The Game Marketer’s Post

Last War: Survival is a mobile game that has achieved a top-ten-grossing rank in both Japan and the US. 📈📱 With impressive daily revenue and download numbers, Last War has become a unique example of a game that resonates across Japan and the US — two culturally distinct markets. 📝 Our latest blog written by Brian Takemasa takes a closer look at how Last War's cross-market appeal lies in a blend of accessible gameplay, complex strategy, and a savvy marketing approach that keeps players engaged and spending. ⬇️ Check it out now! #gfrfund #blogs #gamingmarket #lastwar

In this week’s edition of #8BitBranding, let’s take a look at how #gamemodding (short for “modifying”) can be viewed in a new light to inspire #marketingstrategies   Mods are fan-made creations where existing games are reworked, redesigned, or altered in some way to offer a new gameplay experience or a visual overhaul. Because they are made by fans for free, they can be viewed as user-generated content (UGC).   While game publishers’ approach to modding has been mixed, with some embracing the practice while others litigate mods into the ground, I argue that finding ways to work with mods would be beneficial for: 👾 Building #community amongst brand fans 👾 Providing more opportunities for streamers to make content about your game 👾 Intriguing potential customers who may wonder “how awesome must this game be if people are making more content and game modes for it for FREE?”   Mods demonstrate love for a #game and for a #brand, so taking a blanket anti-modding approach could turn fans into detractors, when it could turn fans into true #brandpartners.   Have you ever played a #mod?   I’m not a tech genius so I haven’t installed many, but I love playing Hollow Knight’s randomizer! For those who don’t know, a “randomizer” is a type of mod that shuffles around all the items in a game, placing them in random locations, which completely changes game progression and requires creative solutions to find all the necessary items to beat the game.   What’s your take on modding and viewing it as #UGC for marketing opportunities? #gaming #marketing #branding

🚀 Double Motivation in Reward Video Design 🚀 I love the game "Idle Outpost" and its clever rewarded video design! When you watch an RV, you earn additional coins—665k in this instance. But the design doesn't stop there. At the bottom of the screen, players are further incentivized with a cumulative reward system: watch 5 ads and receive 10 gems, a form of hard currency. This dual incentive mechanism is brilliant. It not only provides immediate rewards but also encourages repeated ad views, enhancing player engagement and increasing ad revenue. By layering rewards, "Idle Outpost" ensures players have both short-term and long-term motivations to interact with ads, making the process feel more rewarding and less intrusive. Incorporating such strategic design elements can significantly boost ad interaction rates while maintaining a positive player experience. 🎮 Check out the game here: Googleplay: https://lnkd.in/dXqcv-Sh Appstore: https://lnkd.in/daWa9pc3 Thank you for reading. If you need consultation with market research, game review feedback, or help with monetization strategies, feel free to DM or book a 1:1 session here: https://lnkd.in/dDwaNfsC ------ #gamingIndustry #monetization #gamedesign #mobilegames #marketing

🎮 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲-𝐭𝐨-𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐧: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝟑 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 Play-to-Earn (P2E) is revolutionizing the gaming industry by offering players direct rewards, unlike traditional Web2 games that focus heavily on marketing. According to the CEO of Pixels, P2E has become the "biggest superpower" of Web3 games, providing a competitive edge. 🔸 𝐏𝟐𝐄: 𝐀 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞-𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 The introduction of P2E mechanics has transformed gameplay and player engagement, leading to more interactive and rewarding experiences. 🔸 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 While Web2 companies spend massive amounts on marketing, Web3 focuses on delivering value directly to players, bypassing traditional advertising. 🔸 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐢𝐧 Web3 games not only provide financial rewards to players but also enhance the overall user experience. This dual benefit helps attract more players and allows developers to optimize their games further. 🔸 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 P2E is changing the gaming landscape by offering real value to players, encouraging them to invest their time and attention. This shift is driving innovation and pushing the market forward. Web3 gaming is set to become a major force, with P2E leading the charge! 🚀 Subscribe and dive into the rabbit hole: https://t.me/co1ntelegram

Are you an indie game creator or a small to medium-sized online game company looking to boost your game's visibility? I will offer expert consulting on game advertising promotions to help you reach a wider audience based on users' data! Reducing the churn rate of new users is absolutely essential for game monetization. User churn can be divided into two types: - those who leave before completing the game's tutorial - those who leave after completing the game's tutorial The important point here is how you define a churned user in your game. Is an appropriate period of inactivity -1 day, 7 days, or 30 days- before considering a user as churned? Let's first establish a reasonable churn period and use that to define churned users. Possible causes of user churn before completing tutorials include difficulties with -smooth account registration - long game loading times - insufficient guidance directing users to servers, and tutorials that are hard to understand or too challenging User churn before completing the tutorial is often not caused by the game content but mainly due to deficiencies in the initial program logic or the setup of the tutorial itself. That's why, at this stage, it's crucial to alleviate user frustrations in real-time, requiring swift action. Want to get in touch? Drop me a line! Personal Website: https://lnkd.in/dzHgCWDc #IndieDev #GameDev #IndieGames #MadeWithUnity #ScreenshotSaturday #IndieDevHour #Steam #GameMarketing #DataDriven

