Avataryug- This week in apps and games (Edition 13)

Avataryug- Finally, a newsletter that talks about updates in the games and app industry.

We are presenting our very first newsletter - the #13th edition! Join us as we explore the thrilling highlights of the week ??

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Highlights of the week?? ? ? ??

1. Aristocrat Considers Selling Plarium and Big Fish Amid Strategic Review

Aristocrat, a prominent Australian gaming company, is contemplating the sale of its mobile game subsidiaries Plarium and Big Fish as part of a strategic review of its portfolio. The review excludes Big Fish's social casino games and does not involve Product Madness, the third company in its Pixel United division. While the division's social casino bookings showed growth in H1, its RPG, Strategy, and Action as well as Casual categories saw declines. Key titles such as Raid: Shadow Legends experienced slight drops in bookings, while others like EverMerge and Mech Arena faced more significant declines. Plarium Play, the company's direct-to-consumer webshop, accounted for 11% of Pixel United's revenue, which decreased slightly compared to the previous year. Despite this, EBITDA increased, and Average Bookings Per Daily Active User (ABPDAU) grew by 20%. The company also revealed a decrease in User Acquisition (UA) spend as a percentage of revenue, adjusting its FY24 guidance accordingly.(Source)

2. Unlocking Advertising Success: Insights from AppsFlyer's Latest Report

AppsFlyer's recent report sheds light on the intricate dynamics of mobile advertising, revealing crucial insights for marketers navigating this competitive landscape. One standout finding underscores the disproportionate allocation of ad spend, with a mere 2% of creative variations commanding a staggering 68% of budgets. Notably, this select group possesses a unique knack for capturing attention, as evidenced by an impressive 47.6 installs per mille (IPM). Moreover, the report underscores the potency of user-generated content (UGC) in social environments, showcasing a notable 22% boost in IPM for non-gaming ads and 12% for gaming apps. Interestingly, while animated ads thrive in certain contexts, real-life footage outperforms them by 15% for non-gaming applications. Additionally, the report delves into genre-specific nuances, highlighting hypercasual games' exceptional ability to captivate audiences on ad networks, achieving an impressive IPM of 48. Furthermore, strategic combinations of scene types in video gaming ads demonstrate promising retention rates, with a 6% day 30 retention rate observed for ads featuring a blend of UGC, gameplay, and animated or real-life footage. Lastly, longer video ads, particularly those exceeding 15 seconds, emerge as a potent tool for enhancing day 30 retention rates, exhibiting a 30% improvement on social platforms. In essence, AppsFlyer's findings provide actionable insights for advertisers seeking to optimize their strategies and maximize the impact of their campaigns in the ever-evolving mobile ecosystem. (source)

3. Tencent's Highly Anticipated Global Action MOBA Game Surpasses 1 Million Pre-registrations

Tencent, a leading Chinese multinational conglomerate, has revealed that its forthcoming global version of an action MOBA (Multiplayer Online Battle Arena) game has achieved a remarkable milestone of 1 million pre-registrations. Scheduled for a worldwide launch on June 20, this announcement underscores the immense excitement and anticipation surrounding the game's release. The action MOBA genre, known for its competitive gameplay and strategic depth, has garnered a dedicated fan base worldwide. Tencent's upcoming title promises to deliver an immersive gaming experience, combining fast-paced action with strategic elements, appealing to both casual and hardcore gamers alike. Even before its official launch, the game has generated significant buzz, attracting a massive number of pre-registrations from eager players eager to dive into the virtual battlefield. This milestone not only highlights the strong interest in the game but also signifies Tencent's ability to captivate audiences with its compelling gaming offerings. (Source)

4. Mixed Reactions Surround Microsoft's Foray into App Store Arena

Microsoft's announcement of an upcoming Xbox app store has generated varied responses within the industry. While some view it as a potential challenger to Apple and Google's dominance, others express skepticism regarding its impact. Concerns arise over the lack of clarity and excitement surrounding the initiative, with doubts lingering about Microsoft's ability to execute effectively in the mobile ecosystem. The proposed web-based platform faces significant hurdles, including user interface challenges and Apple's restrictive policies on iOS. Despite optimistic projections, questions remain about Microsoft's capacity to garner a critical mass of users and generate sustainable revenue. Amidst these uncertainties, industry experts highlight the potential for enhanced game discovery and increased competition, but caution against overestimating the store's immediate impact. (Source)

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Person to follow in games???

