Two & a Half Gamers
Two & a Half Gamers is a YouTube channel covering the mobile games business. It publishes videos on ad monetization, user acquisition, game launches, studio strategies and industry news.
Documents
two & a half gamers session #47 - Creative trends 2023, 1 year anniversary - kudos to you
Mobile gaming user acquisition in 2023 is defined by a strategic shift toward hyper-casual mechanics and deceptive creative concepts.
- Mobile gaming development is shifting toward a philosophy where core game loops are designed specifically to match high-performing marketing creative concepts.
- Top-tier strategy games like Kingdom Guard and Top War are integrating popular mini-game mechanics directly into their tutorials and narratives to align user acquisition hooks with actual gameplay.
- The industry is moving away from purely deceptive advertising to avoid player backlash and poor retention, opting instead to embed proven ad mechanics into the core product experience.
two & a half gamers session #46 - Deconstruction of App businesses from UA, GD & Admon perspective
The mobile application landscape is undergoing a significant transformation as non-gaming apps increasingly adopt the rigorous monetization and design frameworks traditionally reserved for casual mobile games.
- Non-gaming apps are increasingly adopting gaming-centric monetization frameworks, such as gacha systems and streak-based retention loops, to drive daily engagement and increase lifetime value.
- Developers should implement a hybrid revenue model that combines subscription tiers with rewarded video units to capture additional revenue without degrading the core user experience.
- To maximize eCPMs, non-gaming apps should integrate gaming-specific demand sources like AppLovin and Unity while using interstitial ad floors to safeguard long-term retention.
two & a half gamers session #45 - (ironic) predictions 2023, is next year the end of sexists ads?
The mobile gaming industry faces a period of significant structural transition as traditional monetization models encounter headwinds from regulatory shifts and platform-level restrictions.
- Amazon Publisher Services is emerging as a top-tier mobile ad monetization network, frequently ranking third or fourth in impression volume due to strong e-commerce demand.
- Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney are already being integrated into App Store Optimization (ASO) and creative workflows, with video generation AI expected to be a major industry disruptor in the coming year.
- The 'fake' playable ad trend, exemplified by games like 'Hero Wars' and 'Mighty Party' incorporating hyper-casual mechanics (e.g., 'Save the Dog') into their gameplay, is expected to see a rise in clones throughout 2023.
two & a half gamers session #44 - New creative strategy from CN, UA winner of 2022, games update
The mobile gaming industry is currently defined by a tension between aggressive, often ethically questionable creative strategies and the necessity of data-driven user acquisition.
- TikTok has emerged as the top-performing acquisition channel for 2022, consistently delivering lower costs per install and higher returns on ad spend compared to traditional platforms like Facebook and Google.
- Top-tier titles such as Survivor.io and Goddess of Victory: Nikke are driving revenue through sophisticated live-ops and event-driven spikes, while Marvel Snap utilizes progression-based bundles to maintain monetization.
- The industry is shifting toward more direct sales of power and progression to stabilize revenue streams amidst a broader move toward diversifying user acquisition channels.
two & a half gamers session #43 - How to approach new game development & see new trends in gaming
Developing a long-term competitive advantage in the modern gaming landscape requires a strategic shift toward structural efficiency and genre innovation.
- When building a new game studio, prioritize 'structural advantage' by avoiding level playing fields and leveraging unique team expertise rather than competing directly in saturated markets.
- Market trends show significant organic growth for shooters on mobile, driven by improved device performance and sensitivity, allowing for the integration of 4X strategy mechanics into the genre.
- Extraction-based shooter models offer a viable alternative to traditional cosmetic-only monetization, enabling the use of consumable-based economies that can be more effective at scale.
two & a half gamers session #42 - Sexist ads admon side, Gold & Goblins full UA, Admon, GD review
The mobile gaming industry faces a persistent tension between maximizing advertising revenue and maintaining brand safety, particularly regarding the prevalence of sexist or inappropriate ad creatives.
- Gold & Goblins achieves strong long-term retention in the idle genre, with Day 7 retention exceeding 25% and Day 30 retention reaching approximately 18% on Android.
- The title generates 50% to 55% of its total revenue through ad monetization, utilizing non-intrusive mechanics like dynamic barrels and spin-the-wheel features.
- Gold & Goblins maintains its market position by spending between $1 million and $2 million monthly on user acquisition.
two & a half gamers session #41 - Stop with sexist ads, Q4 Admn round up, Goddess of Victory review
Mobile gaming experienced a notable surge in eCPM performance during the fourth quarter, with growth ranging from 3.15% to 25.4% as advertisers intensified holiday spending.
