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From an ISBN to a Successful Launch: How Tap Titans 2 Got Published in China

Alla Samkharadze — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 09:46:31 +0000

From an ISBN to a Successful Launch: How Tap Titans 2 Got Published in China

For many game developers and studios, one particular opportunity looms large—China, the world’s largest gaming market, which is expected to generate US$94.4 billion in revenue in 2024. Yet for non-Chinese developers looking to bring their game into this colossal market, it has proven a particular challenge. Navigating the complex regulatory landscape, which includes securing the elusive ISBN license, is just one among a number of key hurdles that include game localization, marketing, and more.

With over a decade of experience in the mobile game industry, Yodo1 is proud to work with top games across the globe on publishing, marketing, monetization, and IP licensing. We have become the go-to choice for those looking to publish their games in China, and our recent launch of Tap Titans 2 serves as a great example.

Read on as we cover the process we followed to launch Tap Titans 2 in China, information that can serve as a useful roadmap for those looking to understand the process and potentially take that step themselves. Let’s get into it.

Approaching China

The original Tap Titans is the stuff of legends—launched in 2014, it became one of 2015’s best action adventure game RPGs and was featured by the Google Play Store and App Store over 500 times, a mind-boggling statistic. In late 2016, the adventure continued with the launch of Tap Titans 2, inviting players back to rally a team of warriors and save the world from the rampaging titans–this time across 150,000 levels! Like its predecessor, Tap Titans 2 has also amassed over 10 million downloads on the Google Play Store alone, cementing its status as a hit franchise.

The goal was always to launch in China, too, and the first step was securing a Chinese ISBN. As industry insiders know, in 2018 the country implemented a broad freeze on new game licenses, with only a very limited number issued since. That trend started to change last year, with multiple batches of ISBNs being released.

This was a positive sign, but things are still far from business as usual, with the huge game studios often receiving many of these licenses, while the rest have to struggle to even begin to understand the process.

Seeing the time-consuming, complicated process ahead and eager to publish in China as soon as possible, in 2023, Game Hive decided to partner with Yodo1 to make that happen.

With a stellar lineup of popular hits in China—Rodeo Stampede, Crossy Road, Ski Safari, and Transformers: Earth Wars, to name just a few—Yodo1 has experience in what it takes to bring a hit mobile game to the Chinese market, and we were happy to put this expertise to work for Tap Titans 2.

ISBN and ICP—You Need Both

Due to policy reasons in China, an offline version of Tap Titans 2 had to be created first. Only after passing the review and releasing that offline version was the green light finally received to push the new update with the online version. This was not wasted time—knowing the process, Yodo1’s team worked with Game Hive to continue to improve and develop the game in the meantime so that by the time permissions were secured, it was the best it could be.

As always, throughout the ISBN application process, we work closely with developers so that we can respond promptly to implement the modifications and adjustments that are needed, streamlining and saving time as much as possible.

To give you an idea, here is a simplified—yes, simplified—flow chart of the process:

In November 2023, an additional requirement was introduced: an ICP (Internet Content Provider) registration, issued by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

What’s the difference between an ICP and an ISBN? Well, you can think of the ICP as your driver’s license, giving you permission to drive on the roads or operate in the gaming sphere in any way, while the ISBN is like your vehicle’s license plate or VIN—the unique identifier for your game.

Currently, we’ve been able to streamline the application process for the ICP to a one-month time frame—note that both iOS and Android platforms require an ICP.

And the logistics continue: for a game to be released on the Android platform in China, game packages need to be created that comply with each store/channel’s requirements. This means that if you want to launch your game on 50 Android channels/platforms, you will need to create 50 different APK game packages with specific rules (SDKs)—yet another area where having an experienced partner makes all the difference.

Having Yodo1’s experience on their side in navigating these time-consuming and oft-stormy waters of paperwork and submissions to secure both the ISBN and ICP meant that Game Hive could delegate all that to us, leaving them free to do what they’re great at—making cool games.

From Kickoff to Launch in Just Two Months

After the initial agreement kickoff and documentation, a publishing plan was created to cover marketing, localization, and distribution strategies in depth, with a dedicated team from Yodo1 including Liu Jing, Nina, Shawn Liao, Sandy Smith, and Qianzi.

The team decided to focus on iOS preorders, which built hype around the approaching launch, leading to a rise in the app store rankings and attracting high-value players.