Garry Sands

Garry Sands is a seasoned professional in the gaming and tech industries, with a rich background spanning AAA and indie game development. As an Apple alumnus and an avid core gamer, he co-founded World of Turnips, a remote-first indie game studio, in 2023. With an Executive MBA and a BA Hons in Commercial Music, Garry blends academic prowess with extensive industry experience. Throughout his career, Garry has demonstrated a strong commitment to addressing talent pipeline challenges, advocating for health and wellness, and championing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Overcoming cancer in 2022, he continues to be a resilient and inspiring leader. Recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice in categories including Artificial Intelligence, Game Development, and Product Management, his insights are highly valued in the professional community. Garry’s expertise encompasses a wide range of skills, such as adaptability, analytical thinking, emotional intelligence, and excellent communication. He excels in game development and publishing, project management, and strategic planning. His technical aptitude and user-centric approach drive successful product and feature development, ensuring high-quality outcomes. In his free time, Garry is dedicated to building community connections both in-person and via digital platforms like Discord. His current focus areas include automation and game design, ethical generative AI in product management, and developing the World of Turnips universe, a new intellectual property. Garry Sands is a dynamic figure who continues to bring people and products together, fostering innovation and community in the gaming and tech sectors.

Person to follow in apps???

Marcus Burke

With over 11 years of diverse experience in marketing, Marcus Burke offers unparalleled expertise in future-proofing Meta Ads funnels. He has successfully managed and scaled paid media budgets ranging from €50K to €5M annually at prominent companies like Blinkist, Tandem, InnoGames, and StudySmarter. His skill set is particularly valuable for iOS app advertising on SKAN, and he integrates Meta Ads into a broader growth framework that includes ASO, onboarding, and paywall optimization.

He consistently identifies high-return growth opportunities within established marketing operations, leveraging his extensive background with a wide variety of brands in ed-tech, gaming, music, crypto, fitness, prop-tech, and D2C sectors. His mentoring prowess is evidenced by a stellar 4.99 rating on GrowthMentor, where he has guided over 80 founders and marketing executives.

With 4+ years as a consultant and marketing executive accustomed to a four-day workweek, he has adeptly managed media budgets totaling over €40 million throughout his career. His comprehensive approach ensures competitive advantage and accelerated growth for any team he joins.

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A Cool Case Study Of This Week??

The NovaByte & Avataryug Success Story: How Avataryug helps NovaByte save 857 hours of development time and launch Slap Masters in 51 days. ?

NovaByte, a gaming company founded in 2017 by self-taught entrepreneur Daniel Richard, sought to make a mark in the competitive gaming market with their action-packed game, Slap Masters. Faced with the dual challenge of engaging players through personalized character customization and generating sustainable revenue, NovaByte partnered with Avataryug to streamline its development process and enhance its monetization strategy. This partnership led to the rapid launch of Slap Masters in just 51 days, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars and significantly boosting the game's revenue.

Strategy

Character Customization and Revenue Generation for Slap Masters

Challenge

The NovaByte development team was bogged down by the time-consuming process of creating personalized characters for Slap Masters. Additionally, there was an urgent need to find effective revenue-generating strategies without relying on external backend systems.

Solution: To overcome these challenges, NovaByte leveraged Avataryug's Avatar engine and LiveOps engine. This strategic move enabled:

• Streamlined character customization, reducing development time and resources.
• Integration of revenue-enhancing elements such as in-game stores, containers, bundles, and rewarded ads.

