Special Report

East versus west: gaming cultures clash in new RPG report

Pangle and Newzoo explore the differences in engagement between east and west in role-playing game deep dive

East versus west: gaming cultures clash in new RPG report

Role-playing games: comparing and contrasting Eastern and Western markets, a new in-depth report from Pangle and NewZoo, is available now for download.

The report explores the popularity of role-playing games (RPGs) and the ways in which developers and publishers are implementing monetisation, engagement, and retention mechanisms across key markets has been released by Pangle and NewZoo.

While the popularity of RPGs was established within the PC and console markets, the games are now a staple of the mobile game sector.

Mobile now accounts for more RPG revenues than any other gaming platform generating 21.3% of mobile game revenues in 2020.

The genre is continuing to pioneer new features and capabilities, mechanics, monetisation, and more to engage more effectively with a growing global audience.

The report spotlights several key aspects of the RPG audience around the world.

Key takeaways from the report highlight a number of significant differences in regions around the world, especially those in the east and west.

Over 70% of revenue from mobile RPG titles came from China, Japan and South Korea, with China alone responsible for an impressive $7.8 billion in 2020. In addition to the sheer popularity of the genre across these territories, the report also drills down into a number of ways in which Eastern RPG titles tend to offer more in-depth engagement, with more mechanics, social gameplay features, and robust live operations (live ops).

The focus on live ops and running RPG titles as live services with frequent updates is also highlighted as a key aspect of the most successful titles, with in-game events and brand collaborations, supporting a business model and monetisation strategy focused upon player retention.

The report also explores the value of hybrid monetisation models. In-app purchases (IAP) remain the most significant revenue stream for mobile RPG titles, but the report highlights that 73% of players report that they accept in-game ads if they are incentivised and rewarded with in-game currency or items.

The RPG Report breaks down the ways in which developers can optimise their RPG experience to encourage users to spend money within their first 24 hours within the game, how to diversify monetisation and strategies for retaining high-value players.

Using recent data, case studies and success stories, the RPG Report offers developers and publishers interested in this highly competitive market the means to build for success.

The RPG Report is available to download now.

If you have any questions about the data and insights discussed in the report, contact Pangle or NewZoo. They’re happy to help.

About Pangle

Pangle is the go-to platform for monetising apps and attracting users, especially in Asia. Pangle enables global app developers to maximise earnings through exclusive TikTok For Business demand in APAC, MENA, CEE and LATAM, and advertisers to reach out to a massive audience via a premium app network.

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