The following analysis of mobile games marketing trends for August 2024 is based on advertising data from AppGrowing across 50 countries and regions, and 28 global media platforms. In August 2024, the top three categories for mobile game advertising remained consistent: Casual, Casino, and Puzzle. Casino saw continued growth in new launches, with its share of new apps nearly reaching 40%, making it the highest-ranking category for the month. The top three categories in terms of ad volume were Casual, Puzzle, and RPG, reflecting a stable market structure similar to July.However, ad spend across all categories saw a month-on-month decline in August. In terms of creative content, video remained the dominant format, though its share slightly decreased to 79.11%. Most […]

Recently, a fishing game called Fishing Master soared to the top of the free games chart on the U.S. iOS App Store.  The publisher, Ark Game Limited, links this game to another fishing game that went viral in China a few months ago—欢乐钓鱼大师. It turns out that these two are indeed the same game. According to the loading screen of 欢乐钓鱼大师, the software copyright belongs to a company called 在线途游（北京）科技有限公司(Tuyoo Games).  When visiting the Ark Game Limited website, you can see that it shares the same website icon as the official website of Tuyoo Games, suggesting that Ark Game Limited is a publishing account under Tuyoo Games. 欢乐钓鱼大师 might still be fresh in many Chinese players’ memories. Besides breaking into […]

The following analysis by AppGrowing is based on advertising data from 50 countries/regions and 28 global media platforms. It examines the characteristics of overseas mobile app advertising in July 2024. In July 2024, the top three app categories with the highest percentage of advertising overseas were Shopping, Finance, and Tools. The top three new app categories were Business, Food & Drink, and Education.  Compared to June, the overall percentage of new apps being advertised in each category has declined, indicating that market competition is stabilizing in the short term and developers are acting more cautiously. Regarding ad volume, the Shopping category continued to lead significantly, with over 2.5 million ads and more than 1 million unique creative materials, maintaining the […]

The following analysis of mobile games marketing trends for July 2024 is based on advertising data from AppGrowing across 50 countries and regions, and 28 global media platforms. In the ranking of app categories for overseas mobile game advertising in July 2024, the top three categories remain casual, puzzle, and casino. Although casino games have fallen to third place in terms of ad spend, they still represent the largest percentage of new apps launched that month. In terms of ad volume, the top three categories are casual, puzzle, and role-playing, consistent with June's distribution. Looking at the number of unique creative assets, the role-playing and strategy categories have a significant share, indicating a strong demand for advertising in these mainstream, […]

The recent surge in the popularity of mini-games worldwide can largely be attributed to the success of Legend of Mushroom. According to diandian data, in the first half of this year alone, 17 successful mini-games generated over $470 million in revenue (Excluding the Chinese Mainland Market), with Legend of Mushroom alone accounting for $387 million. 4399's overseas business has significantly benefited from Legend of Mushroom. Sensor Tower data indicates that following the game's release, 4399's ranking on the global revenue chart for Chinese mobile game publishers soared, reaching a peak position of sixth. At one point, Legend of Mushroom contributed more than 85% of 4399's overseas income. Capitalizing on this momentum, 4399's publishing brand, Joy Net Games, launched two new […]

In H1 2024, the global mobile game advertising market continued to show signs of recovery. Over 6,000 new mobile games launched advertising campaigns in the second quarter, marking a significant increase from the first quarter. However, if we look back at the data from 2023, it is evident that since Q4 2023, there has been a steady decline in ad volume in the global mobile gaming market. Game developers are adopting a more cautious approach to user acquisition through advertising, reflecting the increasing competition in the international mobile game advertising arena. Despite this, as advertising has become a standard method for acquiring users, game companies still place significant emphasis on marketing. Meanwhile, Chinese developers remain actively engaged in overseas markets, […]

This year, discussing mobile game inevitably includes the topic of mini-games. Thanks to the outstanding performance of the mini-game "BangBang Survivor" (Chinese name: 向僵尸开炮), SP-Game has become a notable player in the game market. Recently, SP-Game has taken new actions in the Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan regions. On July 11, they launched "見習狩獵家" which has achieved impressive market results, reaching as high as 3rd place on the Hong Kong iOS game sales ranking, and 4th in Taiwan and Macau. Instead of adopting mainstream fantasy or the highly competitive wuxia themes, "見習狩獵家" opts for a unique primitive tribal theme. To enhance its thematic appeal, "見習狩獵家" integrates pet-raising elements and introduces dragons, a fantasy creature with global influence, amplifying the game's […]

In April 2024, the global app advertising landscape saw a consistent focus on Shopping, Tool, and Finance apps, with a notable shift towards Entertainment apps in terms of new launches. According to AppGrowing's analysis of ad data from 50 countries/regions and 25 global media platforms, Shopping apps maintained their lead in ad volume, while Tool held the second spot. However, Entertainment apps emerged as the most active category for new app introductions. The ad creatives for non-gaming ads were predominantly under 15 seconds, highlighting the trend for concise and impactful marketing strategies. In the Top 30 Non-gaming App Developers, Chinese developers made a significant presence, with 12 out of 30 spots, largely focusing on Shopping apps. Temu secured the top […]

In the fast-paced world of mobile gaming, where user attention is a scarce resource, the art of advertising has become as crucial as the games themselves. At AppGrowing, we've been closely monitoring these trends, illuminateing the path for developers and marketers alike, and guiding them through the labyrinth of modern advertising strategies. AppGrowing's latest white paper, "Strategy and Creativity on Mobile Game Advertising 2024 Q1", distills the essence of what's working, what's new, and what's next in mobile game advertising. In this article, we'll share a glimpse into our findings and how they can empower your marketing efforts.   Click to Access the Full PDF The Hybrid Casual Revolution The hybrid casual game is emerging as a powerhouse in the […]

Throughout April, the mobile gaming market saw a continued emphasis on casual games as the mainstay for advertising efforts. Casual games remained at the forefront in terms of ad volume and the number of apps, with Puzzle games following closely behind. Both categories saw over 18% of new apps in the month. According to AppGrowing's analysis based on advertising data from 50 countries/regions and 25 global media platforms, in April, 9 Chinese developers made it to the top 30 list of mobile game developers in terms of number of ads, primarily focusing on mid/hard-core game categories. IGG and Yotta Games secured spots in the Top 5, both being leading developers in the strategy game (SLG) market. Looking at the Top […]