App Download rates have softened in most developed nations; 20% drop in the US alone. While App Download was certainly a good indicator, it never painted the full picture. We have seen Apps with millions of downloads but handful active users. I don’t think those types of Apps are considered successful.
As a result, the focus has turned to App Usage i.e. engagement.
Again, while this metric is a good thing to measure, using it as a lone metric of success is misleading.
A similar analogy would be having 100 party goers inside your bar/restaurant and no one is ordering anything. While it’s good to have millions of active users, you need to be mindful of “mere engagement” and design ways to create value for the Game. See recent posts about Video Ad Monetization.
While trying to create value, be mindful of finding the equilibrium – where value matches dollar/effort spent. Don’t overcharge and upset engaged users. Don’t underprice and leave money on the table.
At the end of the day, how much you make per engaged user is the one most important data point that tells you more of the story.
Here is a previous article on how you can create the “Not so perfect but close enough” Value system inside your game.
