Innovation, Imitation, Idiots – A Mobile Gaming Perspective 🎮
Innovation, Imitation, Idiots – Series 1 As Mark Cuban famously said, “Innovation, Imitation, Idiots.” In mobile gaming, timely imitations can make great money and capture market share, while late entrants struggle to make an impact. This series explores this dynamic.
The Mobile Gaming Ecosystem: A Case Study on Wood Nut Puzzles 🧩
When a new innovation emerges, it creates a growing market. Over time, this market stabilizes, allowing imitators to capture a significant share. However, merely copying a trend without excellent execution won’t yield success. Entering late is particularly challenging unless you have the expertise like Peak Games and how they did with Match Factory.
The Screw Puzzle Trend: Innovation to Imitation 🔩
The screw puzzle trend, less than a year old, has already amassed over 160 million + downloads. It began six months ago with Wood Nuts and Puzzle by ABI Game Studio
Market Breakdown:
ABI Games (Innovator): 70 million downloads 📈
Zego Studio: 47 million 📊
Falcon Game Studio: 20 million 🎯
Dinoglobal Studio: 6.5 million 🦖
Keego: 5.7 million 🛠️
Screw Puzzle by ABI: 5 million 🔧
Others: 5 million (40-60 companies) 🌐
Top 5 In-App Purchase (IAP) Revenue:
ABI Games: $9.5 million USD 💰
Wood Nuts Screw Puzzle by Dino Global: $1.2 million USD 💸
Wood Nuts Screw Puzzle by Zego Studio: $1.2 million USD 🪙
Screw Puzzle Wood Nut and Bolt by Falcon: $700k USD 💵
Screw Puzzle by ABI: $550k USD 🏆
Others: $150k USD 🪙
Market Impact 💥
The screw puzzle trend has created a market valued at approximately $400 million USD as of 2024. This rapid growth is driven by downloads and continued innovation. With six months left in the year, new twists and entrants will further influence the market.
Monitoring downloads and revenues year on year will reveal the trend’s longevity. Already, it has generated substantial profits for the top companies and decent returns for many others.
Conclusion 🎬
While innovation drives new trends, timely imitation with exceptional execution leads to immense success, as seen with Zego Studio, Dino Global, and others.
