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The year 2022 has just begun, and new opportunities are opening up ahead. And today, we would like to discuss the foundation of 2022 and what the upcoming year has prepared – what trends news you must be aware of in the mobile videogame industry. 

• The gaming industry is growing, and mobile gaming is its fastest-growing segment. 

The video games industry has boomed in recent years due to isolation and videogame accessibility. Likewise, with the rise of cross-platform games, mobile games, streaming game services, etc., people do not need to put too much energy into tracking console sales and videogames as in the past. Therefore, access to the videogames is easier attained and distributed, pushing the popularity and revenue. As a result, in 2021, the gaming industry overcame the gain of such monsters as movies and North American sports combined. Furthermore, in 2022 it is expected to grow even more, with mobile gaming in the lead. As a result, the worldwide mobile gaming expectations forecast the mobile game increase to a staggering $100 billion.

• Brand strengthening with the help of crossplay

Crossplay is the capacity for players to use various video game hardware to play simultaneously.

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The development of software with crossplay requires higher costs. But in 2022, it is a must for game developers who strive to be ahead of competitors. That is why such large PC and console developers are trying hard to enter the mobile market: starting with the same Epic Games with Fortnite and ending with Pokémon Unite. Call of Duty is one of those franchises that has successfully spread to mobile platforms. 

• IDFA has a critical impact on mobile gaming, and developers are looking for possibilities to coexist with it.

IDFA (The Identifier for Advertisers) is an assigned unique number of each Apple device. Historically, IDFA has been one of the pillars of mobile marketing — but everything changed when Apple announced iOS 14 updates. Previously, developers could use it by default, but getting users’ permission to use the data is necessary. 

The new rules have been applied since the spring of 2021. And it is already noticeable how this has complicated the purchase of traffic on iOS—having a long-term impact on revenue and growth.

Although this is not the first time there have been significant shakeups in the mobile advertising ecosystem, this one was especially significant. Because studios rely on the expected effectiveness of advertising to manage business and growth plans, this process has become much less predictable.

Push notification appears as a text message that can help engage your audience when used correctly. It can enable you to communicate with users and remind them of the app’s existence when they’re not even using the application. However, push notifications must be created carefully to avoid being mute. So, let’s discuss why they are blocked and how to send information without getting turned off. 

User attitude to push notifications

The opinions about notifications are split. The majority of app users indeed are annoyed by push notifications. Fifty-two percent state that reminders are bothersome and distracting. However, 26 percent of app users are grateful for alerts related to their interests. Another 20% of users appreciate notifications that enhance productivity by informing important data and timely information. Therefore, many have a positive attitude to notifications. However, 52% is too large of a number to ignore.

Why do people mute notifications

The reason is apparent, too many push notifications that app users receive after downloading the app. Is it wrong to send many messages? Yes and no. There are times when sending many notifications can benefit the app. There are times when it can play a bad joke. It all depends on the strategy and the industry. Let’s discuss it in more detail about strategy. 

So, there are two approaches concerning App notification strategy: short-term and long-term. Both have their cons and pros.

• Short-term push notification strategy

Short-term strategy pursues a goal to achieve results as fast as possible, and mainly it concerns sales. This strategy is acceptable if you plan to launch the app for a month and delete or close it after. Therefore, you can send notifications as often as you want or can. Then, even if half of the users mute the notifications, you can likely make up for the losses with a share volume. However, once again, for the short-term, it will work. After, the user or mutes all of the notifications or delete the app.

And on top of that, users will be less likely to accept notices in the future from other apps. So is it a high price to pay? All decide by themselves. We cannot judge on this matter. 

• Long-term push notification strateg

Long-term strategy pursues a goal to achieve results with time and constant growth. This strategy is acceptable if you plan on the app’s continued development and you have a great service to share. Therefore, the best is to engage and satisfy users’ needs with your app and minimize the unfavorable actions. This strategy requires more time to re-evaluate how often to send notifications and the content of the messages. In this case, the industry plays a significant role. For example, it makes sense that users don’t want to be notified about travel deals daily or weekly if they’re only taking one or two vacations all year. In this case, it’s better to inform the users with valuable information like a discount for a flight they looked at before. As for social media, not everyone enjoys their phone buzzing every time a picture gets commented on or liked. So, think about what people want to hear from you, how often they need the messages. It enhances the user experience with your company and causes more minor damage to the app.

How to minimize the percentage of mute

Not all push notifications are bothersome. On the contrary, some users still find them helpful and valuable. To achieve this, here are the most common characteristics that help notifications not be perceived as annoying:

• Not sent very often

How many notifications per week is considered normal? Depending on your industry, the numbers will vary slightly. However, on average, sending two or more push notifications in a week can cause 37 percent of users to mute your app. Therefore, sending one message weekly for a lower opt-out rate is better. But with that said, people are still disabling notifications if you send a little less than that. So be selective, and read forward.

