An Analysis of Mobile Gaming Market Trends and Top Titles in the US
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The State of Mobile Gaming 2021 — An Analysis of Mobile Gaming Market Trends and Top Titles in the U.S., Europe, and Asia © 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved Table of Contents 03 - Market Overview: Worldwide 15 - Market Overview: United States 21 - Market Overview: Europe 32 - Market Overview: Asia 43 - Market Forecast 49 - Game Genre Trends 57 - Monetization Trends 64 - Advertising Trends 73 - Conclusion Market Overview: Worldwide — An Overview of Mobile Gaming Worldwide © 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved Global Game Revenue Surged During the Pandemic Worldwide quarterly consumer spending in mobile games on the App Store and Google Play App Store Google Play $25B Mobile game revenue spiked during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, seeing its largest year- +25% over-year growth in Q2 2020 at 33 percent. Games earned more than $20 billion globally for $20B the first time that quarter. +18% $9.2B $8.4B $8.6B $8.1B Strong revenue growth continued in the +16% $15B following quarters. The 25 percent Y/Y growth in $7.0B Q1 2021 easily outpaced the growth during the $6.5B $6.5B $6.0B $6.1B prior two years. $5.7B $5.4B $5.2B $5.3B $10B $13.0B $12.1B $12.4B $12.4B $10.8B $5B $10.0B $9.9B $9.0B $9.1B $7.9B $7.8B $8.2B $8.4B Note: $0 Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by Apple or Google). Q1 2018 Q2 2018 Q3 2018 Q4 2018 Q1 2019 Q2 2019 Q3 2019 Q4 2019 Q1 2020 Q2 2020 Q3 2020 Q4 2020 Q1 2021 Market Overview: Worldwide 4 © 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved Genshin Impact Shakes Up the Global Revenue Ranking and Eyes Tencent’s Top Titles Top mobile games by worldwide revenue on the App Store and Google Play 2018 2019 2020 1Q21 Honor of Kings Honor of Kings PUBG Mobile +1 PUBG Mobile 1 Tencent 1 Tencent - 1 Tencent 1 Tencent - Monster Strike PUBG Mobile NEW Honor of Kings -1 Honor of Kings 2 Mixi 2 Tencent 2 Tencent 2 Tencent - Fate/Grand Order Fate/Grand Order - Pokémon GO +3 Genshin Impact NEW 3 Sony 3 Sony 3 Niantic 3 miHoYo Candy Crush Saga Candy Crush Saga - Coin Master NEW Pokémon GO 4 King 4 King 4 Moon Active 4 Niantic -1 LineageM Monster Strike -3 Roblox NEW Roblox - 5 NCSOFT 5 Mixi 5 Roblox 5 Roblox Pokémon GO Pokémon GO - Candy Crush Saga -2 Coin Master -2 6 Niantic 6 Niantic 6 King 6 Moon Active Fantasy WW Journey Fantasy WW Journey - Monster Strike -2 Candy Crush Saga -1 7 NetEase 7 NetEase 7 Mixi 7 King DBZ Dokkan Battle LineageM -3 Rise of Kingdoms NEW Garena Free Fire NEW 8 BANDAI NAMCO 8 NCSOFT 8 Lilith Games 8 Garena Clash of Clans Clash of Clans - Gardenscapes NEW Fate/Grand Order +1 9 Supercell 9 Supercell 9 Playrix 9 Sony Clash Royale Homescapes NEW Fate/Grand Order -7 Rise of Kingdoms -2 10 Supercell 10 Playrix 10 Sony 10 Lilith Games Market Overview: Worldwide 5 © 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved The U.S. Remains the Top Market for Mobile Game Spending Top countries by mobile game spending, App Store and Google Play The U.S. remains the top market for mobile U.S. Japan China South Korea Taiwan games having outpaced Japan in Q2 2019, and $7B surpassed $6 billion in revenue during Q1 2021. U.S. COVID-19 boosted player spending 35 percent Q/Q $6B +34% Y/Y in Q2 2020. Although revenue fell slightly over the next two quarters, growth picked back up again in Japan $5B +35% Y/Y Q1 2021. Japan and China were the next largest markets, $4B China +6% Y/Y well ahead of any other countries. Japan’s revenue climbed 35 percent Y/Y in Q1 2021, while $3B China’s total in particularly impressive considering Google Play is not available in the country. $2B South Korea +16% Y/Y $1B Taiwan +23% Y/Y Note: Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by $0 Apple or Google). China numbers only include the App Store as Google Play is not available there. Q1 2017 Q2 2017 Q3 2017 Q4 2017 Q1 2018 Q2 2018 Q3 2018 Q4 2018 Q1 2019 Q2 2019 Q3 2019 Q4 2019 Q1 2020 Q2 2020 Q3 2020 Q4 2020 Q1 2021 Market Overview: Worldwide 6 © 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved The U.S. is Also Gaining Market Share for Revenue Market share for top countries by mobile game spending, App Store and Google Play U.S. Japan China South Korea Taiwan Other The U.S. passed Japan to become the largest mobile games market in 2019. Its market share has continued to grow since, reaching 28 percent 23% 26% 21% 7% 2% 21% 2017 in 2020. Countries outside of the top five have also slowly gained market share, suggesting that mobile 24% 26% 19% 6% 3% 22% game publishers have turned to less-tapped 2018 markets with higher growth potential. 