admonetization

Only 35.51% of U.S. mobile game spending stays in America.Ever wondered where the rest of that money goes?***In the first 9 months of 2024,U.S. mobile gamers spent~$6.336B on in-app purchases,but a "surprising" majority of that moneyends up in the hands of foreign developers.Let’s break down where the other 64.49% of that revenue is flowing.***Top 3 Countries Profiting Most from U.S. Mobile Players:🥇 USA Mobile Game Devs - $2.250M🥈 Israel Mobile Game Devs - $742M🥉 Turkey Mobile Game Devs - $719MWhy Spending on Local Games Matters:When people spend on locally produced mobile games,it benefits their country’s economy in a big way.Choosing games developed within a countrymeans more of the revenue stays local,supporting jobs, innovation, and the growth of homegrown talent.In contrast, when the majority of consumer spending flows to foreign developers,it limits opportunities for domestic studios to thrive.In a global market, […]

Reelshort Review: Netflix should take notes! Short-form entertainment game making $25+mil/month redefining the interactive novel genre👇 Influencing the story? Make choices during the short-form videos. Sounds like a game? It is! Reelshort gets all the stories from Chapters but with real people with all drama short plots! The minutes-long shows, catering to mobile-primed female audiences, aren’t exactly highbrow—think rags-to-riches revenge plots and werewolf-vampire fantasies—but they’re addictive, and viewers are paying to stay tuned to hits like "Fated to My Forbidden Alpha" and "The Double Life of My Billionaire Husband." CEO Joey Jia says the app has been downloaded over 30 million times. It also reportedly generates an average monthly revenue of $10 million; one show, which might have 60-90 short episodes, costs an average of $300,000 to produce. Reelshort is doing a cross-promo on steroids! Offerwall light in their own apps […]

The following post explores what happened in 2023 and major trends in gaming in 2024. Sources: 1. Newzoo report, 2. Enterprise App Today, 3. IFPI Music Annual Report, 4. Wordsrated report Sources: 1. Newzoo report References: 1. Newzoo report on PC and Console market References: 1. a16z blog posts, 3. GDC Talks References: 1. Newzoo report on Transmedia References: 1. SeekingAlpha 2. Stillfront Q3’23 report 3. Xsolla state of play report 2023 References: 1. Newzoo report on PC and Console market References: 1. Statista report on VR References: 1. Xsolla report 2. Microsoft Cloud article References: 1. Medium article by Jon Radoff, 2. a16z blog posts, 3. GDC Talks

First, I have some news regarding the EGD templates. 2019 I started sharing useful startup templates, including a cap table modeling tool, NDA templates, board meeting minutes, and more. Many have asked for the templates that have gone offline. I put everything together into a Google Drive folder, which you can access here. These files are view only, so you must make your own copies before using them. Most read pieces During the first half of 2024, these pieces were the most read by Elite Game Developers. Gaming Startups in Finland: From Boom to Bust? As a Finnish game developer and startup investor, I'm very concerned about the Finnish games industry. In this piece, I discuss three reasons gaming startups have nearly vanished in Finland and what key elements that once made Finland a powerhouse in the gaming industry are […]

Meta vs. Progression in Games: What's the Difference? These two concepts often get mixed up, but they serve different purposes.1. MetaMeta refers to anything that motivates players outside of direct gameplay advantages. ↳ Think of cosmetic items, skins, storylines, or leaderboards. ↳ Meta keeps players engaged but doesn't change how the game is played2. ProgressionProgression, on the other hand, directly affects gameplay. ↳ Leveling up, unlocking abilities, or gaining in-game power-ups, etc.↳ These rewards help players advance and unlock new gameplay experiences.3. There are also cases where Meta and Progression overlap. ↳ For example, unlocking a new character may offer cool visuals and a backstory (meta) while also giving new abilities (progression).Both are crucial for player engagement but serve different roles.

𝟬𝟰 - 𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗨𝗻𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝗮 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 While level exploration is not an exact science and every player behaves differently, there are general behavior patterns that can be considered when designing a free-navigation level. Players tend to be attracted to areas they perceive will provide the greatest and most immediate reward.In this example, the player needs to find and collect 4 boxes in any order. The question is: 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹? The player has the following information:𝟭. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝟯. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝘅𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁The player’s brain rewards them in two key moments: first, when they locate a box, and second, when they collect it. Interestingly, locating a box but leaving it behind […]

A founder from one of my portfolio companies recently asked how I would prefer them to handle the winding down process if their company were to fail. Here are some things to consider:- Keep your investors constantly updated over email, a few times a week isn't too much.- Don’t hesitate to ask for help. Investors have seen many companies going through wind-downs and can offer advice on how to navigate the process effectively.- If any capital remains, return it to the investors. While it’s often not feasible, even a partial return, like 10% of invested capital, demonstrates good faith and shows that the founder was committed to being a responsible steward of investor capital until the very end.- Even during the winding down process, there may still be opportunities to sell assets or pursue an acquihire deal. If these options […]

When starting the development of a new game, ask yourself: What’s your superpower?Because games with a clear superpower succeed.↳ They build loyal communities.↳ They attract players.↳ They leave a mark.Your superpower is your game's identity.It's what players remember.So, pinpoint it.Embrace it.• Is it a unique mechanic?• A gripping story?• Or maybe stunning visuals?Identifying this early helps focus your team.It guides decisions.It shapes the player experience.So before you dive deep, ask yourself:What makes our game truly special?

GAMES ON THE RISE # 5, WEEK, SEPTEMBER, 2024 Hi, mobile game family! 💟Let's get to the next edition of our…💫 Games On The Rise💫I've highlighted 3️⃣ games.➡️ “Conquer Countries” by Supersonic from Unity.A few months ago, I published a post about this promising Hybridcasual.Today, the promise has come true. 😎According to AppMagic, “Conquer Countries” broke into the world's Top 1,000 most downloaded games on September 29th. 🔝Developed by Ridgge, "Conquer Countries" is an inventive mix between a Clicker/Life Simulator and a war strategy game. 🪖It is based on the game structure of Supersonic's other successful, “Family Life”.Having a good market share in Tier 1 countries, “Conquer” has been performing very well, with an excellent session length of 21 minutes. 👏➡️ “The Superhero League 2” by Lion Studios.With this title, the big American publisher 🇺🇸 is expanding its franchise of […]

Imagine a worse version of whatever newsletter you read converted to a Tweet thread, then converted to a corporate slideshow.

Q3 was tough for hypercasual. Downloads of top games dropped by 20-50%. Full report on hypercasual games in Q3: