Get your week started on the right foot with our quick rundown of the latest news impacting the mobile industry.
To make sure you’re prepared for another exciting week in mobile gaming, we’ve gathered the top stories from the past week that you need to know about.
1) Key takeaways from GDC 2024: Challenges in the games industry, Godot vs Unity, and AI as a major trend
GDC has just concluded with a plethora of announcements, including Epic’s plan to expand its Epic Games Store to Android and iOS in 2024. Epic also showcased tech demos for games like Skydance Media’s 1943: Rise of Hydra, Funcom’s Dune: Awakening, and Zynga’s Star Wars: Hunters.
The event featured numerous AI sessions from companies such as Roblox, King, Unity, and Tencent.
2) Call of Duty Warzone: Mobile earns $1.4 million in its first four days
Activision’s Call of Duty Warzone: Mobile has had a strong start since its global launch, raking in $1.4 million in its first four days according to AppMagic data. Including player spending during soft launch and in early release in some markets, the game has earned $2.2 million to date.
Player spending is predominantly from the US at 47%, followed by Chile at 9%. Australia and Germany tie for third place, each contributing 8% of total revenue.
3) Candy Crush All Stars tournament by King returns with a $1 million prize pool
King’s Candy Crush All Stars tournament is back for its fourth year with a record $1 million in prizes. This makes it the biggest casual mobile games tournament to date.
“We’re collaborating with sport and acting icon John Cena to create compelling content that enhances the excitement of Candy Crush All Stars,” said King’s VP of marketing for Candy Crush Saga, Luken Aragon. “We’ve also introduced a custom AR-branded effect for TikTokers to create ‘Candified’ video content.”
4) Tencent shifts focus to fewer high-budget games, moving away from IP strategy
Tencent, a major player in the industry, has reassigned hundreds from its Assassin’s Creed Jade team to the in-house party game DreamStar as part of a new emphasis on internal products and fewer large franchise ventures.
This shift may delay Assassin’s Creed Jade until 2025, as Tencent prioritizes making DreamStar a successful competitor to NetEase’s Eggy Party. With DreamStar’s success, Tencent stands to retain all profits, unlike its shared venture with Ubisoft.
5) The success story of Dice Dreams by SuperPlay, a $300 million+ sleeper hit
SuperPlay’s Dice Dreams has generated over $300 million in player spending according to AppMagic data, alongside additional revenue from in-game ads. This achievement in just over four years is attributed in part to SuperPlay’s player retention strategy.
“It’s essential to stagger your content and features to keep players engaged. It can be tempting to release features early, but delaying them until later in the game can create a more engaging experience,” said SuperPlay’s CPO and Co-Founder Elad Drory.
