Top News

#1: A Look At Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds

It's been almost a month since Ni No Kuni: Cross Worlds (NNK) was released globally, and it has not been the Genshin killer it was touted to be when it sprinted past $100 million in revenue in 11 days during its limited release in 5 territories (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau) a year ago. As a reminder, this game is a gacha-driven mobile MMORPG with Ghibli-inspired visuals created by Netmarble.

So far, since its global launch on May 24th, it has racked up 6.7 million downloads and $13.7 million in revenue, according to Sensor Tower data, with the US accounting for 25% of revenue and 17% of downloads.

What’s interesting is that Android is the stronger performing platform in terms of revenue, capturing 53% of spend across all territories. The distinction between devices is even more apparent in the US, where Android accounts for a whopping 67% of spend while comprising only 37% of downloads.

In comparison to its initial launch, the global launch has been disappointing. While downloads are slightly higher when compared to the limited-release launch, its revenue is but a fraction of what NNK was able to achieve a year ago.

The trends we’ve seen since NNK’s limited-release do not bode well for its future, as it has been steadily declining in both downloads and revenue ever since the initial explosive launch. The revenue contribution from the global launch has barely registered as a blip, and it is highly unlikely that NNK would be able to reach the same heights as before. A possible saving light could have been China, since anime-themed games are hugely popular there, but Netmarble may have shot themselves in the foot by excluding China as a release territory due to the blockchain components of the game conflicting with China’s ban on cryptocurrency.

#2: Delving Into Google’s Mobile Insights Report

Google for Games has released the first of its series of reports designed to help developers create, launch, and grow their games. The first report, titled 2022 Mobile Insights, surveyed around 23,000 players across APAC, EMEA, North America, Brazil, and Mexico, who were 18 and older and primarily played games on mobile devices. One thing that was not made clear was whether Google performed the survey on both mobile platforms or it targeted Android players only. With that context, let’s dig into some of the tidbits from the report!

The first interesting note is in regards to the number of games players will engage in concurrently. The report shows that most players will juggle between 2 games, with players in the two LATAM countries showing a slight preference for playing more games concurrently. Players in Brazil in particular show the highest interest, playing 3-4 games at the same time.

Next, a question on the importance of localization shows that players in Brazil expect localized content — something to be aware of if you are targeting this upcoming market. Conversely, players in North America and EMEA are less concerned about this issue, which makes sense because the majority of games are available in English, and in the case of EMEA, the prevalence of English as a second language.

When asked about the types of features that they’re interested in, players in APAC, EMEA, and North America were most interested in diverse character options, gameplay variety, and recognition of competitive or strategic play. This contrasts with players in Brazil and Mexico, who were very interested in games that are playable on low-end devices. The concern on installation size was also prevalent across all regions, with 28% of respondents wanting to see games take up less space.

Almost all regions highlighted having diverse characters and stories as something they valued greatly, with 60-70% of respondents finding it important. In North America however, players seem to place less importance on diversity. Interestingly, there is a clear gender divide (as seen in the survey responses below), with male respondents valuing diversity more than female players. With no other data available, we can’t make a definitive conclusion as to why this gender disparity exists, but it could perhaps be related to the types of games that males and females play in North America. According to a survey by YouGov, females in the US skewed heavily towards puzzle and word games. The top puzzle games by downloads for Q1 in the US were Wordle!, Wordscapes, Candy Crush Saga, and Wordscapes Search, all of which are more popular among female players and don’t feature any characters or narrative.

The final insight we’ll cover is regarding the sorts of items players spend their money on. The chart below shows the top 5 areas of spend, and there’s a clear distinction in preference between EMEA and North American players on the one hand, who spend the most on power-ups, and APAC players on the other hand, who spend on character and item customizations. Spending on customizations was also quite popular in Brazil and Mexico but does not appear in the top 5 in either EMEA or North America.

If the data presented above has piqued your interest, I highly recommended reading Google’s report, as it includes a lot of information that could be of interest to you. Happy reading!

Game Launch Radar

#1: Kingdom Maker

• Publisher: Scopely
• State: Launch
• Territories: Global
• Classification: Midcore - Strategy - Build & Battle

• Quick thoughts:

  • The base gameplay is typical 4X, where you build up your city and create troops to attack others. There is an additional dynastic element of gameplay akin to a light version of Crusader Kings 3, where you have to maintain the noble family by creating heirs and organizing marriages.
  • The FTUE has an interesting feature of letting players choose what they want to learn next. For example, I was given a choice of building my castle, killing orcs, or making a baby. Upon selecting an option, you’d be led onto that FTUE path. This is a good method of making the FTUE more digestible and interesting, the industry standard so often being just an endless tap fest.