Implementation:

• Avatar Creator: Avataryug's plug-and-play Avatar Creator allowed for the efficient creation of personalized characters, significantly cutting down development time.
• LiveOps Engine: Managed the in-game economy and integrated monetization features, diversifying revenue streams and increasing overall profitability.

Tagline

"Accelerate Development, Enhance Engagement, Drive Revenue: NovaByte and Avataryug's Winning Partnership"

Outreach Takeaways

Significant Cost Savings:

• Development Efficiency: By implementing Avataryug's Avatar Creator, NovaByte reduced development time by 50%, saving over 857 hours.
• Cost Reduction: Avoiding external backend costs saved NovaByte more than $100K, allowing for better allocation of resources to other critical tasks.

Revenue Growth:

• In-Game Purchases: The Avatar Creator feature encouraged in-game purchases through character customization options, driving significant revenue growth.
• Diverse Monetization: The integration of various revenue-enhancing elements led to a notable increase in overall revenue, ensuring the game's financial sustainability.

Sustainable Success:

• Accelerated Launch: The streamlined development process enabled the launch of Slap Masters in just 51 days, providing a competitive edge in the market.
• Long-Term Viability: The enhanced customization and monetization strategies ensured Slap Masters' long-term success, positioning NovaByte as a formidable player in the gaming industry.

The partnership between NovaByte and Avataryug highlights the transformative impact of innovative technology on game development and revenue generation. By leveraging Avataryug's advanced solutions, NovaByte not only launched Slap Masters swiftly but also established a robust foundation for sustained growth and competitiveness in the dynamic gaming market.

Read the whole case study in more detail here.

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Gaming trend of the week??

The Rise of All-You-Can-Play Gaming Subscriptions

Subscription models have become a staple in the media industry, and gaming is no exception. Services like Nintendo Switch Online, PlayStation Plus, and Xbox Live, along with third-party options such as the Ubisoft Store and Epic Games Store, offer gamers access to online multiplayer, game downloads, and exclusive content for a monthly fee.

This model is rapidly shaping the future of gaming, with a 34% increase in users since Q4 2020. As gaming activities shift online, digital game purchases are surpassing physical copies. This trend is further evidenced by the phasing out of disc drives in new console models.

The success of free-to-play games like "Fall Guys" in 2020 underscores the potential benefits of subscription gaming for brands, providing extensive reach and viral potential, along with lucrative in-game advertising opportunities.

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Game Of The Week??

"Braid: Anniversary Edition"

Braid, Anniversary Edition is a stunning remaster of the iconic indie game from 2008. Celebrated for its innovative time manipulation mechanics, the game now features repainted 4K graphics that can be toggled with the original visuals. The updated artwork is beautiful, though the timeless original still holds up well. Enhanced animations and new high-resolution art shine, especially on larger screens.

The Anniversary Edition's standout feature is over 15 hours of behind-the-scenes audio commentary from creator Jonathan Blow, artist David Hellman, and other contributors. This content is presented in a new overworld with categorized commentary, brand-new levels, and alternate versions of existing ones, providing deep insights into the game's development.

Playing Braid again with this edition has been a delightful experience, offering both nostalgia and fresh content. The remaster is a celebration of the game, making it a must-download for Netflix subscribers and a worthwhile purchase on other platforms. For more detailed impressions across different platforms, refer to the links below to play the game and know it all yourself.

Click here to download it on the Google Play Store for mobile.

Click here to download it on your PC.

Click here to download it on the Apple Play Store.

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App of the week??

"Notion: Your All-in-One Workspace for Seamless Collaboration and Organization"

Notion offers a versatile platform for writing, planning, and organization, tailored to fit individual needs. With no storage limits, users can unleash their creativity and productivity without constraints. The drag-and-drop functionality makes customization a breeze, allowing for the creation of tailored dashboards, websites, documents, or systems. For teams, Notion provides a free trial to kickstart seamless collaboration. Its proven track record, trusted by 90% of Forbes Cloud 100 companies, speaks to its reliability and effectiveness in boosting productivity.