• Personalized

Studies show that personalized offers are the number one push notification type that app users want to receive. Therefore, it will be ineffective to send a mass message to all the users promoting a specific product, event, etc. It is like speaking to an actual customer. Before selling, it would be best to think about a user’s personality, interests, hobbies, and location. For example, your app is international and is in the sports industry. You are sponsoring a sports charity event in southern California. If you send notifications about this even to all users worldwide, people who live not in the USA most likely will not be interested. Even people who live in the USA, but not precisely in southern California, will be distracted and annoyed. Instead, send that push notification to users who live within reasonable walking or driving distance to the event. Let’s take another example; you have an eCommerce store app. It’s better not to send discount notifications about skirts and dresses to male users. But something more personal, like a discount on a product that the user was interested in or had purchased before. If it is not personal, it is probably irrelevant, consequently – annoying. Thus, that’s the fastest way to get users to mute your app notifications. Therefore, to avoid being disabled, try to think twice about the content that would grab the user’s attention or help him somehow. 

• Have immediate value

Users won’t disable push notifications if they add immediate value. Some apps send necessary and timely messages based on the app’s functionality. For example, food delivery or transportation apps like Uber. If the delivery or car is in 15 minutes wait, most users won’t be waiting on the phone tracking the GPS location of their driver. That’s when apps push notifications to come in handy. By sending a notification to the user that the car has arrived, you make their life easier and add immediate value. 

How To Recover the Delivery of Push Notifications 

We know by our experience that sometimes push notifications are not delivered as we would love to. There may be various reasons for that, and most of them we mentioned in the article “Why your app push notification may be undelivered.” So today, let’s discuss ways to work around them. 

• Omni-device Engagement

From the start, marketers have two possibilities: 

1. Sending push notifications to all active devices
2. Sending push notifications to the last device that a user used to interact with an app

And by choosing the second option, your App reach increases instantly by 10% of deliverability and engagement.

Why is it so? A user usually interacts with a brand through multiple devices. An app holder carries up to 6 to 7 connected devices, including smartphones, laptops, tablets, and TV. Therefore, if a push notification appears only on one device, it would make user engagement with an app mainly ineffective. So, to reverse the situation, send push notifications across all user active devices that have the app installed. Especially it is essential for time-sensitive campaigns, for example, by sending a notification on a mobile phone during office hours and sending it on a tablet during break hours. It will increase its delivery and engagement rates.

• Push Amplification

Push amplification identifies the notification delivery failure, acts as a backup, and delivers the notifications directly to App Users. How does it work? Push Amplification assigns a personal ID number to each device that after is used as an alternative delivery gateway. Therefore, it is proven to improve delivery rates by 50%, especially for most Chinese devices. Not to mention that such metrics as CTRs, retention, conversion are also enhanced.

• Huawei 

Most Chinese companies run Stock Android using custom UIs. Hence, they have their own system of notification based on custom ROMs rather than Google’s push notifications. And recently, Huawei, which also used custom methods of a push notification, has released a new version of the Operating System – Harmoney. The issue is that old devices continue to run notifications on Android, which further challenges businesses that are trying to reach users in Harmony. An Insider is the first mobile marketing platform that solves the issue on the Huawei OS. It enables marketers to send push notifications to all the new Huawei smartphones that run on Harmony OS.

• 3rd Party Push Services

It is a known fact that delivery rates on Chinese smartphones are as low as 20%. Because most Chinese devices reduce the background apps usage for battery life optimization, preventing sending push notifications to Users. Some Chinese OEMs have a standalone service that sends new messages from the cloud to a device in real-time, improving user engagement and awareness. These services include Huawei Push Services and Xiaomi Push Services. 

• Batch Campaign Delivery

Companies must cut above the noise in today’s competitive marketing landscape and connect with customers in meaningful ways. To do this, marketers need to think out-of-the-box. To reinvent the processes in which they communicate and engage with App users. 

There are a variety of channels to maximize app user engagement: SMS, email, in-app, web push notifications. Of all these, mobile push notifications are ranked among the most favored channels as they have multiple benefits for brands growth:

• Results in CTR of up to 40%
• Highly contextual to users
• Cost-effective
• Works in any niche

However, when speaking about a delivery, many face issues as not all mobile push notifications you create reach your target audience. These are primarily due to OEM restrictions, network problems, and other reasons that affect devices to cut off GCM service.

Circumstances That Affect Push Notification Delivery

Marketers must ensure that push notifications have a great delivery rate. Otherwise, ads have no benefit to anyone if it doesn’t reach the end recipient.  

Let’s discuss the most common reasons why some notifications that are successfully sent to GCM may be not delivered to every User:

1. Notification Opt-out. One of the obvious and common reasons your push notifications go undelivered is that some app users have opted out to receive this kind of content. 

2. User Activity in the app. There is no direct rule for user activity and push notification delivery. However, we noticed that users that do not use their app for more than three weeks tend not to receive push notifications. So, the more lately the app is used, the bigger the chances of reaching the Users through notifications.

3. Network Connectivity. Push notifications are under the impact of network latency. The lower it is, the higher push delivery rates. For example, mobile phones connected to 4G and Wifi have higher push delivery rates, while users on 2G or 3G are disconnected from push notification services more often. The reason is that the notification expires before reaching the Users device.

4. OS Version. Some users who use an old version of a smartphone are running on an outdated Operating System version. These include Android OS versions like Kitkat, Lollipop, and Jellybean, reporting a reduced delivery rate. In addition, due to Google’s new OS updates, Oreo also has a low delivery rate due to high battery optimization.

