It is no secret that app developers need to make money, but what is their favorite way to get that cheddar? We’ll take a look at developers’ preferences for monetization and ad mediation and if they actually understand what is going on with the different bidding methods. Speaking of making money, Pearl Abyss’ role-playing game Black Desert has generated more than $1 billion. Read on for more details in this week’s Mobile Monday!
Developers Prefer In-App Ads, Warming Up to Ad Mediation
Chocolate, an ad mediation platform, recently completed its App Developer Survey 2019 in which they polled app developers about monetization, ad mediation, and bidding methods. Approximately half of developers (49%) monetize with in-app ads only. Meanwhile, 20% used both ads and in-app purchases, 16% used IAP only and 15% were on paid subscription models.
A strong preference for ads could be in part to the rising popularity of ad mediation. The survey found that ad mediation continues to grow as 63% of respondents said they have already adopted it, while 28% were interested and 9% were not likely to try it in the near future. In addition, the majority of developers (59%) were still using ad mediation partners with waterfall models.
The study revealed that developers have yet to be fully educated on the various bidding methods. Much has been discussed regarding unified auctions and in-app header bidding but only 46% of developers understand the differences between those methods and the more traditional waterfall method. While 31% had the basic knowledge of the differences, a good portion of developers (23%) felt that they were lacking information on the topic.
Though the majority of developers prefer in-app ads, they still have a few concerns about the monetization method. These include low eCPM for 35% of respondents, followed by SDK management (33%), low fill rate (32%) and billing and payment issues (29%).
Mobile Contributes to Black Desert’s $1B Success
South Korean gaming company Pearl Abyss announced this week that Black Desert, their multiplayer online role-playing game has grossed $1 billion in sales. The major milestone was achieved after four years with players in more than 150 countries.
While the game can be played on PC and Xbox One, CEO Robin Jung singled out their mobile version for contributing over 30% of the gross sales. Black Desert Mobile has already seen great success despite only having been released in Korea, Japan, and Taiwan in the past year. This impressive feat is another stunning example of how lucrative mobile gaming can be.
Game developers like Pearl Abyss are enjoying these wins and then prioritizing their mobile platforms to further increase sales. The company plans to launch Black Desert Mobile for iOS and Android globally by the end of 2019. As fans in the west anticipate its launch, the industry will also be watching to see if Pearl Abyss’ huge sales can continue.
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