26% 23% 20% 6% 3% 22% 2019 28% 22% 18% 7% 3% 23% Note: 2020 Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by Apple or Google). China numbers only include the App Store as Google Play is not available there. 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% Market Overview: Worldwide 7 © 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved Spending Grew by More than $1 Billion in the U.S. and Japan Top countries by Y/Y mobile game spending growth in Q1 2021, App Store and Google Play Q1 2020 Q1 2021 $7B Consumer spending in mobile games in the U.S. Note: grew by more than $1.5 billion Y/Y in Q1 2021. +34% Top growing countries are determined This growth was more than all but Japan and $6B and sorted by the difference in gross revenue in Q1 2021 vs. Q1 2020, not China earned in total during the quarter. +35% percentage growth. $5B The top countries by growth included four of the top five countries by overall revenue. The one exception was Germany, the top country in +6% $4B Europe, with 33 percent Y/Y growth to nearly $600 million. $3B $6.1B $5.2B $4.6B $2B $3.9B $3.8B $3.6B +16% $1B +33% $1.3B $1.5B Note: $445M $593M $0 Revenue figures are gross revenue (including the cut taken by Apple or Google). China numbers only include the App Store as Google Play is not available there. U.S. Japan China South Korea Germany Market Overview: Worldwide 8 © 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved Mobile Game Adoption Soared 39% Amid the Pandemic Worldwide quarterly downloads of mobile games on the App Store and Google Play App Store Google Play 16B The surge in mobile game downloads preceded +5% that for revenue, with big gains starting in Q1 14B 2020 right at the beginning of the pandemic. Consumers turned to mobile games for +39% entertainment during office and school closures. 12B +1% Although mobile game adoption has slowed 10B since the peak in Q2 2020, it remained well 12.4B above pre-pandemic levels. This suggests that 10.4B 11.8B 11.8B 8B 11.5B some of the gains may persist even as countries begin to re-open in 2021. 8.7B 8.8B 8.2B 6B 7.1B 7.8B 7.5B 7.2B 7.2B 4B 2B 3.0B 2.7B 2.4B 2.1B 2.3B 2.1B 2.2B 2.2B 2.4B 2.3B 2.3B 2.1B 2.3B 0 Q1 2018 Q2 2018 Q3 2018 Q4 2018 Q1 2019 Q2 2019 Q3 2019 Q4 2019 Q1 2020 Q2 2020 Q3 2020 Q4 2020 Q1 2021 Market Overview: Worldwide 9 © 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved Hypercasual and Shooter Titles Frequent the Top 10 for Downloads Top mobile games by worldwide downloads on the App Store and Google Play Hypercasual Shooter 2018 2019 2020 1Q21 Helix Jump PUBG Mobile Among Us NEW Join Clash 3D NEW 1 Voodoo 1 Tencent +1 1 InnerSloth 1 Supersonic Studios PUBG Mobile Garena Free Fire NEW Garena Free Fire - Among Us 2 Tencent 2 Garena 2 Garena 2 InnerSloth -1 Subway Surfers Subway Surfers - Subway Surfers - DOP 2 NEW 3 Sybo Games 3 Sybo Games 3 Sybo Games 3 SayGames Garena Free Fire Fun Race 3D NEW PUBG Mobile -3 Phone Case DIY NEW 4 Garena 4 Good Job Games 4 Tencent 4 Crazy Labs Rise Up Color Bump 3D NEW Hunter Assassin NEW Garena Free Fire -3 5 Serkan Ozyilmaz 5 Good Job Games 5 Ruby Game Studio 5 Garena Love Balls Call of Duty: Mobile NEW Gardenscapes NEW High Heels NEW 6 Lion Studios 6 Activision Blizzard 6 Playrix 6 Zynga Candy Crush Saga My Talking Tom 2 NEW Brain Out NEW Subway Surfers -4 7 King 7 Outfit7 7 Focus Apps 7 Sybo Games Sniper 3D Run Race 3D NEW Ludo King NEW Water Sort Puzzle NEW 8 Wildlife Studios 8 Good Job Games 8 Gametion 8 Ice Global Kick the Buddy Sand Balls NEW Tiles Hop NEW Project Makeover NEW 9 Playgendary 9 SayGames 9 Amanotes 9 Magic Tavern My Talking Tom Homescapes NEW Homescapes - Giant Rush NEW 10 Outfit7 10 Playrix 10 Playrix 10 Tapnation Market Overview: Worldwide 10 © 2021 Sensor Tower Inc. - All Rights Reserved India’s Mobile Games Market Pulled Away from the Pack Top countries by mobile game downloads, App Store and Google Play As smartphone penetration in India increased in India U.S.