#2:  Offroad Unchained

• Publisher: Red Bull
• State: Launch
• Territories: Global
• Classification: Sports & Driving - Driving - Arcade Driving

• Quick thoughts:

  • Gameplay is 4-player real-time PVP racing, with the player only required to steer the vehicles via dragging. Levels feature ramps, drift zones, and collectible nitrous boosts that ensure racing is fast and frantic. There also seems to be some rubber-banding in play, as I managed to catch up and finish 2nd even after a major crash that should have left me in last place.
  • Offroad Unchained is the latest in a series of “Unchained” racing games released by Red Bull. Its predecessor Dirt Bike Unchained won Pocket Gamer’s Best Racing Game in 2021.

Other Game Announcements

• In a game and music industry first, Space Ape’s Beatstar has revealed a new single by the Black Eyed Peas, David Guetta, and Shakira ahead of its global release. Link
• Diablo Immortal has earned $24 million in its first two weeks. Link
• The Sims Freeplay announce a collaboration with Lego Dots. Link
• In an exclusive reveal to Free Fire Mania, Garena shows off a new logo and brand identity for Free Fire. Link
• Diablo Immortal’s Chinese social media account on Weibo has been banned from creating new posts just days prior to release. Link
• Level Infinite announces the global launch of its eastern-mythology-inspired RPG, Chimeraland. Link
• Nexon announces a collaboration with popular vocaloid idol Hatsune Miku in its RPG, Blue Archive. Link

Company Announcements

• Google’s HTML5 game platform Gamesnacks has acquired over 35 million users. Link
• King acquires Swedish AI firm Peltarion. Link
• Turkish startup Cypher Games wants to take on Merge Mansion and Coin Master. Link
• ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, shuts down its game studio, 101 Studios, which it acquired in 2019. Link
• Riot Games promotes Michael Sherman as Global Head of Esports for Teamfight Tactics, Legends of Runeterra, and the upcoming Project L. Link
• Tencent’s annual conference, Spark 2022, will be held on June 27th. Link
• Nexon eyes a western expansion of its most popular franchises by crossing over into film and TV. Link

Ecosystem Announcements

• A report from UNI Global Union shows that 79% of games industry workers support unionization. Link
• Wargaming opens new studios in Poland and Serbia. Link
• A survey from adtech company Bango reveals that 27% of app developers expect to shut down due to the changes in app privacy. Link
• Jordanian developer and publisher Tamatem Games announces an investment by global VC firm MSA Novo. Link
• Odeeo, an audio advertising platform for mobile games, has raised $9 million in a seed funding round. Link
• Sensor Tower reports that Netflix games have been downloaded 13 million times, with the most popular being Stranger Things: 1984. Link
• Apple’s ATT policy is being investigated by Germany’s Cartel Office. Link
• A McKinsey & Company report predicts the metaverse will drive $5 trillion in spending by 2030. Link

Content Worth Consuming

• 5-Year Market Forecast: App Spending Will Reach $233 Billion by 2026 (Sensor Tower): “Although mobile games will continue to reign as the single highest grossing category, non-game apps will collectively outpace its revenue share by 2026—at least on Apple’s App Store. By 2026, mobile games will represent 43 percent of revenue share on that marketplace, down 23 points from 2020. On Google Play, mobile games will also see a downward trend over the next five years; however, it will maintain its majority revenue share with 65 percent in 2026, down 18 points from 2020.“ Link
• Up Your Game: Growth Guide for Gaming Apps (Pushwoosh): “According to our data, high app engagement metrics (DAU, MAU, and stickiness rate) correlate with high messaging performance (opt-in rates, CTRs, and User CTRs), as well as with high App Growth rates. This emphasizes the importance of user activity and the positive impact that elaborate communications have on it.” Link
• Getting Growth Right: The Future of Games Industry Acquisitions and Consolidation (GamesIndustry.biz): “To make this multiple location approach work, you have to think about investing in people and potential, rather than locations. We've chosen to establish teams in places like Pune because of the local talent there, and what was coming, rather than what was already in place. As globalisation and consolidation continue, that starting point of investing in people will only become more important and valuable.” Link
• Panel on Ads in Mobile Games (Elite Game Developers): “This recording is from a panel I did last week with Jan Pollack from Wooga, Ross Brockman from Google, and Christian Facey from Audiomob, where we talked about ads in mobile games and how things have been changing in the recent years. Topics that we cover include the privacy changes on mobile, what kind ofC optimally approach ad monetization.” Link
• Chinese Interactive Story Games – The Unicorn of the Subgenres (GameRefinery): “What makes Chinese interactive story games different from the Western ones is their use of hybrid gameplay elements in the core gameplay alongside the main story. In Day and Night (光与夜之恋), players have to clear special PvE levels in between the storyline segments. These special levels involve players fighting and having to burst “bubbles” with the player’s characters to collect a required amount of jigsaw puzzle pieces inside of them to pass the level, as well as a rhythm game where the player needs to pass in order to progress in the storyline.” Link