Journal

Creative Trends in Mobile Gaming – June 2024

🚀Creatives trends in Mobile Gaming UA 🚀 One of the most critical aspects of mobile gaming User Acquisition (UA) is the creatives. In our latest episode, we dove deep into the top-grossing games to uncover what’s currently working as of June 2024.Here's what we found:Unconventional Elements: Supercell’s Brawl Stars is leading the charge with creative use of unconventional characters, like a poo character in a diaper. This unexpected twist grabs attention and differentiates the game in a crowded market. 💩👶Longer Video Creatives: Nexters' Hero Wars has shifted to longer creatives, with lengths ranging from 2-4 minutes. These are designed to engage viewers in the news feed rather than the typical Rewarded Video ad unit, suggesting a strategic move to capture and retain attention in a different format. 📺⏳Hypercasual Elements in Non-Hypercasual Games: We’ve noticed Playrix, Dreamgames and Supercent incorporating elements […]

Felix Braberg June 28

Journal

Top Games Reclaiming Revenue Share in 2024

There is a lot of discussion in the gaming industry about projects like Monopoly Go, Brawl Stars, and Royal Match. I thought it would be interesting to analyze data to see if the growth of such projects increases the share of total mobile gaming revenue taken by top games.This analysis is based on worldwide Data.ai data (top Google Play games by revenue divided into buckets: "top 10 games by revenue," "top 11-50 games by revenue," etc.). It includes data for recent months as well (2024 data covers January-May).Interestingly, the share of revenue held by top games was decreasing in recent years, but this trend reversed in 2023 and accelerated in 2024. Simultaneously, we see a growing share of revenue coming from smaller projects (i.e., games outside the top 1000 list).

Mariusz Gąsiewski June 28

Journal

Wondering How Supermarket Games Are In The Top Charts?

Fastest growing Supermarket Games? Let's take a look! Digital Melody - Supermarket Manager Zego - Manage Supermarket Codigames - Idle Supermarket Tycoon G5 - Supermarket Mania Bubadu - Supermarket Game

Zack Weiss June 28

Journal

How To Boost Player Engagement?

Do you love me? (my wife’s favorite question after marriage)Do you think YES is the right reply?❌ NO!!!A simple YES is not enough.You should explain your YES answer.You should show your EMOTIONS.• Joy• Trust• Passion• Intimacy• Affection• Gratitude• Happiness• Excitement• Compassion• Commitment• …………………….Oh, and one more thing…FOREVER!!!But what was before the marriage?ENGAGEMENT.Engagement is a result of experiencing good emotions over a period of time.𝙀𝙣𝙜𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 = 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗫 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲.Here’s why engaged players matter:1. LoyaltyEngaged players feel like they’re part of the team, contributing to game progress.2. Exploration: Engaged players explore and buy various products, boosting your portfolio’s value.3. Advocacy: Engaged players spread the word to attract new players, growing your community.4. Co-Creation: Engaged players leverage your product to create their own product or content.“Too much text, Sergei!” I hear you say.“DO YOU LOVE HER?” ❤️I’ll keep it between us because LinkedIn […]

Sergei Vasiuk June 28

Journal

Mechanics and Inspirations Behind Hybrid Casual Puzzles

Welcome to the latest edition of the Next Big Games newsletter! This month, we're focusing on the dynamic world of hybrid casual puzzle games. Over the past few months, all hybridcasual puzzle games are built around these 3 mechanics and objectives 1) Moves management 2) Space management 3) Time management 🎯 Moves Management Strategic planning is essential as players are challenged to complete levels within a limited number of moves. This mechanic adds a layer of tactical depth, making every move count. Transport People by HyperUp Lab and published by Rollic Jello Blast by Longhorn Games and published by Rollic Hexact Order Hexablast by Oreon Studios and published by Voodoo Stack n Sort by Hegames and published by Voodoo Stack em Up by Mad Apper Studios and published by Voodoo Traffic Escape by Fomo Games Moves Management 📦 Space Management […]

Vamsi Penmetsa June 25

Journal

The Ultimate Guide to Careers in the Gaming Industry

Explore these career paths and find your fit: 1. Development Roles• Game Design• Art and Animation• Programming• Audio2. Production and Management Roles• Production• Project Management3. Business and Administrative Roles• Marketing and Sales• Human Resources• Finance and Legal4. Support and Technical Roles• Quality Assurance (QA)• Technical Support• IT and Cybersecurity5. Research and Analysis Roles• Research• Data AnalysisTo start your gaming career journey tomorrow.