- The mobile game 'Goddess of Victory: NIKKE' generated $83 million in revenue during its first month, significantly outperforming the launch trajectory of similar titles like Azur Lane.
- US consumer spending on Black Friday reached $9.12 billion, a 2.3% increase over the previous year, though a 72% surge in 'Buy Now, Pay Later' financing suggests future consumer purchasing power may be constrained.
- The 'waifu' (character-collecting) game genre is successfully migrating from Asian markets to the West, with titles like NIKKE and Azur Lane demonstrating that these mechanics can achieve stable, long-term performance in Western territories.
two & a half gamers session #40 - Q4 Live ops tips, Q4 UA Budget optimisations, Admon bidder updates
The mobile gaming industry is currently navigating a complex landscape defined by shifting advertising dynamics and seasonal volatility.
- The Google AdMob bidder has shown significant performance improvements, delivering an average ARPU uplift of 10% to 12% for previously underperforming games and effectively capturing market share from Meta demand on Android.
- During the Q4 holiday season, rising CPIs driven by e-commerce competition make it necessary to narrow UA focus to core audiences and pause underperforming campaigns to maintain profitability, even if it results in lower overall revenue.
- Despite budget cuts in Q4, developers should maintain a 10% to 20% allocation for creative testing to ensure a pipeline of winning assets for rapid scaling in January.
two & a half gamers honest interviews #5 - Rafael Vivas (How to monetise digital items?)
The mobile gaming industry is currently undergoing a significant shift in monetization strategy, moving away from niche-targeted, high-spending user models toward broader, higher-quality content.
- Privacy-focused tracking changes like Apple’s ATT have forced a shift from whale-dependent monetization to broader models requiring purchaser rates of 10% to 20% of the total audience.
- Vessel provides a centralized, non-crypto marketplace for trading in-game assets, aiming to generate an incremental 20% to 30% of a game’s total revenue.
- The platform utilizes a revenue-share model where developers retain 90% of transaction value, with the marketplace taking a 10% cut on both primary and secondary sales.
two & a half gamers session #39 - How to do a game review? Rush Royale full UA, GD, Admon analysis
Conducting a comprehensive game product review requires a multifaceted approach that integrates user acquisition, game design, and monetization strategies to evaluate a title’s market viability.
- Rush Royale generates approximately $1.7 million in monthly revenue from ads, accounting for roughly 30% of its total earnings.
- The game utilizes a localized ad network strategy, leveraging MyTarget for CIS markets and Pangle for Asian regions to maximize monetization.
- User acquisition for Rush Royale is driven by major networks including Unity, Facebook, and Google, utilizing gameplay-altered creatives to effectively capture target audiences.
two & a half gamers session #38 - Q4 Admon pro tips, Survivor.io clone Heroes vs. Hordes, TikTok SPC
Optimizing mobile game revenue during the Q4 holiday season requires a dual focus on technical infrastructure and tactical creative adjustments.
- Q4, specifically Black Friday and Christmas, represents the peak eCPM season, requiring ad monetization managers to lock down all waterfall placements by November 20th to ensure each placement fills at or near 1% while generating at least 1% of total ad revenue.
- Seasonal store assets like holiday-themed icons can significantly harm organic performance; one case study showed daily downloads dropping from 50,000 to 10,000 after a Christmas icon change, with traffic only recovering after reverting to the original icon in mid-January.
- TikTok's Smart Performance Campaigns (SPC) are currently yielding higher quality users at a cost four times lower than equivalent campaigns on Facebook, making them a priority for UA managers focusing on CPI optimization.
two & a half gamers session #37 - Marvel Snap global launch case study UA, GD, Admon view
Marvel Snap represents a significant case study in the tension between high-quality game design and inefficient mobile marketing execution.
- Marvel Snap's decision to exclude rewarded ads likely cost the developers approximately $250,000 in additional revenue during the initial launch period, representing a 14% loss compared to their actual in-app purchase (IAP) revenue.
- The game's marketing team appears under-resourced for mobile UA, with a heavy AAA/console focus that neglects critical mobile-first operations such as custom ad placements and vertical video formats for social platforms.
- The UA strategy suffers from poor network optimization; because the game features cards, ad algorithms (such as Unity and IronSource) are incorrectly categorizing it as a classic card game, leading to inefficient traffic targeting.