Programs were launched with Bilibili (the equivalent of YouTube in China) and Douyin (Chinese TikTok) creators, and working with popular influencers on these platforms proved a solid way to reach new users and increase download numbers. Fans were encouraged to create their own viral videos and other user-generated content (UGC), and a specially created Douyin filter also raised visibility and engagement with a fresh audience.

Regular posts across social media platforms and fan group interaction also contributed to Tap Titan 2’s strong social media presence. Yodo1’s creative design team worked around the clock it helps having staff all over the world! to produce top-quality creatives, including a dozen videos and trailers.

Strategic Localization — More Than Just Marketing

Pre-launch development continued with a solid localization strategy to ensure full compliance in all required areas, and, most importantly, to arrive at a custom gaming experience that Chinese players would connect with and love.

Whenever strategic localization comes up, the focus often turns on what you can add to a game to make it more attractive and relatable to a particular audience. This is a key game growth strategy that we often turn to—creating special events and launches around local holidays is just one example of how to do this successfully.

Strategic localization, however, is more than that. For example, games in China are not permitted to feature realistic blood or skeletons, and games that do contain these elements will need to be tweaked for them to gain approval. Our expert team is familiar with all the ins and outs of these kinds of gaming regulations and can help in making the needed adjustments and changes smoothly, quickly, and accurately.

Once the game launched, Yodo1’s publishing team monitored store rankings and player feedback as updates continued.

Key Metrics Since Launch

We are happy to report that all this hard work has paid off, with early indications showing a bright future for Tap Titans 2 in China, and solid performance as of February 2024 (the time of writing). The game saw immediate traction with comparatively high Daily Active Users (DAUs) and install rates, as well as consistent player engagement continuing well beyond the launch! Here are the key initial metrics:

DAUs: DAUs initially soared to 60k on iOS and 80k on CN Android, with current averages settling at 60k across both platforms.
Installs: Daily installs reached nearly 4k across iOS and CN Android, still averaging around 1,500 daily installs.
UA: 38% of iOS installs have come from UA activities, and while Android growth was initially organic, UA campaigns were kickstarted in February to leverage Chinese New Year festivities.
CPI: iOS CPI has fluctuated around $3.50, indicating strong potential for growth in the Chinese market.

Key Takeaways

For the reader short on time looking for the key things you need to do to successfully launch your game in China, here goes:

Regulatory Compliance First: Secure necessary licenses, such as an ISBN for game registration and ICP for online content provision, perhaps with guidance from experienced partners.

Build a Solid Marketing Plan: Utilize popular platforms like Bilibili and Douyin, work with influencers, and engage the community to boost visibility and downloads (and also stay on top of changing trends).

Invest in Localization: Adapt your game to meet cultural preferences and regulatory standards, removing sensitive content and incorporating local elements.

Customize for Different Platforms: Prepare multiple versions of your game to satisfy the varied requirements of China’s Android app stores.

Stay Adaptable: Be prepared to quickly respond to new regulations and compliance requirements with the help of your publishing partner.

Generate Pre-Launch Buzz: Use pre-orders and a strong localization strategy to build anticipation and improve your game’s visibility before launch.

Work With the Best

The practicalities of game publishing in China are time-consuming, yet essential for game developers who want to get into the market there. With Yodo1 in your corner, you have a strategic ally that is experienced in all facets of full-stack publishing, including marketing, monetization strategies, and more—and with a track record to prove it; the successful launch of Tap Titans 2 in this dynamic market is just one example.

We’re not just a company; we’re a strategic partner in navigating the complex landscape of the mobile game industry. So if you, too, have been dreaming about launching your game in the world’s biggest gaming market, reach out to our team today to learn more.

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The post From an ISBN to a Successful Launch: How Tap Titans 2 Got Published in China first appeared on Yodo1.

Behind the Screams: How an Indie Gaming Studio Carved Out a Horror Niche

Alla Samkharadze — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 10:30:32 +0000

Behind the Screams: How an Indie Gaming Studio Carved Out a Horror Niche

Ice Scream. Evil Nun. Mr. Meat. If you’re a horror game fan then you already know we’re talking about indie studio Keplerians.

