Lockdowns have opened opportunities for mobile gaming companies to dominate app downloads and top the charts. But sharp spikes in playtime could be short-lived if studios don’t up their retention game.
Marketers in this boom market should brace for harder times ahead, according to data from Newzoo, a research firm providing market intelligence for games, esports, and mobile. It warns that heightened consumer interest combined with the low barrier to entry to mobile gaming means the lowest barrier to exit as well. “Retaining the influx of new and returning players in 2021 will be one of the key challenges for developers and publishers.”
It’s a challenge that gaming giant Rovio has long mastered. Its iconic Angry Birds app was launched in 2009, hit over two billion downloads by 2014, and spawned multiple movies plus app spinoffs. Angry Birds 2, launched in 2015, has over 100,000 players who’ve been playing the game for more than six years.
It’s an impressive record that Rovio’s Kieran O’Leary says is powered by the company’s consistent focus on optimizing what matters most. “There is no way you can succeed without keeping your users engaged,” says O’Leary, who rose up the ranks from Director of Growth and VP of Marketing at Rovio to his current role of Chief Operating Officer.
Read the full article on the CleverTap blog.