5. Notification Send Time Time plays an essential function in the deliverability of push notifications. When there is no connection to the Internet, GCM/FCM cannot send push notifications to Users’ devices. By the time the device restores connection, GCM can be timed-out. Consequently, the notifications are undelivered if a device is out of network in the set send time.

Each Android update introduces changes that bring essential security and performance enhancements and overall improve the user experience with Google Play. Today, we highlighted new guidelines of 2021 that are coming and important to know. Of course, it doesn’t necessarily mean you ought to take advantage of each one, but it does mean that you may have to make some adjustments in your App.

Version compliance to the new version API level 30

Google Play strives for quality and security. So it’s no surprise that the platform allows uploading apps or updating them only if they meet the most current tools and technologies. Therefore, since November 2021, please be prepared that your App should target the more current API version: in this case, it’s API level 30 or to meet behavioral changes in Android 11. By doing so, the platform is sure that you are not using deprecated technologies that have security vulnerabilities for a user. Hence, in the case of ASO, you have a greater chance of being promoted to higher positions when your App meets these criteria. Therefore we recommend updating your existing applications as well. In case if you are not planning to do so, your App in Google Play may still continue being present on the platform.

A New App set I.D. 

Apple and Google are not standing still. Stores are constantly improving their platforms and terms of use to ease the life of both and User and App owner. These notable changes that fluctuate the products standing are updated yearly. And to keep your application on top charts, it is essential to incorporate Apple App Store and Google Play with these latest guidelines. In the following, we will cover the most notable updates of 2021 and discuss forthcoming changes in the App Store that will take effect soon.

Apple App Store Guidelines 2021

Perhaps you’re familiar with the battle between Apple and Netflix or Fortnite Developer? Both struggled with subscription payments outside the App Store. After many trials, Apple finally allowed “reader apps” to process payments outside of iTunes Connect. Some of the more critical updates we’ll be seeing are as follows.

Developer transparency

To secure the User from fraud or dishonest behavior, AppStore has implemented new transparency regulations. 

Top Hyper-Casual Trends in 2021

Hyper-casual was a knockout game genre in 2020. With most of the world being on lockdown in a global pandemic, it was mobile gaming’s time to shine. And hyper-casual mobile games proved to be a leading category.

Hyper-casual games are lightweight games with simple mechanics, making them easy games to produce. They don’t take up a lot of space on your phone and they can easily bring in a profit through ad revenue. So they were the perfect timber to catch fire when the whole world was confined to their phones for a year. 

But as we all know, technology is rapidly changing, and the mobile gaming industry is no different. We talked about the top mobile gaming trends of 2020 in this article here, but we’re going to take this article to focus on the trends that we’ve seen or may see this year within the genre of hyper-casual mobile games. 

Trends of 2021

IDFA Changes Will Impact the Industry

If you’re unfamiliar with these changes, basically, iOS 14 will have a new privacy feature that would require consumers to opt-in for permission to be tracked. Those who do not opt-in will no longer be targeted by advertisements that use the Identifier for Advertisers, IDFA. This has left mobile marketers unsure of how targeted advertising will be affected. 

Since the changes haven’t happened yet, only speculation has occurred as to how the changes will impact the industry but it has become a thought on every mobile marketers mind. Many are saying they will suffer revenue losses and we will see a reduction in mobile ad spend. 

These changes are likely to affect CPMs, which are generally based on the ability to target your audience. With it possibly being harder to target your audience, games that use an ad-monetization model could definitely see their CPM drop as well as the cost of user acquisition.

What this will mean for the genre as a whole and the changes we will see from it are unclear yet, but one thing is certain, the IDFA changes will change something in the industry. It won’t wreck the industry completely, but it might change the games we see being put out as more attention will be focused on user acquisition.

We’ll See More Genre-Bending 

The longer that mobile games are around, the more the lines between the genres blurs as genres pull from each other and we see more hybrid genres. Hyper-casualization is something many games can adopt, and people are starting to take notice.

Games that traditionally are more mid-core or have more complex mechanics are releasing hyper-casual versions, and we’re likely to see more of it as more games realize they can apply hyper-casual mechanics to already popular games. The core design of hyper-casual games can actually work well with traditional metagame design principles, and we’re likely to see these bigger gaming worlds adopt the core design of hyper-casual games.  

Along with games adopting more hyper-casual characteristics, we’re also seeing hyper-casual games shift on the spectrum and adopt more casual or mid-core game characteristics. In this new subgenre, we see games that mimic the gameplay of hyper-casual games, but adopt heavier elements from casual or mid-core games, combining things like strategy or skill-based gameplay with the easy-to-play hyper-casual model.

In general, we are going to start seeing less of one solid genre, and more genre-bending as the hyper-casual genre becomes more saturated with games, leaving new games to branch out if they want to provide a unique gameplay experience. Hyper-casual games may not be the most complicated genre of games, but the model itself has been proven to be successful, so we’re likely to see more hyper-casual game elements in more complex games as well. 

IP-based Games Go Hyper-Casual

IP-based games are a favorite. They usually come with a loving, established fanbase, making for good profits and brand visibility. But we haven’t really seen many hyper-casual games backed by third-party IPs. But that is likely to change soon due to a few factors, including the genre-bending we mentioned earlier.