🚨 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆? 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗘𝗰𝗵𝗼 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗭𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗯 𝗔𝗱𝘀 🚨 Have you seen those Bullet Echo ads that make the game look super basic and outdated? 🤔 Well, here’s the twist: the real game is way more engaging and visually impressive than what you see in the ads! 🎮 What's happening here? The ads show a stripped-down, almost primitive version of the game, with graphics that look like they belong in 2010. But once you download it, you find a game that’s far more exciting, with modern visuals and captivating gameplay. So why are they underselling themselves? Here's why this approach might be costing them: ❌ Underestimating potential players: By showing outdated, simplistic visuals, they risk turning away gamers who are looking for more immersive experiences. ❌ Missed opportunities to showcase quality: The real game is so much better than the ads show! They’re missing the chance to attract players with the actual exciting features and visuals. ❌ Confusion over expectations: Players are surprised by the difference between the ads and the real game, which can lead to a mixed reception—even if the game is better. 🔑 What should they do instead? 🎥 Showcase the real thing! Use footage from the actual game—it’s much more impressive than the fake, outdated look in the ads. 💡 Highlight unique features. Instead of downplaying, focus on what makes the game fun and visually appealing. 🏆 Attract the right audience. Authentic, high-quality visuals will bring in gamers who will truly appreciate the game. In an industry where visuals can make or break your first impression, don’t hide your game’s strengths—show them off! #MobileGaming #MetaAds #GameMarketing #AdStrategy #DigitalMarketing

Marketing for games-as-a-service isn't just about selling a vision, it's about selling a reality. Palworld, this year's first breakout video game, participated in this week's iii initiative, a new showcase featuring about 45 minutes of new content for indie video games. It was a short 15-second trailer announcing a new player-versus-player (PVP) mode called Palworld Arena. It drew lots of attention from major gaming outlets, content creators on video platforms and drew my attention too. :D Palword is a major success, peaking with more than 2.1 million concurrent players on Steam in late January 2024. But it's player base has been on a decline since, and as of writing, it had fewer than 50,000 concurrent players and is not currently a part of SteamDB's top 25 most-played games chart. Currently Palworld features player-versus-environment (PVE) play. So I find the decision to promote its PVP update particularly interesting because on first glance, it appears to be a way to satisfy the remaining player base, reignite interest from lapsed players and potentially invite a new audience to the game. But there is a debate about the overlap between player fantasies in PVP and PVE gameloops. Players online are already debating how they'll treat PVP in the game and if it will extend or shorten a player's interest in it. Developer Pocket Pair has already proven it knows how to market a vision for Palworld. Now we'll see if they know how to sell a reality too. #gamepublishing #gamesmarketing #gamedevelopment

🚀 Archero 2: Habby’s Latest Hybrid-Casual Monster 🏹 Archero 2 by Habby is already generating $500K/day in IAP revenue—even without a global launch. That’s nearly double what the original Archero achieved in 2019 during its peak. So, what’s changed? 🤔 ⭐ Habby has perfected its hybrid-casual template, building on its 5+ years of expertise. With metagame systems inspired by Capybara GO and Legend of Mushroom, they’ve created a robust, scalable design. Each release sharpens this template, reducing development time and creating a nearly unbeatable competitive edge. 🤙 This isn’t just a template rehash—the core gameplay has evolved and rewarded ads are currently no longer as core to the game as they are in Suviror.io or SSSnaker. Currently Rewarded Ads are only found in Store Gold, Quick Hunt Speed Up, Event Entry Ticket, and Revival Rewarded ad. Archero 2 also has the most generous ad-related IAP which lets users remove all ads (a permanent skip it) for $9.49. In my experience, it’s never a good idea to give away all rewarded ads for a fixed cost and I’d be surprised if Archero 2 global launches with this IAP enabled. 💸 Right now I estimate that Archero 2 is earning about $36-45k/day in ad revenue which is about 18-22% of overall revenue. I’d expect this to rise once it launches globally on the 22nd of January 2025. For more UA and Game Design insights check out our latest episode! 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/ePsGm_4W 🎧 Listen on Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eS-r2__w For more Ad Monetization Insights try my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eRWRFiGf Jakub Matej 🦩

👻 Archero 2 Global Launch- Monster or Marketable? 👹 I think Habby is venturing out of Hybridcasual into Casual territory! 💣 Yet casual thrives on IAP only... AppsFlyer's 💵 State of Monetization report 💵 shows us that while hybridcasual always benefits from... hybrid... that truly casual games shine on an IAP only model for D90 ARPU (+10-30%). The question here is payback period- casual hybrid monetization D90 ROAS is +50% (iOS) to 4x higher (Android). Hybrid means faster money but possibly lower LTV ceilings. (l*nks in comments) 🔗 🧪 As Habby enters casual, experimenting with a few impactful ad placements flexes their core strength while protecting early profitability in a new subgenre when DAU growth matters most. #Archero 2 relying on IAP means less cannibalization of Archero 1, which can retain a base of engaged players with low spend propensity. 🏃♀️➡️ This rapid #ROAS focus is reflected in their updated No Ads IAP, which I cited as a #1 tool for hybridcasual games increasing CVR in the Gamesforum Hybrid Monetization Trends 2024 report. Habby's isn't a subscription, but a lifetime status for early players to be grandfathered into. Longterm, this could become a negative ROI IAP for them (famously old Word With Friends offered a $20 no ads IAP priced at general LTV). My take: To prioritize #growth, you can start with lifetime remove all ads IAP to facilitate higher CVR and MoM engagement. 1️⃣ Players tend to not want to remove Rewarded Video, so should only apply to interstitials and banners (allowing subscription sales of RV ad skip tickets). 2️⃣ When growth slows and marginal returns are important, they can limit new purchasers to monthly no ad subscriptions with price tiers for weekly 3️⃣ When DAU starts declining, they can choose to make remove all ads only apply to intrusive fullscreen ads and not remove banners. This is a tried and true method from large DAU games like Wordscapes- but should be AB tested! 🏆 I may disagree with Felix here... If no ads IAP increase early retention, session length, and DAU then make it generous at launch- after all your ads LTV rises over time so it's cheapest to make this "lifetime" at the beginning of launch with your golden cohort!