Keplerians take their name from NASA’s exploratory spacecraft, Kepler, as they, too, dream of exploration and discovery—but in the world of video games. And over the last few years, they have indeed gone stratospheric, with not one but three successful franchises, each new launch highly anticipated. Ice Scream 8: Final Chapter dropped in December 2023 in just the first week reached the top 10 in Action/App Store and the top three on the Google Play Store!

How did they get here, though, and what can we learn from it? Let’s find out.

Finding Their Niche

In 2015, two brothers and a friend from the Basque Country, Spain, began their game development journey, experimenting with different games before breaking through in 2018 with the hit Evil Nun.

“We believe that success often comes from being in the right place at the right time. If something isn’t working for you, switch to something that inspires you and gives you confidence. When we realized that we could carve out a niche in the horror games market, we went for it with all our energy,” says Co-CEO and Co-founder Ion Ocasar.

This realization led the Keplerians team to go all in on the scary stuff, leading to their continued success with Ice Scream: it became their most downloaded game and spawned a popular franchise, the most recent of which was the December 15, 2023 launch of Ice Scream 8: Final Chapter, as mentioned above.

Organic Marketing Through Social Media

In addition to building scary and very playable games, Keplerians have been active and engaged on social media since the start; they currently have over a million followers on YouTube alone. This didn’t happen overnight, of course, but is a connection that’s been built by regular, consistent interaction—including near-daily posts and countdowns, especially as launch dates close in.

It’s a great example of how successful organic marketing can be when developers are also passionate content creators. From dropping teasers and helpful how-to clips to teaming up with some of YouTube’s most popular gamers, Keplerians has succeeded in building an organic—and free—marketing channel, releasing content that goes directly to their biggest fans. It’s a win-win.

Developers often spend a significant amount of their budget on gaining more new players, whether via ads or influencers, but don’t forget that by connecting directly to your players via the social media channels of your choice, you can be your own influencer. This can be an extremely powerful growth engine, so don’t neglect it!

Challenges of Growth

The success of Evil Nun was soon to be followed by the arrival of bloodthirsty zombie butcher, Mr. Meat, and with their portfolio growing, the team at Keplerians realized that for their games to reach their full monetization potential, they would need to take on some outside help. In 2019 they teamed up with Yodo1 for help with mobile game monetization and game growth strategies, beginning with Mr. Meat and marking the start of what continues to be a highly successful partnership.

Integrating Yodo1’s monetization SDK into their new game, Mr. Meat, had immediate results: in just two weeks, their daily ad revenue grew by 74%.

“When we launched Mr. Meat with MAS (Yodo1’s ad monetization SDK), we were blown away by how much more money we could make,” said Ion from the Keplerians team, and they soon decided to use Yodo1’s mobile game monetization solution—which you can learn more about here—in all their games. In September 2022, Yodo1’s team reviewed the monetization of Ice Scream 1 and proposed recommendations to improve the ad placements, KPL applied them which helped double the revenue of the iOS version and boost the Android version revenue by 50% over the next month.

IP Collabs As the Next Step

The partnership continued in Halloween 2021 when Keplerians and Rodeo Stampede launched a spooky crossover event—a first for both games—with iconic Ice Scream characters joining in the run in Rodeo Stampede. The four-week-long event successfully generated a huge buzz across social media, delighting players and ultimately increasing traffic for both games.

“It was exciting for our game’s community! We promoted it on Discord and encouraged players to post screenshots and videos, offering rewards. Bringing new content to our existing player base and seeing their enthusiastic reaction was definitely a highlight of this collaboration,” Keplarians Co-founder Pablo Ocasar Gonzalez said.

ASO Steps up in a Big Way

As part of this continued expansion, Keplerians recently approached Yodo1 with an App Store Optimization (ASO) challenge. The download numbers for Ice Scream 1 had remained strong since its launch in 2019, yet by early 2023, organic downloads were showing a noticeable decline. This was where Yodo1’s years of experience in publishing and growing games became a major factor. Here’s Co-CEO and Co-founder Ion Ocasar on what happened next: “One of the suggestions provided by Yodo1 to increase downloads was to implement a native pop-up asking users for reviews. We implemented this feature in one of our earlier games that didn’t have such a pop-up, and it significantly improved our reviews. We are constantly occupied with new projects, and these improvement suggestions make us open our eyes to see possibilities for enhancing games that are already published.”

The result of these strategic ASO improvements led to a stratospheric rise in reviews from 2-3 per day to 200-300!

