7 Takeaways from Apptica State of Mobile 2024

The mobile gaming market is returning to a state of cautious optimism. Here are 7 interesting data points from Apptica’s State of the Market report I took myself: 1. The YoY trend indicates positive dynamics in downloads +8.7% and revenue + 9.62% across both apps and games.2. Android gaming market showed a downward trend (-1.44%) with total revenue exceeding $15.66B. Gaming outperformed Applications by more than 1.7x in the revenue scope.3. As for the revenue, iOS gaming market grew by 5.55% and accumulated >$25.29B. It's worth noting that Apple users spent more on applications than on games (unlike in Google Play).4. RPG is the biggest sub-category both on iOS and Android by revenue, while it also faced the biggest decline between 2023 and 2024. 5. Video stands for 85% of number of creatives compared to only 3.36% for playables and […]

Peter Fodor February 15

Journal

Ubisoft: Slightly more negative picture

I think we’re all aware at the recent wave of short comings, game launch delays and back catalogue issues Ubisoft have been facing but digging in to their recent financials I think it showcases a slightly more negative view then expected: • Financial Performance: In Q3 FY2024-25, Ubisoft reported net bookings of €301.8 million, a 52% decline from €626.2 million in the same period last year, aligning with its revised guidance. Ultimately even though they set guidance correctly, seeing such a YoY decrease shows increasing pressures and an even bigger ownous on future releases (which we all know is going to be pinned to AC: Shadows).• Assassin’s Creed Shadows Release: Despite previous setbacks, “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” is now scheduled for release on March 20, 2025, with pre-orders tracking comparably to “Assassin’s Creed Odyssey,” the franchise’s second most successful entry. My […]

John Wright February 15

Reports

State of Gaming & Influencer Marketing 2025

Source: AAA Agency Is the gaming industry bouncing back after recent declines? Is mobile gaming overtaking other formats? How are the PC and console doing? Is indie gaming on the rise? What’s the future of game development in 2025? How are platforms evolving for influencer marketing? What were the standout gaming campaigns of 2024? Long-term vs. short-term — which works best and when? What influencer trends and challenges should you watch for in 2025? State of Gaming & Influencer Marketing report answers all these questions and beyond, exploring the pulse of two powerhouse industries: video games and influencer marketing. The report is based on data from leading analytics platforms, industry summaries, and expert insights. This AAA Agency report aims to overview the gaming & influencer marketing landscape throughout 2024 & ponder what to expect from 2025. We’ve gathered data from trusted […]

Gamigion February 15

Journal

MTG completes $620M Plarium Buy

Mid-Core Mobile Dominance here. Modern Times Group (MTG) is acquiring Plarium, the studio behind Raid: Shadow Legends, from Aristocrat Leisure for $620 million. The deal, expected to close in Q1 2025, will nearly double MTG’s EBITDA and free cash flow, pushing annual sales past $1.1 billion. Key Highlights: Plarium’s Performance: $613M revenue and $137M adjusted EBITDA (LTM as of Sept 2024). Raid: Shadow Legends is the top-grossing turn-based RPG on mobile. Other hits: Vikings: War of Clans, Mech Arena, Merge Gardens (90% of Plarium’s revenue). Expanding into China & Asia via a NetEase partnership. Financial Structure & Growth Impact: $20M deferred payment (2026); potential earnouts of $30M (2025) & $170M (2028). Acquisition expected to be highly EPS accretive. $460M bank financing secured. Strategic Synergies: MTG gains Plarium’s expertise in live-ops, user acquisition, and monetization. Integration with Plarium Play & GoGame […]

Ömer Yakabagi February 15

Journal

2025 Mobile App Trends Report: Applovin x Adjust

Source: Applovin x Adjust If 2024 was the year of experimentation, 2025 is the year of scaling. App Marketers & Devs spent the past year testing new Tech, adapting to changes in user behaviors, and preparing for regulatory changes and platform updates. This year we’ll see mobile app companies leverage what they’ve learned to drive sustainable growth at scale. As people’s lives become more mobile-centric, with consumers spending an average of five hours a day on their devices and engaging with 26 apps each month, the opportunity to reach consumers is ripe for both app marketers and direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands. In addition, in-app spending increased by 15.7% year over year, signaling strong industry momentum – and consumers’ confidence in completing mobile purchases. As more companies embrace mobile’s potential, marketers are future-proofing their practices, incorporating AI into their advertising workflows, extending […]

Ömer Yakabagi February 14

Highlights

TikTok is now back to the US App Store!

