This article is a part of an ongoing sequence of data-driven articles from PocketGamer.biz and information.ai (previously App Annie) highlighting developments within the international cellular video games sector utilizing information.ai’s Game IQ analytics.

In the final article from information.ai, we explored the scale, worth and composition of the worldwide video games market by style – asking if new video games stand an opportunity of breaking by and competing with the sector leaders. In this follow-up, we are going to concentrate on the US market, and dig into the potential for breakthrough hits throughout a few of the market’s most profitable sub-genres.

Recent analysis from information.ai signifies that the largest subgenres within the US cellular video games market, when measured by shopper spend in H1 2022 are:

• Number one – Slots (Casino)
• Number two – 4x March-Battle (Strategy)
• Number 5 – Team Battle (RPG)

That in itself is no surprise. These are vastly standard subgenres in lots of areas around the globe. However, in all three circumstances, the three top-performing titles are under no circumstances dominating your complete style.

In Slots (Casino) the highest three titles generate simply 19 per cent of the patron spend.

For the 4x March-Battle (Strategy) subgenre’s three main titles, it’s 26.3 per cent; for Team Battle (RPG), it’s 32.7 per cent – and all three of the highest titles have been developed by completely different publishers.

For builders and publishers, this exhibits that every one three genres characterize extremely aggressive niches with alternatives for a number of video games to make breakthroughs and discover success.

As we found in our earlier article, nonetheless, this varies extensively throughout genres. In different sport sorts, we see precisely the other.

The M3-Saga (Match) subgenre, which is ranked fourth by shopper spend within the US, Creative Sandbox (Simulation) which is sixth and Battle Royale (Shooting), which occupies the eighth place, all present extremely concentrated markets the place the highest three video games in every subgenre take dwelling over 70 per cent of the entire shopper spend.

Time properly spent

If we keep centered on the US market however as a substitute take a look at the period of time spent enjoying video games, we discover related challenges and alternatives.

While time spent enjoying video games is probably not as instantly tangible as shopper spend, it stays a key consider longevity and engagement. We reside in an economic system by which consideration is a premium ‘forex’. Time, as they are saying, is cash.

So how centered are avid gamers on the highest titles within the US market? Again, we see a excessive diploma of variation based mostly on style.

Gambling on style

At the highest finish of the market sits Creative Sandbox (Simulation), by which the highest three video games seize 94 per cent of all time spent enjoying the style. As we noticed with international shopper spend, the Slots (Casino) style occupies the opposite excessive, with a mere 14.8 per cent of time spent going to the highest three titles.

The on line casino style as a complete shouldn’t be for each video games studio. For formidable builders and publishers, it might be price contemplating the MMORPG (RPG) subgenre.

This is a core sport kind that we all know generates big revenues. But the highest three video games solely account for round 42 per cent of the general market. This suggests there could also be a possibility inside the subgenre for brand new video games to take market share or improvements in gameplay mechanics to disrupt and seize share from the present incumbents.

Download Now

DATA.AI’s Q2 2022 Mobile Market Pulse Top Apps and Games presents even better perception into the worldwide cellular markets and the efficiency of the main apps and video games in key areas worldwide. The report is accessible totally free and may be downloaded right here.

Find Out More

If you’re having fun with the insights from information.ai, you may take heed to the corporate’s new Game Changers podcast, which takes a deep dive into completely different points of the worldwide cellular video games market.