In addition to these new in-app rating prompts, the Yodo1 Growth Team did an in-depth keyword analysis to uncover further potential opportunities. Following this assessment, the team recommended that Ice Scream focus on getting rankings for new short and long-tail keywords that showed moderate levels of popularity and competition. For example “creepy games” (Popularity: 36, Competitiveness: 49). This, in conjunction with the keyword changes, resulted in a complete course correction from the downward downloads trend, doubling organic downloads, and pushing Ice Scream to #3 in “creepy games” on iPhone, and #2 on iPad. Impressive!

A Great Team

The team at Keplerians continues to brainstorm and work towards future projects, able to focus on the creative side of things while knowing that Yodo1 has their back when it comes to monetization, ASO, collaborations, and more. Daily, fast, and effective communication channels are open for any issues that come up, saving the developers’ time.

Ion Ocasar sums it up like this: “Yodo1 are constantly looking for ways to improve results, and we make a great team.”

We look forward to that teamwork continuing as we work with Keplerians toward continued growth and—best of all—more scary games!

Key Takeaways from Keplerians’ Journey

Find your niche: When Keplerians realized they’d found a hit with horror, they went all in on the genre, building franchises.
Organic marketing through social media: Keplerians effectively built a pipeline to advertise to their biggest fans.
Seek outside help when you need it: Growth and expansion are specialized skills that indie developers can outsource.
Experiment: IP collaborations and other in-game events generate buzz and further growth; doing new things with ASO, even small tweaks, can have big results.
Collaborate: Take every opportunity to reach new players by working with others, whether gaming influencers or IPs.

Are you feeling stuck in your game growth journey, wondering if you could be doing more, and doing it better? At Yodo1 we love to promote great games and help our partners succeed. Check out our Game Growth Accelerator Program to find out more.

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The post Behind the Screams: How an Indie Gaming Studio Carved Out a Horror Niche first appeared on Yodo1.

How an Indie Mobile Game Built a Legacy

alexandra nazarbegov — Fri, 05 Jan 2024 17:01:24 +0000

How an Indie Mobile Game Built a Legacy

Recently, IP collaborations in games have gone from a little-known marketing tactic to a widespread, powerful strategy for growth. One need only look at Fortnite’s constant stream of collaborations to see just how successful they can be. In gaming, these may take the form of limited-time IP and brand collaborations, or crossovers with other games. While the upside for such events can be huge, allowing games to tap into massive fanbases with overlapping demographics, the real challenge and skill is in matching the right game with the right IP.

Retro pixel art game Idle Slayer was going from strength to strength since Pablo Leban left his stable job to follow his dream of making games. His creativity and community-building skills all came into play, and in less than a year, Idle Slayer hit the magical million downloads on Google Play. Strategic efforts in UA and organic marketing followed, with Yodo1 helping the game reach the next level of scale, quadrupling its player base in a matter of months (read about it in the previous part of this series). The game was a true hit, and soon the potential of an IP collaboration became an exciting—and realistic—prospect.

Idle Slayer x Shovel Knight

Idle Slayer’s journey took an exciting turn with its crossover with Shovel Knight, an iconic 2D side-scrolling platform game from Yacht Club Games with an 8-bit graphics style that, side-by-side, seems a match made in heaven. The classic game has collaborated with major IPs and brands, including Fall Guys, Super Smash Bros., Arby’s, and more.

Pablo eventually met up with Yodo1 IP Licensing Manager Ismael Jorge while they were both attending GDC (Game Dev Connect) in San Francisco. Among other things, they talked through what an IP crossover might look like for Idle Slayer–something that Pablo had been considering for some time. He wanted to work with Shovel Knight for its synergies in aesthetic and audience appeal, but it also resonated with him on a personal level, making it a top-tier choice for collaboration.

If his many game dev talents weren’t enough, Pablo is also a thoughtful businessman who considers every move of his game’s growth trajectory with extreme care, and he had quite a few questions.

“Even though he is a solo developer, he doesn’t have the mindset of one. He can execute, rather than come up with a list of nice-to-have things that will never get done. When he commits to something, he will deliver,” says Ismael.

Pablo made up his mind. It was indeed time for the next phase of Idle Slayer’s growth, and in Yodo1, he believed he had the right partner for the job.

“My aim was to bring Shovel Knight features into Idle Slayer, including its characters and ways to play. In this collaboration, you’ll see characters you recognize, as well as a boss fight and elements from Shovel Knight’s universe,” says Pablo about the collab.