Ali Farha June 24

Journal

What I Wish I Knew Founding a New Studio in 2024

What I Wish I Knew Founding a New Studio (Again) in 2024… 🤦🏻‍♀️ Coming from mobile development, my mindset has always been on #testing, #learning, #improving and repeat... Sometimes 'winning', sometimes 'failing', sometimes pivoting, sometimes discontinuing. That’s the nature of running multiple experiments 👩🏻‍🔬🤷🏻‍♀️ I approach building talks like I approach building a product. I test the talk, and get learnings to iterate for future talks/workshops💡But in this case, it was more than a normal talk I’d give because I was doing a full retrospective of my entrepreneurial journey for DevGAMM #Vilnius and share with no filter my top 5 mistakes as an entrepreneur. Over the past decade, I built 5 ventures, 2 of which are still ‘alive’. One of them, Rise and Play, is in its 3rd year of growing revenues, allowing me to focus full-time on it. The […]

Sophie Vo June 24

Journal

Top New Creative: Star Wars: Hunters by Zynga

TOP NEW CREATIVE“STAR WARS: HUNTERS” BY ZYNGA The competition for IPs remains fierce in the mobile games market.The latest initiative comes from Zynga, with the Star Wars franchise. 🌌🎖️The game is a hero shooter focusing on player versus player (PvP) combat, featuring 3D stylized art and a core gaming experience. ⚔️The game includes various Star Wars characters, allowing players to engage in strategic team-based multiplayer battles.It features multiple game modes and leverages the Star Wars license to create an immersive environment that appeals to fans of the movies and the shooter genre. 🤩Two weeks ago the game began its growth stage and has reached 2.5MM downloads and US$740k in IAP revenue so far. 📈It's no surprise that to achieve this result, the Star Wars IP is central to the UA strategy. 🎯Drawing on a stylized cartoon, the flagship creative video […]

Carlos Pereira June 24

Journal

The Importance of Finding Your Path

Some years ago, I firmly believed that changing career paths was essential for gaining new perspectives and finding fresh inspiration. The idea of exploring different industries and roles seemed like the best way to keep my professional journey dynamic and fulfilling. However, over time, my mindset has shifted. While exploring new areas can undoubtedly offer valuable experiences, I have discovered that staying in a field where you feel comfortable and passionate can be equally rewarding.Now, I realize that it's not always about changing paths to seek inspiration. Sometimes, inspiration can be found by digging deeper into your current field, honing your skills, and embracing the journey with its ups and downs.For anyone pondering a career change, my advice is to think about where your passions truly lie. Sometimes, sticking with what you love can bring the most fulfillment.

Elizaveta Savenkova June 24

Journal

Personal Journey Beyond the Clicks

2023's Mobile Marketing Mashup: Personal Journey Beyond the Clicks • Adventures in Ads:Micro-Moments & Storytelling: Forget the spray-and-pray approach. 2023 saw a laser focus on tailoring ads to specific user contexts and needs, capitalizing on fleeting moments of attention. Think heartwarming back-to-school ads during peak app usage hours or hyper-relevant fitness offers popping up after a workout session.Interactive Playgrounds: Passivity is passé. Users craved immersion, and marketers delivered. Interactive ads, playable demos, and AR/VR experiences blurred the lines between marketing and entertainment. Imagine trying on virtual makeup shades before buying or exploring a new car model through an interactive ad that feels like a joyride.Authentic Voices & Humor: Polished perfection got the boot. Real talk and genuine humor reigned supreme, with brands embracing user-generated content and relatable voices to build trust and connection. • Genre fluid Gaming:Hypercasual Hangover (With a […]

Doruk Kasoglu June 24

Journal

There Is No Single Right Approach To A Feature

There's no single right approach to a feature or a game. I learned this lesson early on at Playrix.Years ago, I reviewed a new feature prototype for Fishdom.It was complex, experimental, and heavily inspired by another game.After playing, I felt the prototype missed the mark.The feature didn't evoke the desired emotions like its reference.So, I prepared detailed feedback:• Pointed out the flaws and differences• Suggested changes to align it closer to the referenceI was confident my feedback was perfect.I thought I found the only "right answer," as if it was a math equation.Later on, my mentor looked at my feedback and said:💬 "Anton, your feedback boils down to remaking everything from scratch to get closer to the initial reference.While that may be valid, did you consider finding something that works well and could be developed in a new direction, even […]

Anton Slashcev June 24

Journal

Girls und Panzer Partnership in WoT!

We’ve just launched a collaboration with Girls und Panzer in WoT! Hooray!🌟In my personal opinion this is a great and wholesome anime for those who love tank history. And that’s why: — A lot of different vehicles made with care and respect to historic details. Tanks are also main characters of this show!— Non-violent setting! Everything is presented as a sports competition between different schools. All tanks are equipped to conduct staged battles, without real danger to the participants (it may not always be believable though).— Different schools based on references to different countries with a little flair around it. And with fitting vehicles fleets.— Lighthearted story, quite simple and rather good for such a theme. It is building the foundation for competition between different schools with extensive tank battles in it.But I admit, I may be a bit biased. […]

Sergei Zenkin June 22

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