 When it comes to games based on intellectual property, we mostly see more complex elements and gameplay. But as we mentioned above, hyper-casualization is hitting the market and going forward we’re likely to see more IPs entering the hyper-casual market and test the waters with more simple gameplay.

This move could easily prove fruitful for many IP games, as introducing a more hyper-casual format could allow them to branch out and widen their base. It could also help them break into different niche gaming markets by utilizing a less casual model. 

Whether widening their audience or breaking into new markets, IP-based brands can utilize a more hyper-casual gaming format to increase brand awareness and loyalty, as well as sales could potentially be boosted. These brands have the opportunity to improve their overall brand and sales due to this rising genre.

More Visually Unique and Stunning Games 

As far as what it takes to develop a game, hyper-casual games tend to be the easiest as their gameplay is relatively simple and there aren’t as many complex elements to the game or it’s design. But as the genre becomes more and more saturated, games will need to stand out and since gameplay is restricted to a more simple model, visuals is where the games will have to make their mark. 

We’re likely to see games with strange concepts or really unique visuals coming out as a way to stand out in the already full genre. Developers will be looking for the next unique concept and while doing that, we may see quirky games with unique visuals become the new norm.

We may also see more realistic-looking games, as publishers attempt to distance themselves from the poor quality that many free hyper-casual games have. On the flip side, we may also see games with unique or niche design concepts popping up as the only way to get your game to be relevant will be to stand out amongst your peers by being nothing like them.

Criticism of Hyper-casual Games 

As far as trends go, we tend to think of them as positive. But there are some downsides to trends. As you may know, trends usually have a time limit. Here one day and gone the next, and we don’t think hypercasual is an exception to this. Much of the internet agrees, which is why one trend we’ve seen in 2021 is  the criticism of hyper-casual games and the model itself.

Hyper-casual games have undeniably made a huge impact on the gaming industry. In just the last year alone we’ve seen a huge rise in articles about the genre, and we’ve seen more and more content reviewing this game genre. That being said, many criticize hyper-casual games for their lack of staying power, their inability to stay relevant on the market in the long-term. So let’s take a look at why some people don’t think that the genre will be able to sustain itself in the long-term.

1. Surplus of games

There are already so many games on the market, and more come out every day. Hyper-casual games are relatively easy and fast to develop and so we’re seeing a large volume being put out rapidly, and at some point we will hit a point where there are already so many games that have been released that there will be a surplus of hyper-casual games. We already see this within the genre as many games are just like games that already exist.

As we’ll discuss later, many games also don’t spend too long at the top before a new game is released that takes over. Because of this, publishers just try to put out new games that get attention, rather than trying to keep older games relevant. Both factors lead to a high volume of hyper-casual games flooding the market, causing an abundance and even a surplus.

1. Low Long-term Engagement

One major criticism of the hyper-casual genre is its low lifetime value (LTV). One thing hyper-casual games do really well is get you playing quickly – many of them don’t require a tutorial, and you only need a few minutes of downtime to start playing the game. They aren’t complex, making them easy to play and make money off of ad revenue. But because of these elements, the games quickly lose their appeal. You can play the game a few times and it becomes a good distraction, but it doesn’t make you want to play it for months on end. 

This is perfectly demonstrated by the life cycle of the best hyper-casual games. They spend a few weeks at the top, and then they disappear. As soon as the hype dies down, engagement drops. Hyper-casual games’ inability to get the user to play for longer periods makes people wonder just how long hyper-casual games can actually stay relevant.

1. Low Entry Barriers

Creating a hyper-casual game is relatively easy and we’ve seen an influx of publishers in this genre recently, which made competition fierce and contributed to the rapid growth of the genre. But now publishers must compete for developers on the basis of revenue share and as more and more games are released, it may prove not worth it to develop a hyper-casual game.

So while low entry barriers helped this genre take off, we may see it become detrimental to the genre by making it not profitable to create a hyper-casual game in the future.

1. Constant Cycle of New Games

Like shooting stars, as quickly as a hyper-casual game gets to the top, as quickly as it disappears. New games constantly push out the old games, and the cycle is quick. Most games can only spend a few weeks at the top before a new game takes over. While this leads to an exciting frenzy, and as a user you have new shiny toys every week, it doesn’t bode well for the games themselves as they get squeezed out by new players. Your game is only successful for a short amount of time, instead of having long-term staying power. 

So where does this leave the genre? Well it’s never going to go away. Its mark on the gaming world is undeniable. The core mechanics of hyper-casual games are inspiring in the way they’re able to catch users attention and reward them enough to keep playing. But we can’t ignore the criticisms of the genre and seeing all the content recently discussing it’s pitfalls, it’s clear that we’re coming to a turning point in the hyper-casual genre where we’re likely to see the direction of the market pivot soon. 

And it’s likely that the direction we’ll see hyper-casual games go in will correlate highly with the trend of genre-bending that we mentioned earlier in the article. With such a short LTV, most hyper-casual games can only make so much money. The real money when it comes to this genre is going to come from being able to take hyper-casual games and improve their long-term engagement. If you find a way to take your hyper-casual game and make it a part of something bigger, you’re probably going to find better long-term revenue.