Was Yodo1’s IP licensing team able to get Shovel Knight on board for the collab? You bet!

The iconic character would appear in Idle Slayer via a unique mechanic, which came about through back-and-forth brainstorming between Pablo and Ismael. The idea was to trigger the special event with a glitched special random box, instantly bringing a new level of magic and excitement into the game. Announced on the official Idle Slayer Twitter account on October 14th, 2023, and running for a limited time from November 1st to December 1st, 2023, the collaboration was highly anticipated.

Players were offered six new quest segments, a fresh boss fight, and a special collaboration skin, available for purchase with Jewels of Soul exclusively during the event. Players embarked on a quest where they encountered the Shovel Knight in a new story set in the Idle Slayer universe, complete with classic Shovel Knight elements and, as mentioned earlier, a challenging boss fight.

Pablo adds, “In this collaboration, I focused on including many references to Shovel Knight for fans to enjoy. I put special attention on the boss fight, as it’s a standout feature in the Shovel Knight series.”

The collaboration proved to be a massive success, resulting in a staggering 650% spike in revenue following its launch, holding strong at a 70% increase by day ten. On top of this, Idle Slayer saw a nearly 100% increase in ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) by day ten, indicating not just more players, but more engaged players. Pablo worked closely with Yodo1’s IP licensing team to bring it to fruition, from the planning stage to asset creation, story elements, contract negotiation, promotional materials, and more. Situations like these are where Yodo1 can really leverage its secret sauce as a large mobile games publisher to make sure IPs and games are a good fit. Integrating an IP into a game successfully requires a skilled and experienced hand.

And if you’re wondering whether this is the end of Idle Slayer’s IP-crossover ventures, just keep your eyes peeled on the horizon for something Titan-sized lumbering toward you.

If You Build It, They Will Come

Despite working alone, Pablo has showcased a remarkable capacity in executing both creative and technical aspects of game development, including original art and coding, driven by a deep love for gaming, an engaged community, and a passion for making the best game possible. When you boil it down, this is the secret to success. But key partnerships, if done well, can propel great games like Idle Slayer to new levels of growth and scale, leveraging know-how, resources, and fellow game lovers.

Idle Slayer’s story isn’t over yet—not by a long shot. The journey continues, and we are delighted to be a part of it.

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The Magic Behind Last Shelter: Survival’s IP Crossover with The Walking Dead

alexandra nazarbegov — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 08:09:33 +0000

The Magic Behind Last Shelter: Survival's IP Crossover with The Walking Dead

Great things can happen when the right IP meets the right game in just the right way—for players and fans, it’s magic. One such collaboration launched on May 4th, 2023, when the universes of Last Shelter: Survival and AMC’s The Walking Dead converged.

Let’s dig into the making of this unique post-apocalyptic alliance.

Setting the Stage

Last Shelter: Survival, a mobile survival SLG with over 100 million downloads, was poised for its debut IP collaboration. The game’s publishers partnered with Yodo1’s IP licensing team to help identify that perfect match and then supervise the process on their behalf from inception to launch.

Enter The Walking Dead, AMC’s iconic television series, with its compelling story of survival in a world overrun by zombies. It was the obvious choice given the show’s narrative richness, iconic characters, and passionate fanbase. Yodo1’s previous collaboration with 37 Games, integrating their title Puzzles & Survival with The Walking Dead, further solidified this collaboration and underscored The Walking Dead’s status as the premier IP for zombie-themed mobile game integrations.

Bridging Worlds

One of the keys to a great crossover game event is finding common themes between the game and the chosen IP. With Last Shelter: Survival and The Walking Dead, it wasn’t just about zombies. The famous characters and stories from the television series aligned naturally with Last Shelter’s gameplay style, making it possible to craft a storyline that felt fresh yet familiar, leveraging both established elements from the show and the game’s core mechanics, as well as its monetization system.

This is where Yodo1’s IP licensing team stands above the rest. We don’t simply bring mobile games and IPs together, then hope for the best. We are meticulous at all stages, ensuring the best possible experience for players, and the best possible outcomes for our partners. For this collaboration, we were able to leverage our 12-year history as mobile game publishers, helping make the most of characters, story elements, and props, and then weaving it all together into an experience that made players feel right at home.

