Are Gaming Apps Profitable?

profitable
9 min read

Some of the most profitable apps happen to be games! It may be because mobile games find it easier to attract and retain their user base. Games still find it easier to find takers despite the immense competitor base. Are you wondering how to make money off mobile games? If you are, don’t worry, as there are several ways to do so.     

The incentive opportunity makes developing mobile games a much more enticing offer for investors. These apps are highly popular at the moment and stand the best chance of earning a high profit due to the immense support they receive from users across the globe!            

Essential Advice for Developing Game Apps

Developing Game Apps are profitable

  • Study the market 
  • Choose a unique storyline – make sure it is followed 
  • Make it simple enough for anyone
  • Invest in excellent visual development 
  • Don’t make it a ‘pay to play game’ 
  • Provide regular updates (bug fixes & new content)
  • The game should be tough enough, provide an incentive to play 

Read More: 10 Key Considerations for Selecting Your Mobile Game Development Company

8 Tips to Make Gaming Apps Profitable 

Do you have a gaming app with a sizeable user base but aren’t receiving an impressive yield?  

Things will soon change for the better if you follow the following eight tips to increase your app’s profit margins.  

1) Selective Mobile Advertising 

Most people wonder, “What game apps can you make money on?“ 

But that’s not the question an app owner should be asking. Instead, a novel app owner should be focused on developing a unique mobile game app and then start using traditional methods of monetizing a gaming app.       

Mobile advertising is undoubtedly one of the best ways to monetize a mobile app. There is great flexibility in choosing the ad network, type of ad, as well as position of the ads in your game app. These points also allow app owners to control their ad strategy better. 

Specific ads may perform better than others, or they could provide high ad revenue based on the time or area most players are accessing your game from.  

Also Read: 19 Cheating Secret Messaging Apps That Look Like Games

2) Don’t Ignore the Game Experience! 

Prioritizing personal financial requirements before thinking about the user experience will not provide the profits you imagined you would yield! It will negatively affect the gaming experience. 

Conditions that may decrease the quality of the gaming experience are:

  • Too many mobile ads
  • Frequent and annoying ads 
  • Extremely high in-app purchases
  • Frequent pop-ups with monetization suggestions 
  • No ability to play without ‘Paying’
  • No updated content, leading to boring games 

User experience is ultimately what leads to high mobile app revenue. The better the experience, the more likely the user is to continue playing. After all, it is the long-term users who are more likely to ‘invest’ in your game than new users.  

Game Development Services

3) Increase Consumer ‘In-Game’ Time

When users spend more time in your game app playing, the likelihood of them converting to paying guests also increases! Going the extra mile to help users stay engaged and entertained is a good idea.   

Investing in your consumers converts to investing in your game app because the two are directly proportional. As user in-game time increases, the chances of an in-app/in-game purchase increase.  

4) Focus on Player Retention 

Retaining users will work out better than constantly trying to attract new players every month. Not only is it difficult to reach new players, but this group of players doesn’t convert! 

Retained players are most likely to become part of your paying user base. Creating enough new content throughout your game’s time is essential. Most games even create custom updates on occasions like Easter, Christmas, or Black Friday. 

Doing so could draw players in and keep them entertained throughout the year. 

Read More: Cost of Developing a Mobile Game in India

5) Minimize Disruptions

More disruptions will spoil the gaming experience for users, and mobile app revenue will decrease. A flash message or pop-up appearing on the screen at a crucial time when playing a game is enough to stop users from playing your game. 

It’s a major disruption, and there is the option to display these ads at a different time when it does not influence the game’s outcome. 

You could time it to appear after a game or between matches.  

6) Make Purchases Options (Important but Not Essential)  

Players would hate to have to throw out money, especially early on in the game. Such a situation would undoubtedly cast a negative shadow over your game. 

In-app purchases should be optional, not something that each user feels they must do if they want to make progress in the game. Unfortunately, most games have stooped to the level of making users pay to get somewhere in the games.   

The store of most games has a section for purchasing with in-game currency and for real-world currency, often disguised as another in-game currency.   

7) Market Your Game App

A game app needs to be correctly and enthusiastically marketed for people to become aware of it and start using it. An equal amount of effort and financial investment needs to be made to ensure that the user base develops well. 

With an effective marketing campaign, app owners need to know the ins and outs of the app and they could know exactly what feature to target in campaigns. The uniqueness and the idea behind the game app are your biggest weapons.     

8) Exclusivity 

Most games may choose to offer users an exclusive membership that gives them access to new content and limited edition in-game items. This exclusive subscription allows the less proficient gamers to get a foot up on the other players who are more skilled at the game. 

Having an exclusive membership plan is a great way to generate a profit while also adding value to the player’s game at the same time. Besides which player wouldn’t mind getting ahead in a game if they are willing and able to pay for it?  

While there are games that offer subscriptions for exclusive features, some games can only be accessed upon availing of a subscription!    

Read More: Top Mobile Game Development Trends

How do Gaming Apps Make Money?  

A gaming app makes money the same way a mobile app makes money with a few other methods as well. This ensures you will indeed make money with your gaming app, assuming it has a decently sized user base.  

Games can rent out the space on their app. This can be the empty spaces or even the game screen. The space is rented out to other companies in the form of advertisements. They can be pop-ups, images, or even video ads. 

Methods to Make Money Through a Game App 

Is making apps profitable or not? This is a very common dilemma a new game app owner may be subject to ask. It can be if you use monetization methods. If you use them carefully enough, you will be rewarded with a high profit margin. 

Here are some of the monetization strategies an app owner can enforce to gaming apps profitable.  

Gaming App Monetization Methods 

profitable Gaming App Monetization

  • Mobile advertisements 
  • In-app purchases (in-game currency, skins, wallpapers, consumables)
  • Selling virtual products
  • Subscriptions 
  • Merchandise products  

All of these techniques provide a unique way in which a gaming app can earn.  

Read More: Are You Excited To Invest in the Mobile Game Development Industry   

Want to be a successful game owner?

successful game owner

Working with Artoon Solutions will provide you with everything you need to develop an appealing and seamlessly functioning game app. 

Read More: Benefits of Outsourcing Mobile Game App Development to India

Conclusion

The question of whether gaming apps are profitable has been answered. Yes, these apps have the full capability of being a profitable investment. However, there are some terms and conditions that apply.

You must choose the correct monetization techniques and ensure that it is implemented correctly. More times than not, a combination of monetization methods is required to ensure that the user experience is not compromised and players feel more incentivized to use real money in the game. 

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FAQs 

How much does game app development cost? 

Game app development costs vary greatly depending on the specifics of the project. Its complexity and thus its resource requirements also vary and this affects the game development cost. A detailed Scope of Work will help determine a more accurate costing.    

What influences the amount paid out when using mobile ads as monetization? 

The amount of mobile app revenue earned through using mobile ads depends on the mobile ad network partner, the cost of the ad, and the number of times the ad is engaged with by players. 

Are all gaming apps profitable? 

It comes down to the genre of the game and the DAU (Daily Active Users) that the game has. Besides this, the profit also depends on how well the game was developed and how impressed players are with the gameplay and the storyline behind the game.    

Read More: How to Start an Online Gaming Website For Your Business?

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