Hyper-casual games have come a long way and being a relatively new genre, we have yet to see their full potential for growth. We may not know where exactly the genre is headed next despite some clues and educated guessing, but one thing is for certain, the genre is here to stay. We’ll just have to wait to see where this genre goes next, but we just might be nearing the end of the hyper-casual gold rush.

What does it take to create a successful mid-core game in 2021?

(What is a mid-core game, its characteristics, development trends, top performers and how the genre feels now)

You’ve heard of hardcore games like Doom, casual games like Candy Crush, and even hyper-casual games, which have become more popular in recent years. But what about mid-core games, the elusive genre that falls somewhere in between casual and hardcore? Maybe you’ll be surprised to hear that some of the most profitable games fall under this category, which is why understanding what makes a successful mid-core game could help you on your own game development journey. 

So what IS a mid-core game exactly? Well, that’s the thing, there isn’t really an exact definition, but the essence is that is falls somewhere on the spectrum between casual and hardcore. This means that really, we can identify it by what it is not. Casual games are just that – casual. They allow you to sit and play for a little while without needing a long tutorial, they’re relatively easy to play, and you can usually play for however long you would like – whether that be 5 minutes or 5 hours. Hardcore games usually require a high level of skill to play, and these skills range from strategy to hand-eye coordination, and they usually require the user to allocate time to play them. You can’t just play a hardcore game for 5 minutes, you’re going to need a few hours.

Mid-core games combine elements of both, thus why they can be so hard to define because some games fall closer on the spectrum to casual or hardcore, but still include elements of the other. Mid-core games usually require a higher skill level than casual games, but are not as demanding as hardcore games. This allows them to be more of a challenge for people who usually only play casual games, but not too hard that they feel discouraged and quit playing. This also allows them to be challenging enough for hardcore gamers to provide them with and enjoyable gaming experience. It’s the best of both worlds, really. Oftentimes it’s suggested that the target market for mid-core games are people who enjoyed playing games when they were younger, but now lack the time to play time-heavy hardcore games.

Whatever the case, people love mid-core games. So let’s take a look at some of the main characteristics of mid-core games that set them apart from the other two categories and make them so enjoyable to play.

Easy to Download and Operate

Mid-core games should be easy to download, install, and run and shouldn’t take up too much 

space on the device they’re downloaded to. You shouldn’t need an elaborate tutorial in order to start playing the game, and you shouldn’t need to purchase special equipment in order to play the game. All you need should be a device that you probably already own like a phone or computer, and if it’s on the computer, it shouldn’t require complicated actions to play it, either just the mouse or a few keys on the keyboard. Basically, there shouldn’t be too much in the way of you playing the game, it should be as easily accessible. 

Minimal Hand-Eye Coordination and Reflexes Needed

Mid-core games are different from hardcore games in that they are more inclusive, and they do this by not requiring amazing hand-eye coordination or reflexes to play. That doesn’t mean you won’t need those skills at all, but you won’t need expert skills to enjoy some good game play. 

Easy to Learn, Progresses Incrementally

As stated previously, there shouldn’t be a complicated tutorial necessary to play the game, the user should be able to pick up how to play relatively quickly, adding skills as they go. A good game will allow the user to pick up the necessary skills as they play the game and get more experience so that they progress as the game does. 

Should Not Be Too High-Stakes

High-stakes games usually require a longer play time and more knowledge and skill necessary in order to beat the game. They can be fun of course, but are usually time-intensive and less attractive to those who aren’t skilled at playing games. There are a few factors that affect the stakes, this means:

• Mistakes made early in game don’t affect you later

Players shouldn’t unknowingly make a mistake and then continue to play and find out several levels and hours later that you failed due to one mistake made at the beginning of game play. It’s too complicated and much too like a hardcore game. It also doesn’t respect the player’s time, which is imperative when playing a mid-core game. You will not keep more casual users if they must constantly play with the fear that a mistake now will cost them later. Users want to have fun.

• Death or failure does not make you lose too much progress

Its normal to die or fail a level after making too many mistakes, but if dying or failing in the game is too costly, it’s going to cost you users. Death or failure shouldn’t mean too much lost progress.

• You don’t have to play the game through several times to learn how to win

Games that require you to play and lose the game multiple times before winning don’t necessarily appeal to more casual players, and you won’t be able to keep them this way. The game should be easily playable from the first playthrough, and should be enjoyable for the user.

Shorter Play Sessions

Of course, you want players to play your game for long periods of time, but having exclusively long play sessions means that users need to block out time to play the game, and for users that don’t have a lot of time, that is simply not an option. Mid-core games should allow the players to play in short bursts so that they can play the game during breaks or downtime. Shorter play sessions can be achieved with the help of the next point.

Frequent Save Spots

What will allow shorter play sessions is frequent save spots. This also cuts out a problem we talked about earlier, if death or failure makes players lose a lot of progress. Frequent save spots allow players to fail often without losing their overall progress in the game, as well as it allows them to leave the game and return later. 

Clear, Overarching Goal with Sub-Goals

One of the things that will capture and keep the attention of a player is having a main goal that they will accomplish by completing the game. But the issue with that then is if that goal is too hard to complete, they won’t want to finish. Which is why having smaller sub-goals that, by accomplishing them, show progress toward the final goal, will keep players’ attention long term. 

