There are numerous reasons why your mobile game should be monetized. It generates revenue, supports development by paying for the server costs, improves the player experience, boosts visibility, and drives growth as well. However, monetizing your mobile game might sound like a long and complex process. But to serve one of the main purposes of the game - revenue generation, there are some best practices and strategies like the ones below:

Pay to Play

The most straightforward strategy to monetize your mobile game is pay-to-play which means the players need to pay upfront to access the game. Many premium games offer unique gaming experiences and are only available if you pay for the game at the beginning itself. Some games provide a 3-day or 7-day trial period, but you need to pay afterwards for the long term. Top mobile game development companies separate some of their game as premium ones with pay-to-play strategies so they can earn more revenue.

In-App Purchases

This might be the most popular way to monetize a mobile game. You can place many offerings like virtual goods, currencies, estates, etc. inside the game. The variety of options that are relevant to gameplay can enhance the revenue very generously. The discounts and free trials can lure the players to make in-app purchases as well. However, the communication should be clear on how the purchased item involves in the gameplay.

Subscriptions

Top Mobile game development companies these days offer subscription models where you need to pay a monthly or annual fee for some exciting exclusive content. When players are delighted with the exclusive content and the mystery of it, they are bound to go for them at any cost which works a charm for any mobile game development service.

Advertising

You can show ads to people which will create rewards for you. Ads can be integrated into the game’s design itself and then earn revenues from them. It is important to choose the right ad format with considered timing and frequency so the game wouldn’t be disturbed at confusing times. There are a few rules to follow like the relevancy of ads but once you are sure of the ads, you can create rewards for watching them, so the players get some benefits as well. Finally, the most important thing should be the avoidance of intrusive ads. A mobile game app development company should make sure that the ad is legit and thoughtful while showing a resemblance to the game too.

Sponsorship

A popular game can have a healthy collaboration with various brands and companies who wants to promote their products and services within the game. It might be a struggle to choose the right sponsor but once the trustable one is ensured and offered with a value, you can advertise them in your game. The important thing is to make it clear in the game that the content is sponsored and to make sure that it doesn’t affect the gameplay. These sponsorships need to be analyzed and renewed regularly for better results.

Merchandising

A game can be turned into a brand by selling related merchandise like T-shirts, hats, hoodies, mugs, or similar accessories. There are social media pages to promote the merchandise which includes sharing photos and videos of the gameplay to win a contest or giveaways. Besides these, you can partner with influencers to help promote this merchandise. Likewise, limited and exclusive merchandise offers a sense of urgency among players too, but the products should be legit and related to the game and the trend inside the game. Mobile game development service has merchandise business as a complementary monetary idea from the start i.e., launch of the game.

Cross-promotion

With hundreds of games in the app store and play store, cross-promoting your game occasionally may be financially beneficial. This increases visibility and in the long run, revenue. Your players can be encouraged with rewards and incentives to play another game. In return, other games will have similar offers which will increase the players and audience in your game. Further, it maintains a healthy relationship and competition between games.

Crowdfunding

There are many crowdfunding platforms on the internet like Kickstarter and Indiegogo which can generate revenue even before the game is released. They collect large fund amounts by setting realistic funding goals and creating compelling campaigns that deliver the funds promised beforehand and build a community of supporters as a base. There are also backers’ exclusive access and other rewards to the game for those who contribute.

Data Monetization

A game is bound to have user data in its database. A mobile game app development company can sell this data to third-party advertisers and earn extra revenue from this. This might be a little tricky on account of ethics and transparency but if the users are informed and the data is harmless, it is not such a bad idea. Apart from these, you can use the data to improve your game or create data products by anonymizing them before selling. There are data brokers available to partner up with who can help create an additional revenue stream and expand the audience reach. As a development company, it is also crucial to protect user privacy through methods such as encryptions, access controls, and user consent requirements. In the end, trust with your players should be maintained at any cost.

Localization

Finally, we have localization which means localizing your game into different languages and adapting it to different cultures so the audience margin can expand and reach its full potential. For this, you need to identify target markets and tailor the content to specific cultural and regional preferences. This helps optimize user interface and user experience which will grow your audience leading to an increased audience number.

Conclusion

Concluding, there are many ways to monetize your mobile game but the best strategy for your game depends on the game design, audience, and goals. It’s a good way to experiment with various models of monetization so you can ultimately find the right one but since the goal is to maximize the revenue, it's better to apply at least five or more models so there is a better chance of earning higher revenue.