Best of 2024: Top Numbers
๐ Revenue, players, and strategy: meet the 2024โs mobile champions. Cheers! PS: AppMagic for data.
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Dynamic Offers in Action!
๐ฅ Dynamic Offers in Action! โจ I came across two engaging offers recently, one from Coin Master and another from Gossip Harbor. What sets these apart is how they leverage small animations to bring their offers to life. Unlike the usual static images, these animated offers create a sense of excitement and make the experience feel much more immersive. Not only does this approach catch the eye, but it also has the potential to drive higher engagement and revenue. Itโs a great reminder of how small design tweaks can have a big impact.
9 Traps That Kill Your Game
9 Traps That Kill Your Game (And How to Avoid Every Single One)Most live service games fail.Not because the devs arenโt smart.But because they fall into unseen traps.Hereโs the truth: โ๏ธIf you can avoid these 9 traps,youโll stay ahead of 95% of games out there.1. Metrics:โณ Focusing on revenue instead of fun.โณ Fix: Track engagement. Fun = profits.2. Events:โณ Too many events = burnout.โณ Fix: Space them out. Keep it fresh.3. Ads:โณ Fake gameplay ads destroy trust.โณ Fix: Show the REAL game. Trust scales.4. Progression:โณ Too easy? Boring. Too hard? Frustrating.โณ Fix: Balance it for fair rewards.5. Monetization:โณ Pay-to-win drive players away.โณ Fix: Offer value. Keep it fair. Win long-term6. Community:โณ No community = no loyalty.โณ Fix: Engage through events & social media7. Onboarding:โณ Confused players donโt stick around.โณ Fix: Teach the basics in a fun way.8. Feedback:โณ Ignoring complaints […]
Step-by-step process for reviewing new games
Iโve reviewed over 100 games in the past few years. Hereโs my step-by-step process for reviewing a new game:๐ญ. ๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ง๐ข๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ง Before playing, I focus on understanding the competition: โข Read user reviews in app stores โข Play 3-5 competitor games โข Take screenshots of key moments โข ๐๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐๐๐ฒ ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐: โโ Gameplay tempo โ is it fast or slow? โโ Monetization strategies โ how are purchases introduced? โโ Engagement hooks โ what makes players return? โโ Strengths and weaknesses๐ฎ. ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ง๐ช๐๐๐ Each playthrough serves a specific purpose:๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต (๐ญ ๐ต๐ผ๐๐ฟ) โ Focus on the big picture: โข General feel โ Does it engage from the start? โข User flow โ How intuitive is it for a new player? โข Core loop โ Do main mechanics fit together? โข Goals โ Are short- and long-term objectives clear? […]
Game Testing GEO Guide 101
๐บ๏ธ My Game Testing Geo guide simplifies success. Here is the ultimate reason for testing: Save on User Acquisition whilegetting accurate player data.That's literally the core of it. ๐ฟMaking every dollar count.Pivot your game early on.Optimize fast.PS: Philippines losing their โโtesting countryโdue to their new regulations and low-tech usage( low fps or too many crash issues)
30 small game changes = BIG impact
30 small game changes = BIG impact ๐ค Based on the Playliner research, here are the most popular changes forย increasing LTV::---Balance fixes โ๏ธ 1. Tune enemy strength & level difficulty to keep it challenging, not frustrating. 2. Adjust economy: resource generation, item pricing, and currency balance. 3. Balance characters & items: prevent overpowered builds, tweak rarity drops.---Better UI/UX ๐จ 4. Rearrange UI for clarity, improve icons & colors. 5. Simplify menus, improve onboarding with better tutorials. 6. Add satisfying visual/audio feedback & better error handling.---Smooth progression ๐ฎ 7. Adjust level pacing for better flow. 8. Introduce new mechanics gradually to keep it fresh. 9. Balance XP & rewards to maintain motivation.---Monetization tweaks ๐ฐ 10. Test IAP pricing & bundle values. 11. Fine-tune ad rewards & special offers. 12. Balance earning vs. spending virtual currency.---Content polish โจ 13. Speed up VFX […]
Jobs in Mobile Gaming: 27
๐จ 900 Jobs in Mobile Gaming ยป 3-10 January ๐๐ป Data from Gamigion.com/jobs ๐บ๐ป Dev ๐ป Art ๐จ Product ๐ฑ Marketing ๐ฏ Business ๐ฐ Data ๐ QA โ๏ธ ๐ป Dev Client Engineer Scopely ๐จ๐ณ Senior Software Engineer Scopely ๐ช๐ธ Senior Engineer - Monopoly GO! Scopely ๐ช๐ธ Senior Fullstack Engineer - LiveOps Automation Team Scopely ๐ช๐ธ Game Client Programmer, Clash Royale Supercell ๐จ๐ณ Senior Game Programmer, Squad Busters Supercell ๐ซ๐ฎ Software Engineer Zynga ๐จ๐ฆ Software Engineer 2 Zynga ๐ฎ๐ณ Senior Software Engineer 1 Zynga ๐ฎ๐ณ Senior Software Engineer Zynga ๐ฎ๐ณ Software Engineer (Live-ops) - Gram Games Zynga ๐ฌ๐ง Senior Software Developer - Small Giant Games Zynga ๐ซ๐ฎ Principal Software Engineer - Zynga ๐จ๐ฆ Senior Performance Engineer - Echtra Games Zynga ๐บ๐ธ Senior Game Developer - Gram Games Zynga ๐น๐ท Unity Developer Playtika ๐ต๐ฑ Technical Account Manager Playtika ๐ต๐ฑ Senior C# Developer […]