These are not the only things that make up mid-core games, but they are the main, defining elements. Simply put, midcore games offer many of the elements of hardcore games, in a more casual way, allowing you to deeply engage in the gaming experience, but not need to immerse yourself in the gaming world to do so. 

Development Trends

Mid-core games have been around for a while now, but regarding how they’ve developed, it’s mostly been with the times. As certain genres of games get more popular, like MMORPGs and augmented reality games, those kinds of mid-core games tend to pop up and dominate the scene for a while. The great thing about mid-core games is that they will probably stand the test of time, as they appeal to such a wide audience and are such a broad genre. With the advancement of technology, we’re likely to see mid-core games with better narratives, better graphics, and more online playing options. 

The biggest development in mid-core gaming trends is that for years, many mid-core games needed to be purchased, or a subscription to play needed to be purchased. But Fortnite burst onto the scene in 2018 and was free-to-play, giving anyone who wanted to join the ability to play and changing the way mid-core games monetize. Now, monetization schemes tend toward the free-to-play (F2P) model, raking in money from in-game purchases, in-game ads, and reward monetization. 

Monetization Scheme Tips

If you weren’t aware, most gaming apps currently with the highest revenue can be considered mid-core games. It’s a highly lucrative gaming genre. Mid-core games that need to be purchased, or need a subscription in order to play are not bad monetization schemes, but they are harder to sell to people if the game doesn’t have an already established user base. Which is why the F2P model became such a popular model for mid-core games, as you can build your audience by allowing them to play for free and getting them hooked, then allowing them to make their gaming experience better by spending money or watching an advertisement.

We touched on monetization schemes in our article “How Much Do Apps Earn From Advertising,” so check out that article for more information on the specific schemes. In this article, we’d like to give some tips on how to make your monetization scheme more successful. 

1. Avoid Pay-to-Win Schemes

The whole point of a game should be to win it off skill alone, and you will lose users if they need to pay in order to win the game or even pay to gain the skills or tools necessary to win. If they wanted winning the game to be behind a paywall, they would simply purchase a game. You can obviously offer paid ways to advance yourself in the game, but players should also be able to achieve that by playing as well, even if it means extra playing time.

1. Players Love Customization

What can really drive revenues is giving players the ability to customize their gaming experience through purchasing different things for their avatars such as costumes and weapons. This gives players the chance to enjoy the game while playing to their strengths and likes.

1. Advertisements Shouldn’t Interrupt Gameplay 

In fact, they should expedite it. If you choose in-game advertisements as your monetization scheme, they should add to the ecosystem of the game. For example, shooters and MOBAs take advantage of players’ desires to skip over timed lock-downs of the game by allowing them to view an advertisement. Your monetization model should work seamlessly with your gameplay. 

1. One Word: Microtransactions 

A game that’s free-to-play, but then ends up charging astronomical amounts for in-game purchases will quickly turn players off. It’s better to keep costs low, but efficient. Sell to players why spending that small amount is justified because it will dramatically benefit their gameplay. If you can do this, they will keep coming back to spend those few dollars here and there and it adds up.

1. Community Adds Value

In games that allow players to play in teams, oftentimes players will be willing to spend money to buy something that will benefit the team as a whole. Options like purchasing a power up for yourself, and everyone on the team getting a small power up as well. Don’t discount the power of social benefits. Players love to win as a team, and are more willing to spend for the collective benefit.

Popular Examples

To end the article, we thought we’d go over some popular examples of successful mid-core games.

Clash of Clans

Clash of Clans is a mobile strategy game where you build a village, raise a clan, and then battle other clans. The game is considered freemium, meaning it’s free to use, but you can buy things in-game to speed up the process. Clash of Clans is a great example of microtransactions. Everything is really cheap in the game until you get deeper into it, but at that point you’re already invested and don’t have a problem spending the cash. 

World of Tanks

World of Tanks is a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) where you battle mid-20th century era combat vehicles. It also ascribes to the freemium model, where you can buy things to speed up game play, but there has been criticism online that users are not necessarily interested in doing this faster, as opposed to wanting to be able to customize their tanks more. World of Tanks is an example of a game that could greatly benefit from implementing our tip about allowing customization. They have also been criticized for being pay-to-win as some tanks are considered overpowered, and you need to buy things in order to beat them.

Smashing Four

Smashing Four is both an online and mobile PvP turn-based multiplayer strategy game where you send your hero into battles for trophies and orbs that contain rewards such as hero cards and gold. You can buy in-game currency to buy things like orbs and gems, which help you in the game. Like Clash of Clans, Smashing Four utilizes microtransactions, which end up helping players strategically upgrade their heroes.

As you can see, choosing the correct monetization strategy like Clash of Clans can not only lead to improved gameplay, but also encourage players to spend more as they play more. World of Tanks is a great example of a game that has a good monetization strategy, but one that could be improved and end up making the game even more of a success. 

A successful mid-core game not only encompasses a monetization scheme that seamlessly fits into gameplay, but also brings in players from both the casual and the hardcore gaming spheres. They’re a huge market currently as they are a great jumping-off point into a deeper world of gaming for a lot of newbie gamers. A well-designed game can keep users playing for years. Clash of Clans and World of Tanks have been around since 2012 and 2010 respectively, for reference. 