The Chinese social media platform is once again available for download in the US as Donald Trump deliberates its future amid ongoing security concerns. Welcome back, old sport! TikTok reappeared in Apple's and Google's US app stores on Thursday after President Donald Trump postponed a ban on the Chinese-owned social media platform and confirmed that the tech companies would not face fines for hosting or distributing it. More: How TikTok’s US Ban Could Reshape Mobile Gaming Marketing The widely-used short video app, which nearly half of all Americans engage with, briefly went offline last month before a law took effect on January 19. This law mandates that its Chinese owner, ByteDance, must either sell TikTok on national security grounds or face a ban. The next day, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order delaying the ban's enforcement by 75 […]

Ömer Yakabagi February 14

Journal

Embracer Group Q3 numbers: 30% Drop

Embracer Group just released their Q3 numbers per their earnings call yesterday and the company is seeing a 30% drop on the Swedish Stock exchange. Key highlights from the earnings call:• Net Sales: The company reported net sales of SEK 7.4 billion for the quarter, reflecting a 7% organic growth.• Adjusted EBIT: Adjusted EBIT amounted to SEK 1,175 million, slightly below the previous year’s SEK 1,318 million but above management expectations.• Sale of Easybrain: Embracer Group announced the sale of Easybrain to Miniclip for $1.2 billion (USD), with the transaction expected to close any time now.• Strategic Focus: The sale of Easybrain aligns with Embracer’s strategy to streamline operations and focus on core assets. However, they saw just a 2% increase on mobile and a 23% drop on PCC revenues so I am not sure how this will effect them […]

John Wright February 14

Highlights

AppLovin’s Gaming Portfolio

Yesterday AppLovin announced that it is selling it's whole gaming portfolio for $900 mil. 🤑 in order to focus only on Ad tech. The buyer was not announced. 🤔 Who could it be? Let's look closer at the performance of the games portfolio to get some hints 😎 ▪️ The ten studios that are being sold are Magic Tavern, Zero Gravity, PeopleFun, Lion Studios, Belka, Zenlife, Clipwire, Leyi, Machine Zone and Athena. On a surface look, the whole games portfolio did around $50 Mil. in IAP revenue only for last month. This is exactly half 📉 of what it did at its peak in January 2021. Downloads wise last month there was around 19 Mil. downloads, which is 10 times less compared to its peak in January 2021, which was 190 Mil. 😱 Of course let's be real, the peak […]

Jakub Remiar February 13

Journal

Decoding VC responses

Decoding VC responses - here's what they actually mean: "Let's keep in touch" = It's a NO. But they want optionality if you become hot later."Too early for us" = Either they don't believe in the space, or your team isn't experienced enough. It's anyways a NO. "Need to see more traction" = They don't have conviction in current state. Get them to be specific about what metrics would change their mind."Great vision, but..." = They don't believe you're the team to execute it. Or the market isn't ready yet."We need to see a lead first" = They're interested but won't take conviction risk. Good signal - use this to get other investors excited.Real talk: The only response that matters is a term sheet. Everything else is just varying degrees of "no" or "not yet."Pro tip: If they don't provide […]

Joakim Achren February 13

Highlights

AppLovin divests all its Game Studios for $900 million.

Another day, another AppLovin update! As reported by mobilegamer.biz, AppLovin is offloading its ten-game studio portfolio for $900 million as it pivots to focus entirely on Ad Tech. Check out: AppLovin Empire: Monopoly in Mobile Gaming? AppLovin’s decision to sell its gaming studios signals a major shift in the mobile gaming industry. While the company has not revealed the buyer, the move highlights the growing dominance of ad monetization over traditional game publishing. We’ve seen similar transitions before, such as [another company’s example]. Given these trends, it raises the question: will more gaming giants follow suit? This means Machine Zone, PeopleFun, Magic Tavern, Lion Studios, Belka, Athena, Clipwire, Leyi, Zenlife, and Zero Gravity will soon be under new ownership. However, AppLovin has not disclosed the buyer. More: AppLovin’s Gaming Portfolio CEO and co-founder Adam Foroughi announced the decision during the company’s […]

Gamigion February 13

Highlights

Brutally Honest #151

Hey, FAM! What’s up? 🥃 Drink talk Jumped on a podcast last week with our dear friends from Gamigion! Check it out because this wasn’t about the UA! 🦩Tip of the week When should we start Applovin as a channel? I often get this question: When should we start? Is it a good channel? Are we ready? First, we need to ensure that our in-app purchase volume is strong enough for the algorithm to optimize effectively. We aim for at least 10–15 unique purchases per day. To figure out if we’re ready, we can do a quick math exercise using our D7 cost per purchase (CPPD7). For example, if our CPPD7 is $800, then multiplying that by 10 tells us we need an $8,000 daily budget to kick things off. If our CPPD7 is lower, say $150, then around $1,500 […]

Matej Lancaric February 13

Journal

AppLovin stock has jumped 30% after hours after another insane quarter.

Yes you are reading that correctly, AppLovin stock has jumped 30% after hours after another insane quarter. Check out: AppLovin Empire: Monopoly in Mobile Gaming? Highlights from the earnings call earlier today were:• Revenue Growth: The company reported a 44% year-over-year increase in revenue for Q4 2024. • Earnings Per Share (EPS): Adjusted EPS for the quarter was $1.73, surpassing market expectations. • Future Revenue Projections: AppLovin forecasts Q1 2025 revenue between $1.355 billion and $1.385 billion, exceeding analysts’ expectations. • Strategic Shift: The company is expanding its advertising platform beyond gaming into e-commerce, marking a transformative period (please refer to my 2025 marketing predictions after with Deconstructor of Fun to read more about this).• Divesting From Games: AppLovin plans to sell its gaming studios for approximately $900m to focus on its core advertising technology and software platform, AXON is […]

John Wright February 13

#GamingBusiness

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