Overcoming the Challenges

Collaborations invariably face hurdles. The chance for misunderstandings and misalignments throughout the supervision process is always there. Yet our experience in bridging such gaps ensured that both the developer and AMC were not only heard but truly understood and that everyone was on the same page from day one. From business negotiations and proposal suggestions to overseeing commercial arrangements, and story elements, our specialist team’s involvement turned potential roadblocks into stepping stones.

Another potential hurdle: events can get watered down and have less impact when the supervision process isn’t carried out with attention to detail, a depth of knowledge across industries, and a clear vision of success from start to finish. In this case, folding in IP elements organically while being true to the show’s characters was key to the whole thing.

We worked tirelessly to understand and respect the developer’s objectives, the nuances of the game, as well as AMC’s requirements around brand identity and integrity. As with all major IP holders, there are many approval stages along the way, which we were able to navigate smoothly. The end result? Well, see for yourself!

Looking Forward

This partnership shines a spotlight on Yodo1’s dual strengths. As a seasoned mobile gaming company and an industry-leading expert in IP licensing in games, we can do what others can’t: we leverage our strengths to understand games on a deep level, and then find the perfect IP to partner with. Then we guide the collaboration along a smooth track, every step of the way towards launch. We work hard to make each event fun and memorable for players, and of course profitable for all parties.

In today’s gaming market where IPs can elevate games to new heights, Yodo1 is uniquely positioned to help gaming studios and IP holders alike. And we have the track record to prove it. So if you are looking to dive into these exciting waters, reach out to our team today and find out how the wonderful world of IPs can enhance your game.

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The post The Magic Behind Last Shelter: Survival’s IP Crossover with The Walking Dead first appeared on Yodo1.

Assessing the ROI of IP Licensing for Mobile Games

Designer — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 08:04:00 +0000

Assessing the ROI of IP Licensing for Mobile Games

IP licensing in mobile is quickly becoming a go-to growth strategy for game studios and IP holders alike. Of the top 100 downloaded mobile games on iOS (excluding hypercasual) released in 2021, only one (Soccer Super Star) was not based on an existing franchise–an unequivocal signal that IP licensing isn’t going anywhere. Without question, it is an incredible strategy for reaching new players and boosting revenue.

And yet, many studios are hesitant to take the plunge simply because…it’s expensive! In this article, let’s shed some light on the nuances of IP licensing from an ROI standpoint. We’ll explore the overall business models, cover key metrics for understanding the impact of a potential collaboration, delve into the upside (perhaps what you’re here for), and then touch on risk mitigation. If your studio has $500,000 or more in monthly revenue and you’re still undecided, this article is for you. Here we go.

Business models for collaborations

Game studios have several business models to choose from when embarking on an IP collaboration, each with its advantages and challenges. The three most popular business models for IP collaborations are royalties only, royalties with a Minimum Guarantee (MG), and flat fee (licensing fee). Let’s go through these quickly, for context.

1. Royalties only (with no Minimum Guarantee)

In this model, the licensee pays the licensor a negotiated percentage of revenue for every product sold that uses the licensor’s assets (including IPs or brands). No upfront payment is made for this model.

2. Royalties with a Minimum Guarantee (MG)

This model is like the first, but with an added upfront payment (Minimum Guarantee) that the licensee must pay to the licensor. This amount is negotiable and is based on the value of the intellectual property. The Minimum Guarantee is recoupable (offset) against royalties earned. If sales are high, the licensee recoups the Minimum Guarantee, and the licensor earns additional royalties.

3. Flat fee (licensing fee)

Here, the licensee pays a one-time, negotiable fee for the rights to use the licensor’s assets for a specified period. The licensor does not receive any royalties from sales and the fee is non-recoupable for the licensee. In this case, the outcome of the event is less relevant for the licensor as they are not receiving royalties for any sales related to the IP.

For those who want more details on the overall economics of IP licensing, here’s a deep dive by our very own Fil Robinson from Yodo1’s IP licensing team.

Analyzing key metrics

Now that we understand the basic business model, and before we consider some of the risks and how those can be navigated, let’s explore how we can measure the impact of an IP collaboration–understanding key metrics is critical to success.

Pre-collaboration analysis is what comes before you even begin: a thorough analysis of your game’s current performance metrics. This includes assessing player retention, session length, in-app purchases, and player engagement. Evaluating the potential IP’s fan base size and engagement level also indicates how valuable the collaboration might be in terms of user acquisition and future engagement.