And as technology and the internet advances, who knows where we could see mid-core games go? They’ve already demonstrated that they’re here to stay, and it’s likely that they’ll only become bigger, especially as the world moves more online. But even as big as they’ve become, success in the mid-core gaming sphere remains relatively constant, the biggest element being an engaging and challenging concept for your game. So if you’re designing your mid-core game, keep that in mind. It can be tempting to focus on how you’ll make money, but the most important factor is drawing customers in and keeping them, which you do through enjoyable gameplay.

How to Get Started in Game Development and Succeed

Building a game is one thing, building a successful game is a whole other story. There are hundreds of thousands of mobile games on both the App Store as well as Google Play, but only a handful ever land in the hearts of the people and make it to the top of the charts, allowing them to make billions of dollars and stay relevant for years. 

Most games never see that kind of success, so what makes the ones that do, stand out? Games with high revenues and user numbers like PUBG MOBILE, Honor of Kings, Pokemon GO, and Candy Crush are games with different objectives and modes of play, yet they all sit at the top. Surely they all must have some things in common that make them highly successful, especially games like Candy Crush and Honor of Kings, which have been around for years — since 2012 and 2015 respectively. 

When looking at these leading games, you can definitely see similarities. Their monetization schemes flow with the UI — making the gaming experience seamless, the community behind the project is supportive, the art used in the games is colorful and unique. We’ll get into the nitty gritty of what truly makes a great mobile game later in the article, but we’re going to start where most of these games started: from the bottom, at the foundation. If you have been around in game dev for some time, you might find some of the theses of this article pretty straightforward, but many of us forget the most trivial things when theory comes to life.

Building A Game From Scratch

When starting out in game development, it’s crucial to get the basics down first so that you can build any kind of game that you would like, and adjust it until it’s perfect. Game development isn’t only coding, it’s a special kind of development. So to get started:

• Keep it Simple

Come up with a simple idea for a game that you want to try developing to start. It can be tempting to try to emulate your favorite complicated mobile game but if you’re new to this, it’s better to stick with a simple idea that you can develop with relative ease to learn the basics. As you get more familiar with programming, you can obviously either add on to the game or create more complicated games. Prepare yourself to the fact you won’t be able to earn much from your first game just because the chances that you are able to do better than the top 30% of the most profitable games are pretty low and that’s absolutely okay.

• Choose a Game Engine

It’s not just code that builds the game — you use a game engine, which is a special environment that allows you to construct games. They are built entirely for this purpose! The game engine allows you to combine all the elements of the game, which obviously includes code, but it also includes artwork, animation, and building the levels to your game. And of course, there are quite a few game engines to choose from. The most popular are Unity and Unreal Engine, but there are many other options out there, you just need to find the right fit for you. 

If you already know how to code, you’ll want to choose a framework that uses the coding language you’re already familiar with. If you don’t know how to code yet, that’s alright! Just try to choose an engine that will allow you to focus your attention on developing the game. The biggest piece of advice we have when it comes to choosing a game engine is to find one that you can stick with. Sticking with a framework will allow you to get better at it and eventually master it, opening up a world of possibilities for your game. There are many zero coding solutions, visual libraries, and so on, and so forth, but compiling those pieces into something nice might take even more time than writing a code and having a designer by your side, if you’re doing this for the first time, at least.

• Practice Building Games

You’ve chosen your simple idea, chosen the framework, now the only thing left to do to reach the level master is to practice building games. Start with building 2D games because it’s simpler. In a lot of frameworks, you can easily switch the game over to 3D if you prefer it that way. But 2D will allow you to learn the intricacies of the framework, and once you get a handle on it you can easily make the switch to developing 3D games. 

Like we said, we’re building your mobile gaming smash from the ground up, and making sure you understand the engine starting from the simplest level and working your way up will allow you a lot more freedom as you start to design more complicated games. The best teacher is experience, so putting in the hours with the game engine just developing games is, in short, the best way to perfect your skills. 

• Add the Details

The last step after getting familiar with your game engine and building your simple game is to add the details that really give a game that extra boost. This includes things like artwork and sounds. You may think these things aren’t that important, as long as the foundation of your game is solid, it’ll be a hit. But don’t overlook how much a good aesthetic, the right sound effects and music can benefit your game. A good foundation is necessary, but compelling details will take your game to the next level. 

Once you get the basics down, you can start to build your chart-topping game, no matter how complicated. And because you’re now an expert at the game engine you’ve chosen, you’ll have full confidence to develop the game of your dreams, no matter how complicated. And since we’ve gotten the technical side of game development out of the way, it’s time to circle back to the nitty gritty part that we mentioned earlier. As important as knowing how to actually build the game is, there are quite a few conceptual ideas that will help you in the creation process. 

The Recipe For A Successful Game

What is the recipe for mobile game success? Knowing how to build any kind of game is understandably important, but it’s not what is going to keep users returning to your game to spend their hard-earned dollars. Good game, bad game, mid-tier game, building it isn’t the issue. Previously we mentioned what the most successful games have in common, and now’s the time to discuss exactly what those things are. 

