Mobile Game Monetization - It’s the UI, Stupid - Levi Shapiro

The big winner in mobile content is Games accounting for 80 of download revenue AppAnnie and even more from inapp purchases Console gaming giants like Electronic Arts and Sony have been humbled by by new entrants such as Supercell Finland and Gung Ho Japan Supercell produces just two games both FREE Clash of the Clans and Hay DayThese games earn more than 25 million per DAY with operating margins of 56 ALL of this revenue comes from virtual goods GungHo with a valuation of 48 billion reported February revenue of 80 million for a single free game Puzzles ampamp Dragons Despite these dizzying successes most game publishers struggle to make a living Data from ingame mobile ad network Tapjoy points to User Interface UI as the key differentiator for engagement and monetization Consider these 8 tips to improve UI for free mobile gamesI New User Flow The game must hook a new player within 30 seconds That means a simplified tutorial with 70 completion rate New players should begin experiencing the game as quickly as possibleII Optimize the Download Heavier games have substantially higher abandonment rates Many games ignore this reality and losing users before they even open the gameConversion Rate Clicks to Installs TapjoyAndroid 05 MB amp160 5060 5010 MB amp160 3045 100 MB amp160 1520 iOS 05 MB amp160 6575 5010 MB amp160 3040 200 MB amp160 2530 III Localization In high growth Asian markets like China and Indonesia localization dramatically increases the likelihood of getting featured on local App Stores Within a week of localizing a game downloads typically increase by 128 and revenue 26IV Donamp8217t Force Registrations Users resist mandatory Facebook login and other forms of coerced registration This causes dropoff rates of 5075V Engagement is Monetization Allow for rapid progress at first and reward users often and early in the game As progress becomes more and more difficult the likelihood of monetization increasesVI Store and Virtual Currency Design Make it easy no more than two clicks to locate the store and purchase Use large icons over text whenever possible including when currency is low Let users know theyamp8217re getting a deal Clarify the benefits of any inapp purchaseVII Loading Screens These are by nature timeconsuming but also an opportunity to engage users with messages Give users helpful hints and try to integrate humorVIII Daily Rewards Build daily rewards into the game by giving players a reward for coming back every day For example in the later days of the reward cycle offer the users bigger or exclusive rewards Show them what they earned and what they can potentially earn in this sessionLevi Shapiro is a Partner at TMT Strategic Advisors a research and strategy firm focusing on the technology media and telecom sectors He can be reached at levitmtstratcom or via twitter levshapiroRead all Levi39s MediaBizBloggers commentaries at Unleavened MediaCheck us out on Facebook at MediaBizBloggerscomFollow our Twitter updates MediaBizBloggerThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaBizBloggerscom management or associated bloggers MediaBizBloggers is an open thought leadership platform and readers may share their comments and opinions in response to all commentaries

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Mobile Game Monetization - It’s the UI, Stupid - Levi Shapiro

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