Marketing is the tail that wags the dog of mobile gaming, not innovation

• User acquisition budgets are drivers of success and scale, rather than innovation.
• Innovation in mobile game is not impossible, but difficult to do, it was claimed.
• UA budgets can range from $50m+.

Marketing is the tail that wags the dog of mobile over innovation in game design.

That's according to a talk during the Wiggin Games Summit, which operates under Chatham House rules.

One session analysed how the games industry can be split into four different segments. This was because the sector is often described as one monolithic whole, whereas film, TV and short-form/long-form video content is never described as ‘the screen industry’.

We are at least four industries

The games industry was categorised into four areas: triple-A console, forever games, mobile and indie (see the main article image above).

For mobile specifically, the term “casual” was questioned, given players that play thousands of levels in a match-3 game like Royal Match are anything but.

At least four different business models

Looking at the business model for mobile, the budget for mobile games was said to be $1 million, but increasingly $5m+. However, marketing was described as the key driver for mobile titles, rather than gameplay innovation.

Vast advertising budgets were noted as a risk factor of the segment, ranging from $50m+ to compete. The key main skill for these companies to find success, they said, was being better at user acquisition.

While they noted their claims that there’s no innovation in mobile are exaggerated, they said it’s a very difficult place to do so.

Very different challenges

The session also highlighted the different challenges facing each part of the industry. For mobile, "infinitesimal" improvements in UA was cited as a challenge, along with the aforementioned costs that can far outweigh development budgets.

A monetisation expert recently told PocketGamer.biz how Chinese publishers have excelled in UA, with some companies employing hundreds just to build creatives - along with using AI tools to help make them. Marketing was even seen by some in that market as a more important role that development, they claimed.

In a recent RovioCon talk, Deconstructor of Fun founder Michail Katkoff listed the advantages Chinese publishers have over their Western counterparts. This included building monetisation at the core of their games right off the bat - as higher user value can lead to higher UA budgets.