• A Solid Community

Mobile games are nothing without the users that play them. And while acquiring new users will be the goal when the game releases, the real success comes from getting those users to open your app again and again and again. A new download is a small success, but the real test is whether or not the user keeps your game on their phone, and actually plays it regularly. 

Now imagine you build up a loyal community of users who love your game and sing its praises. It’s free marketing for one, but it also gives you a solid user base that keeps coming back to your game and spending money in it. Building a solid community of users is a surefire way to keep your app topping charts and earning revenue.

So how exactly do you catch and keep a user?

• User Experience

This is arguably the most important part of designing a successful game. There are literally hundreds of thousands of games out there, and if your user experience is lacking, users have zero issues with deleting your app and downloading a different game. But thanks to modern psychology and many of the games that have already been released, there are genuine theories you can implement that make the user more likely to continue playing your game and to keep them coming back to it. 

There are a lot of elements that make up the entirety of the user experience, so let’s discuss those that have the biggest overall impact.

• User Interface

We have all encountered games and just apps in general that are confusing and sometimes downright infuriating to use. Your UI should be intuitive and easy for users to navigate with little-to-no prior usage of the app. If your game has the user clicking too many times just to get to the start of the game or level, the user will just delete the app. Take your time designing your UI so that it fits well with your game’s functionality and also allows the user to seamlessly navigate the game.

• Flow

Flow may sound like UI, but it’s not. Flow is more so the storytelling of the game and how it sucks you in. Your goal is to get users to not only return to your game but to spend their precious time and money on it, and the way you do that is by building the game so that the levels challenge the user, and reward them at the right moment. 

Where is the ad placement (if that’s your monetization scheme)? Does it pop up at an inordinate time or does it flow effortlessly with the game? If you choose in-app purchases to be your monetization scheme, strategically placing an offer to buy something in the game in order to progress can affect how long users play your game and how much they spend. 

A small hint: the most successful games have monetization seamlessly built into the flow of the game. Each in-app purchase is offered at the most opportune time, when the user is most likely to complete the purchase. Likewise, games with ads don’t play them in the middle of a level, breaking the user’s concentration, they’ll play the ad when the user is likely to continue playing after watching. 

Keeping the attention of the user is the main goal, so don’t ignore how important flow is to the overall attractiveness of your game!

• Positive Reinforcement

Good old classic conditioning, it works every time. There’s no better way to get your user to return time and time again than rewarding them. You can easily increase retention and engagement by offering bonuses in your game based on the amount of time played or for watching an advertisement. To tie this in with the last point, when you offer your reward is important too. Offering a reward that will help the user against the final boss they’re about the face, if only they watch an ad, allows you to bring together good game flow, positive reinforcement, as well as monetization.

Another facet of positive reinforcement is simply creating and releasing new levels as the game develops. Users will eventually reach the end of the game and then what? Maybe they’ll play it again but that’s not really likely. You can keep them coming back for more by releasing new levels periodically, or by having them unlock new levels as they play.

• Simplicity

Unlike console or PC, when it comes to mobile games, you’re competing with every other app on that user’s phone. Which means that any overly complicated game tutorials or super in-depth plotlines could easily bore your user and make them exit the game. 

Don’t crowd your screen with too much stimulus and if you need to provide a tutorial for your game, try to do so that you only give the information needed, exactly when it’s needed. You don’t need to put a long-winded tutorial that overloads the user with information at the beginning of the game. Sprinkle smaller tutorials throughout the levels to keep users engaged. 

• Monetization Scheme

The thing is, no game is successful with monetizing, but making money should not be the main goal of the game — users can tell immediately when the game is just meant to make money and not actually provide them with a quality experience. Put simply, your monetization scheme should compliment your game and flow well with it. 

If you offer in-app purchases, they need to actually be necessary to progress in the game, otherwise users won’t purchase anything. Everyone is used to advertisements in mobile games, but if you place your ads at the strangest times during your game, users will get annoyed with them popping up at the worst times and just not play your game. 

And don’t be afraid to adjust your in-app purchase prices or the placement of your ads once you gather more data and can tell what your users would be more receptive to! You may find that being flexible allows you to make more money in the end.

Mobile Gaming in 2020 – A Year in Review

If you have a smartphone, chances are that you have at least one mobile game downloaded to it. Most smartphone users have had a mobile game or two on their phone in their lifetime. Many of us remember mobile gaming’s greatest hits like Temple Run, Angry Birds, Candy Crush, and even newer ones like Pokemon GO. While some of the hits experienced momentary hype, some mobile games have stayed relevant and popular to this day. Individual mobile games may have fleeting popularity, but one thing is for sure — mobile gaming is here to stay.

With that said, that doesn’t mean that the mobile gaming industry is immune to the changes of the world. The industry looks vastly different from how it did when it first started, as technology advances and consumer interest change. With the rapid rate of technological advancement and how quickly consumer interest can change, each year brings about new trends. We’re going to take a look at some of the trends of 2020, some of the statistics, and we’re going to discuss the future of mobile gaming. Strap in for the ride!

Trends of 2020 

We can all agree that 2020 has been a big year in a lot of different ways. Mobile games have been trending more popular for years now, but with most of the world staying home for some portion of 2020, you can expect to see some new mobile gaming trends popping up. 

• Cloud Gaming