads, the financial core of the industry remains the mid-core segment, specifically RPG and strategy genres, which generate 60% of all player spending. Growth is increasingly concentrated in Asia-Pacific markets, though Western regions are showing significant engagement spikes driven by major intellectual property launches. The RPG and MMORPG sectors remain the primary engines of monetization, particularly in Asian markets which contribute 80% of total genre revenue. However, the successful launch of titles like Diablo Immortal, which earned $28 million in its first six weeks in the United States, signals an expanding Western appetite for these complex mobile experiences. Simultaneously, the card battler sub-genre has emerged as a top-five growth category, benefiting from cross-media synergies and established franchises. This expansion is supported by a strategic shift in advertising, as developers increasingly leverage social platforms like YouTube and Instagram to capture a higher share of voice among target demographics. Market leadership in the strategy and RTS segments is shifting, with China surpassing the United States in player spending for real-time strategy titles. While established leaders like Clash Royale maintain global dominance, the success of newer entries demonstrates that local market expertise and the integration of popular IPs are essential for sustained growth. As the industry moves toward a projected 73 billion annual downloads by 2026, the reliance on sophisticated advertising networks and the ability to monetize mid-core audiences will define the competitive landscape of the mobile gaming ecosystem.

market-analysis player-demographics monetization+1

Sensor TowerAug 2022

Report

Mobile Gaming Market Outlook 2022

The global mobile gaming landscape has entered a period of stabilization following pandemic-era surges, with quarterly downloads maintaining a steady baseline of 14 billion. Although total revenue experienced a 6% year-over-year decline to $21.2 billion in early 2022, the market remains significantly larger than its pre-pandemic state. Casual games continue to lead in volume, representing 80% of all downloads, yet Mid-Core titles remain the primary economic engine, generating 60% of total player spending. While the United States maintains its position as the leading consumer market, the Asia-Pacific region exerts increasing influence, evidenced by Taiwan’s rise to the fifth-largest global market and the region's dominance in high-monetization genres like MMORPGs and Card Battlers. Strategic advertising and intellectual property integration have become essential for navigating this competitive environment. Strategy and RPG titles are increasingly prioritizing YouTube for share of voice, while the acquisition of MoPub by AppLovin has shifted the advertising landscape for strategy games. Success in the rapidly growing Card Battler sub-genre, which earns 62% of its revenue from the APAC region, is largely driven by high-performing titles like Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel and the effective use of Live Ops and Season Passes. Furthermore, cross-media synergies, such as the impact of the Netflix series Arcane on game downloads, demonstrate the power of multimedia IP in driving user acquisition. The market outlook suggests a temporary correction phase with a projected return to growth by 2023. While Asian markets currently account for 80% of MMORPG revenue, Western interest is growing, as seen with the successful U.S. launch of Diablo Immortal. Similarly, the Real-Time Strategy sector is seeing a geographic shift, with China overtaking the U.S. as the top market for the sub-genre. Future expansion across these segments will likely depend on localized IP collaborations and sophisticated user acquisition strategies tailored to specific regional preferences.

market-analysis market-forecast player-demographics+2

Sensor TowerMay 2022

The State of Mobile Gaming 2023: Mobile Gaming Market Trends and Top Titles in the U.S., Europe, and Asia

Q1 2023: Store Intelligence Data Digest

How Starfield Reached 10M Users

The State of OTT Advertising in the U.S.: An Analysis of OTT Ad Spending Trends and Top Advertisers

The State of Payment Apps: An Analysis of Payment App Market Trends and Top Apps in the U.S.

Hybrid Casual Games Playbook

Store Intelligence Data Digest: Q4 2022

The State of Social Apps in Europe 2022

Market Outlook 2022: An Overview & Analysis of Industry Trends

Mobile Gaming Market Outlook 2022

Sensor Tower

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