GameRefinery: Mobile game publishers bypass app store fees
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Apparently, it's not just Epic Games trying to find ways around exorbitant fees on mobile app stores. According to mobile game analysts GameRefinery, there is a trend of mobile game studios using their own online stores to circumvent fees on in-app purchases.
Games like Clash of Clans, Star Trek: Fleet Command, Game of Thrones: Conquest, and Marvel Strike Force all have online stores. These online shops allow you to buy in-game currency and upgradable items. Some of them even offer online store-exclusive offers and discounts to incentivize purchases outside of actual games.
"The vast majority of mobile games are free-to-play titles and generate the majority of their revenue through in-app purchases," GameRefinery's Kalle Heikkinen said in a statement to GamesBeat. "Given that many of the most popular mobile games gross over $100,000 a day, it's no surprise that studios are looking to shift their in-app purchases to channels outside of where Apple and Google can take fees, especially as larger studios still have to pay a 30% fee, instead of the reduced rate of 15% for indie developers and small businesses."
GameRefinery has the detailsData from GameRefinery shows that Marvel Strike Force made $4 million in in-app purchases in the past month. Clash of Clans, one of the most popular mobile games of all time, grossed $6.7 million over the same period.
EventMetaBeat 2022
MetaBeat will bring together thought leaders from across the Metaverse to advise on how Metaverse technology will transform the way all industries communicate and do business on October 3-4 in San Francisco, CA.
> register hereIt's not pocket money we're talking about here. Developers and publishers looking for ways to avoid losing millions of dollars to Google and Apple aren't exactly a shock. Later on, it wouldn't be surprising to see online stores become an expected part of any new mobile game.
“We expect to see more mobile game publishers follow in the footsteps of Warner Bros. and Supercell by creating their own online stores, which could encourage Apple and Google to reconsider their pricing for major studios,” Heikkinen said. "But since Apple and Google do not allow advertising of these online stores in the app, mobile game publishers still face challenges related to the accessibility and visibility of these online stores, especially since the process of purchasing items within the app is such a streamlined experience."
Progress does not wait for trialsLaw firm Hausfield's recent win over Google for a $90 million settlement probably doesn't change much. The lawsuit was on behalf of developers who earn less than $2 million in annual sales.
Games like Clash of Clans go way beyond that. Google's changes, like its 2021 program that offered reduced fees on a developer's first million dollars, aren't much of a factor. The'...
Want to learn more about the future of the video game industry? Join gaming executives to discuss emerging parts of the industry in October at GamesBeat Summit Next. Learn more.
Apparently, it's not just Epic Games trying to find ways around exorbitant fees on mobile app stores. According to mobile game analysts GameRefinery, there is a trend of mobile game studios using their own online stores to circumvent fees on in-app purchases.
Games like Clash of Clans, Star Trek: Fleet Command, Game of Thrones: Conquest, and Marvel Strike Force all have online stores. These online shops allow you to buy in-game currency and upgradable items. Some of them even offer online store-exclusive offers and discounts to incentivize purchases outside of actual games.
"The vast majority of mobile games are free-to-play titles and generate the majority of their revenue through in-app purchases," GameRefinery's Kalle Heikkinen said in a statement to GamesBeat. "Given that many of the most popular mobile games gross over $100,000 a day, it's no surprise that studios are looking to shift their in-app purchases to channels outside of where Apple and Google can take fees, especially as larger studios still have to pay a 30% fee, instead of the reduced rate of 15% for indie developers and small businesses."
GameRefinery has the detailsData from GameRefinery shows that Marvel Strike Force made $4 million in in-app purchases in the past month. Clash of Clans, one of the most popular mobile games of all time, grossed $6.7 million over the same period.
EventMetaBeat 2022
MetaBeat will bring together thought leaders from across the Metaverse to advise on how Metaverse technology will transform the way all industries communicate and do business on October 3-4 in San Francisco, CA.
> register hereIt's not pocket money we're talking about here. Developers and publishers looking for ways to avoid losing millions of dollars to Google and Apple aren't exactly a shock. Later on, it wouldn't be surprising to see online stores become an expected part of any new mobile game.
“We expect to see more mobile game publishers follow in the footsteps of Warner Bros. and Supercell by creating their own online stores, which could encourage Apple and Google to reconsider their pricing for major studios,” Heikkinen said. "But since Apple and Google do not allow advertising of these online stores in the app, mobile game publishers still face challenges related to the accessibility and visibility of these online stores, especially since the process of purchasing items within the app is such a streamlined experience."
Progress does not wait for trialsLaw firm Hausfield's recent win over Google for a $90 million settlement probably doesn't change much. The lawsuit was on behalf of developers who earn less than $2 million in annual sales.
Games like Clash of Clans go way beyond that. Google's changes, like its 2021 program that offered reduced fees on a developer's first million dollars, aren't much of a factor. The'...
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