♟️ Mastering Mobile Gaming: From Simulation Hits to Indie Breakthroughs & Meta's Spatial Push
Discover top strategies, ad tricks, and Japan’s mobile market insights fueling 2024’s biggest gaming successes 🔥
Welcome to the 20th edition of The Kraken Weekly! 🎉
This week’s edition of The Kraken Weekly is packed with exciting stuff, here’s what you can expect:
💥 Simulation Games Take Over
🚀 Maximizing CPM Without Losing Players
🤫 Dice Dreams' Secret to 400% Growth
🧐 Can Meta Ignite a New Era of Spatial Gaming?
♟️ Game-Changing Go-to-Market Strategies from Indie Game Devs
Bonus: Japan's Mobile Gaming Market: A Deep Dive into RPGs, Gacha Mechanics, and Idol Games
1) Simulation games lead the charge in breakout downloads rankings
Simulation games totally dominated the breakout downloads rankings in September 2024, with Satisroom: Perfectly Organize snagging the #1 spot. This room-organizing sim has racked up 18 million downloads, thanks to its chill and visually pleasing gameplay. Meanwhile, My Supermarket Simulator 3D and Traffic Racer Pro also made strong showings. On the revenue side, games like Honkai: Star Rail and Dragon Quest Walk saw major growth, driven by special in-game events. These trends highlight the massive appeal of easy-to-play, engaging simulation experiences and the power of well-timed events to drive both downloads and spending.
2) Long Ads, Tiny Close Buttons: How to Maximize CPM Without Losing Players
Balancing long ads and tiny close buttons is tricky—on one hand, your CPM is up, but on the other, players might rage quit. You want to maximize revenue without driving users away. For interstitial ads, make them skippable after 5 seconds to keep the experience smooth, and for rewarded ads, allow skippability after 30 seconds to boost CPM. Testing is key, though—depending on your game, tweaks like shorter ads or muted ones might help player experience without killing your revenue. Want the best ad settings for top networks? Check out this full guide!
3) Successful Growth Strategy Behind Dice Dreams
Dice Dreams has rolled into the big leagues since its 2019 launch, seeing a massive 400% revenue surge in 2023 and 2024, thanks to a killer live ops strategy. By hosting frequent events—short and long-term—they keep players hooked and wallets open. Social elements, dynamic event rewards, and a smart monetization strategy (hello, seasonal passes!) have skyrocketed engagement. With Playtika now set to acquire SuperPlay for up to $1.95 billion, it’s clear their mix of fun gameplay, diverse events, and data-driven optimization has made Dice Dreams a mobile gaming success story.
4) Can Meta Reignite Spatial Gaming?
Meta’s pushing hard to dominate spatial gaming, especially with its affordable Quest 3 and AR glasses (codenamed Orion), while Apple’s pricey Vision Pro struggles to gain traction. At the Meta Connect conference, Meta showed it’s all-in on games, unlike Apple, whose Vision Pro wasn’t built with gaming in mind and has developers frustrated. VR might not be the end game, though—AR could be the real future. Meta is betting big on AR glasses, aiming to eventually replace smartphones. For game developers, the question is when and where to invest in this evolving space. AR’s still niche, but if it takes off, it could open a huge new gaming frontier.
5) Innovative Go-to-Market Strategies From Indie Game Devs
Indie devs are shaking up the gaming world with fresh go-to-market strategies. Deep Rock Galactic thrived by leveraging Steam Early Access and focusing on long-lasting gameplay, while Shapez 2 built a community-driven sequel by gathering feedback from players early on. Secrets of Grindea succeeded with a super long dev cycle supported by Swedish student loans, and Feed the Deep used YouTube feedback to test prototypes before full production. Meanwhile, Thronefall embraced the power of recommendation algorithms, arguing that making a great game is the best marketing strategy. Check out more on this with this deep dive!
Bonus: From Idol Culture to Gacha Mechanics: A Deep Dive into Japan’s Mobile Gaming Market
Japan’s mobile gaming market is a treasure trove of innovation, from RPG dominance to unique monetization strategies like gacha mechanics. RPGs like Honkai: Star Rail and Puzzles & Dragons are big hits, offering depth and progression, while location-based games like Pokémon GO thrive due to Japan’s public transport lifestyle. Sports and idol games, such as Umamusume: Pretty Derby, bring anime and rhythm game vibes to the forefront. Gacha systems, heavily inspired by Japan’s love for random prizes, drive monetization, making them a key strategy for developers. Western devs eyeing this market need to nail localization and tap into cultural events like Golden Week for success.
