Desperate times call for desperate actions. That’s the current of game monetization. Most games heavily relied on the paying 2% of users for long, a slight drop of paying user base puts a huge dent on the bottom line >> $$$
To offset such a drop, I see game developers, big and small alike, utilizing various tools to convert non-paying player to paying ones. It rarely works.
I have also started seeing game developers opening up to video ad monetization as an alternative tool.
Considering the $$$ amount that advertisers are throwing at video Advertisement, I think it’s a smart alternative app monetization tool.
Here are few things you should consider when you start serving video ads.
- Users should control the video Viewing Experience.
Most game developers rather force a 15 seconds of Ad viewing in exchange for playing the game. Bad Idea. Give users the option to close the Ad window at any point during the Ad. The Data shows users will actually stay and watch the whole Ad if they have a full control of their experience.
- Video Ads that appear when game loads is not ideal.
Some games place video ads when the game loads. Some do it between game sessions/levels and some do it in exchange for in-game rewards. Games that place video ads between game sessions or levels have 80% longer life span than the ones that place video ads at load. Reward video ads have a 400% longevity over Preload.
- Customize the Ad viewing experience to fit your game’s theme
Showing Video Ads should not be a foreign experience inside the game. Manage to get the media player and the whole video ad experience follow similar game theme, color and feel. It’s just nice for everyone – game developer, game player, game advertisers.
On a final note, remember video ad monetization has a huge potential but if not done right, it can kill your game, and pretty fast.
