If Not Now, Then When?
Google's CMP Requirement and Beyond
If I were a game developer I would be doing everything in my power to prepare for Jan 16th, 2024 RIGHT NOW! It's gonna be a rough year. Google implementing CMP requirements, VC money vanishing like the last cookie - pun intended - and more. Making, shipping, and staying alive in the gaming world isn't going to get easier.
Poised to come into effect on January 16th is the latest regulatory shift, Google's Consent Management Platform (CMP) requirement. For mobile game developers, this means the need to navigate and integrate solutions that adhere to another privacy compliance framework seamlessly. It also represents another toll on monetisation streams.
The CMP Requirement
First, understanding the crux of Google's CMP requirement is paramount. CMPs are systems that get opt-in user consent for data processing. While it's a response to privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA, and specifically TCF 2.2, Google's initiative intends to standardize the way mobile apps, especially games, handle users' data privacy on Android.
For game developers, this implies a mandatory restructuring of how personal data is processed, stored, and most importantly, how opt-in consent is obtained from players. Ignoring this is not just a legal risk; it's a potential hammer drop on your game. If you don't have a CMP integrated into your games, Do It NOW!
Partnering with Proven Solutions
You certainly could silo your developers and have them create a solution from scratch. However, for the money and time you will spend developing the solution, implementing the solution, then the time spent waiting for Google and the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) to approve your solution it's likely that January 16th will come and go and your game will lose access to Admob and all of the revenue you derive from the UK & the EU... Yeah, that will hurt.
Fortunately, several third-party solutions offer tools and platforms to help game developers integrate consent management systems. Some of these include OneTrust, TrustArc, and Didomi. These platforms offer a suite of tools, from consent banners to detailed analytics on user consent. By leveraging these, you can ensure compliance without having to build everything from scratch.
Want a tip?
Test and iterate your consent management approaches. Use A/B testing to see which consent prompts work best. No solution is perfect right out of the box. It's essential to continuously evaluate whether the consent prompt you are using is creating friction and resulting in a greater number of opt-outs.
2024 and Beyond
It sometimes feels like the gaming industry has a split personality.
Every gaming industry report trumpets that the industry is set to make:
SIX HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS by 2030!!!
And every game company and advertiser we talk to says this is by far the worst period in the industry's history.
They talk about the impacts of privacy frameworks on eCPMs and ROAS. They talk about the withdrawal of capital from gaming, they talk about Unity, well... let's not talk about Unity. They talk about the devastating layoffs and demoralised teams. They talk about great games that will never make it out of development. They talk about how in an industry that was already demanding, 2024 looks to be the year of insurmountable challenges. They say they hope to survive.
The disparity in messages doesn't make sense. At Nefta we took the word of our clients and dev friends, which is one of the reasons we developed our new ad tech platform.
Alternative to the Status Quo
The road to January 16th, 2024, might seem short, but with Q4 coming to an end, and Christmas break coming, and New Year's...The road is much shorter than you think.
The waves of regulatory shifts are inevitable, Google's CMP requirement is another box to tick on the long list of requirements - to just do business. As with all challenges, they bring opportunities.
The platform that Nefta has developed is a response to the community in crisis. A solution that utilizes first-party data, that golden chalice in the sky that everyone is talking about - but no one is doing anything with.
Except us.
Our solution allows us to
Sure, with the multiplicities of challenges you're facing, you can stick with the status quo, accept that things are getting worse, and just take the hit. How much worse can it get?
It can always get worse.
Or you could try something new.
We're here to help.
If you are interested in learning more about the innovative advertising solution that Nefta has created to benefit both publishers and advertisers, reach out, or DM us for more information.
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