Notion's real-time collaboration features facilitate smooth communication among team members. Whether it's sharing pages, adding comments, or @mentioning teammates, collaboration is effortless and efficient. The platform's support for rich media content enhances document creation, offering diverse content types like images and to-do lists. With nested pages and intuitive organization tools, Notion helps users maintain clarity and structure in their workspaces. Plus, the option to publish pages to the web in just two taps expands accessibility and visibility.

Seamless synchronization across browser, Mac, and Windows apps ensures that users can pick up right where they left off, regardless of the device they're using.

?Download Notion from the Google Play Store?and Apple App Store.

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Creative of the week??

Seaside Escape?: Merge & Story

• Seaside Escape: Embark on a journey in the transformed world of Kryphos, where fallen celebrity Rowan seeks your guidance to rebuild her life.
• Merge Mechanics: Experience the thrill of merging basic items with a simple drag of your finger, unlocking endless possibilities.
• Vast Variety: Explore hundreds of items that can be merged, allowing players to unleash their creativity and imagination.
• Community Engagement: Help the residents of Kryphos not only survive but thrive, as you play a pivotal role in their journey towards prosperity.
• Redemption Arc: Assist Rowan in restoring her shattered confidence and reclaiming her former glory, as she navigates through the challenges of her newfound reality.
• Hidden Secrets: Uncover the mysteries of Kryphos as you rebuild, with surprises lurking around every corner, waiting to be discovered.
• Immersive Gameplay: Dive into the immersive world of Seaside Escape, where each merge has the potential to change the course of your adventure.

?Watch the whole creative here.

Download Seaside Escape?: Merge & Story from the Google Play Store?and Apple App Store.

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Tip of the week??

"?? When should you implement banner ads in your game???"?

"A big factor that helps increase the banner IMP/DAU is showing the same banner placement for as much of the user session as possible. Every time a user moves between menus and the banner placement changes, the mediation needs to reload the banner creatives, reducing the total amount of impressions you show. Keeping the same banner placement across menus, gameplay, etc. increases banner impressions by 10-25%."

Felix Braberg- Founder & Host of Two & a Half Gamers

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Upcoming sessions and events to follow???

Upcoming Events in the gaming industry-

XP Game Summit 2024

When: June 13, 2024 - June 14, 2024

Where: The Toronto Hyatt Regency, Canada

The 2024 XP Game Summit, returning to Toronto's Hyatt Regency on June 13-14, will spotlight Intellectual Property (IP) innovation as a driving force behind Canada's gaming industry growth. With a focus on identifying, developing, and exporting Canadian gaming IP, the event aims to bridge the gap between talent and ownership in the industry. Organized by XP Gaming, Inc., known for its successful productions such as the Montreal International Game Summit (MIGS), the summit offers networking opportunities, expert speakers, and workshops to foster industry connections and explore key trends.?

Early bird discounts are available until March 1st, 2024, with options for speaking, exhibiting, partnering, and volunteering. Stay updated on XP Gaming's platforms and join the summit to contribute to shaping the future of the gaming industry.

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Upcoming event in the app industry???

droidcon San Francisco

When: June 6 – June 7, 2024

Where: San Francisco, USA

droidcon San Francisco is a leading conference tailored for the Android developer community, offering a comprehensive showcase of the latest advancements in Android app development, technologies, and industry best practices. Held in San Francisco, the event attracts developers, tech enthusiasts, and industry experts alike, offering a diverse program featuring keynote speeches, technical sessions, and workshops. Attendees gain valuable insights into new tools, learn from top Android professionals, and engage in discussions covering topics ranging from UI/UX design to security, performance optimization, and emerging trends in mobile technology. With its vibrant networking opportunities and focus on innovation, droidcon San Francisco serves as an indispensable platform for individuals seeking to enhance their expertise and stay at the forefront of Android development.

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