Marketing Digest Weekly #1
๐ฐ Weekly Highlights in Tech & AIโข Meta Introduces AI-Generated Accounts on Facebook and Instagram:Meta has launched AI-generated accounts aimed at boosting engagement on Facebook and Instagram by delivering personalized content to attract younger audiences while competing with TikTok and Snapchat. The AI Studio tool also allows users to create their own AI characters, contributing to the growing trend of AI influencers.โข Google CEO Sundar Pichai Declares AI Model Gemini as Top Priority for 2025:Pichai announced that scaling the AI model Gemini to reach 500 million users will be Googleโs biggest focus in 2025.โข xAI Completes $6 Billion Series C Funding Round:Elon Muskโs AI company, xAI, raised $6 billion in a Series C round with participation from A16Z, Blackrock, and Sequoia Capital. The funds will be used to further expand and enhance xAI's AI technologies. โ> https://x.ai/blog/series-c๐ ๏ธ Top Tools of […]
Get Your Iterative Game Development Right
The most important part in games production, on a quest to build a successful game, is getting iterative development right โ yet, most don't get it right or don't even know how to approach it right.This article focuses on the โcoreโ of iterative development, with an intention to (potentially) help to set some of you better on track for creating, and shipping, better performing games โ from both the playersโ point of view (PoV) as well as from the commercial PoV.Note: This article excludes process coverage, for now, which I might tackle in later articles about games production and topics related to iterative development. Further exclusions are mentioned in the article itself, as the case applies. Furthermore, understanding this article requires some level of understanding (theoretical and/or practical) of game development processes for direct applications. If there is no such […]
Mobile Game Leaders: 2024 Analysis
Market Performance Global consumer spending on Mobile Games declined for the second consecutive year, reaching $107 billion in 2023. Mobile game downloads fell for the first time, totaling 88 billion. Emerging Trends Casualization: There's a notable shift towards more Casual Gaming experiences, with Mid-core games facing challenges connecting with their audiences. Brands & IPs: Brands are increasingly engaging in partnerships to attract new audiences, leveraging well-known intellectual properties to enhance appeal. Regional Developments Chinese gaming companies have significantly expanded their global presence, with China-based publishers capturing a third of global revenue. They've successfully entered markets like Japan & U.S. through quality production and localization efforts. WeChat Minigames Are Crushing It in China Technological Innovations Advancements in cloud gaming and AI integration have been pivotal. Big Studios like Tencent and NetEase are leading with cloud gaming platforms and AI-driven game features, […]
Royal Kingdomโs Big Gamble: Is It the Next Match-3 King?
Hereโs whatโs covered in this deep analysis article on Royal Kingdom; Royal Kingdomโs Launch & Early Challenges Core Mechanics & Features Financials & Monetization Strategies Royal Kingdom vs. Royal Match Retention & Player Engagement Tactics The Future of Royal Kingdom User Acquisition & Marketing Total Downloads & Revenue Royal Kingdomโs Big Gamble: Can It Usurp the Throne? The mobile gaming landscape is more competitive than ever, with developers constantly testing new waters. Enter Royal Kingdom, a bold new entry in the match-3 puzzle space. But is it poised to take over the crown from the mighty Royal Match? Youโll find an intriguing combination of mechanics that separate it from the usual suspects like Candy Crush and Royal Match. This game is much more than just a pretty face with an addictive core loop. Letโs dive deep into the nuts and bolts of this game and its […]
Brutally Honest #146
Hey, FAM! Whatโs up? ๐ฅ Drink talk Gamesforum last year was a blast in both Barcelona and Hamburg. It's a Must-go conference every year for UA & Monetization people! You should definitely go to Barcelona next month. This is why: The quality of content is insanely good networking with the best of the best business opportunities side events it's Barcelona! SIGN UP WITH MY OWN PROMO CODE - Unicorn20 ๐ฆฉTip of the week I have been thinking about the role of UA and how it is evolving nowadays. A Senior User Acquisition (UA) Manager in the games industry typically combines deep analytical capabilities with strategic marketing and leadership skills. They are responsible for planning, executing, and optimizing campaigns to drive high-quality players into a game at scale. Below are some of the core skills and competencies that are commonly expected […]