Via SensorTower

Post-collaboration analysis comes after the launch goes live; don’t make the mistake of resting on your laurels and thinking the hard work is over; monitoring changes in key metrics will provide valuable insights into the collaboration’s impact. Metrics such as user acquisition rates, average session length, retention rates, and monetization data can help quantify the collaboration’s effects on the game. By comparing these post-collaboration metrics with pre-collaboration data (which you’ve already done, right?), you can determine whether the collaboration achieved its objectives and use the analysis to inform future strategies.

So, what is the bottom line when it comes to carefully measuring and analyzing your first IP collaboration? Simply this: game studios on the fence about an IP collaboration tend to see it as fundamentally different from regular UA investing. And while there are more complexities and challenges to navigate, it is simply another, potentially much more powerful way to introduce your game to new players…in this case, by leveraging a popular IP. Just as you would go about a major UA campaign and keep track of the data to understand both the long and short-term impact of the campaign–from retention to organic uplift, and everything in between–an IP collaboration should be approached with a similar mindset.

What about the risks?

Nothing is ever guaranteed, of course, but time after time statistics show that IP collaborations are, in most cases, a major boost to a game studio’s bottom line, attracting not just any players but high-spend ones, who are nearly three times as likely to download a game based on an IP they love.

And while you should always be aware of potential risks in any growth strategy, to adopt effective mitigation strategies and come out on top: be aware, but don’t let them scare you off!

Know your audience and keep what makes your game beloved front and center when you’re planning. A poorly received collaboration can damage the game’s brand or alienate existing players, particularly if they believe it deviates too much from the game’s original concept or ethos. In our experience, a well-conceived IP collaboration can easily mitigate this risk.

Financial planning is key: Make realistic revenue forecasts and carefully control the costs associated with the collaboration. What this means is that you should carefully consider the opportunity cost of an IP collaboration. Dedicating significant resources and time to development, design, testing, research, contract negotiation, and navigating all the unexpected hiccups over 6 months (at least) to bring the collaboration successfully across the finish line is hardly a walk in the park. Whether that is worth doing when compared to other things you could be doing to reach new players and grow your game is perhaps the most important question to answer before embarking on this journey.

“Ok, but what ROI can I expect?”

For context, Yodo1’s IP licensing team works with top global IP holders like Legendary, Paramount, and Hasbro. We work with huge games like Puzzles Survival, Top War, and Mobile Legends, to name a few. What that means is, we have a lot of first-hand experience.

Via Yodo1

With that context, let’s assume everything goes according to plan with a given IP collaboration, and that your game has both average retention for its size and a well-balanced game economy. In such a case, with the caveat that these are averages, here is what you might project:

During the collaboration:

Revenue: 20 – 30%
Downloads: 15 – 25%

Six months following the collaboration:

Revenue: 10 – 15%
Organic uplift: 5 – 10%

Don’t let the wave pass you by

Major brands and IP holders are now seeing the light when it comes to the incredible reach a well-executed game collaboration can have. Big games like Fortnite have paved the way for a much broader field of opportunities. These are still the early days of a trend likely to become standard practice for any game of sufficient size (revenue around USD 500,000 per month), that like UA, periodic IP collaborations are a core pillar of growth, and a solid investment when executed correctly.

Via Reddit

Maybe you, like us, are very bullish about the amazing growth opportunities that IP licensing provides to reach players on a whole new scale, and, like the games we work with, look at these collaborations as a key pillar for growth, and an exciting landscape of possibilities.

But you may also be concerned about the opportunity cost, the complexities of dealing with brands, concerns about choosing the right IP, or whether it will pay off in the end. The Yodo1 IP licensing team is all about helping game studios achieve the incredible benefits of IP collaborations, without having to stress about the headaches along the way. We eat those headaches for breakfast. With a proven track record, such as our successful collaborations with Top War—just one among many—we’ll be in your corner for each step of the process.

Our team of experts specializes in guiding studios through the intricacies of IP licensing for mobile games. With a comprehensive understanding of the business models, audience dynamics, and key metrics involved, we can help you factor in the risks, make informed decisions, and optimize collaborations for maximum impact.

Don’t let the complexities hold you back. Reach out to us today and let’s explore the incredible growth opportunities together!

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The post Assessing the ROI of IP Licensing for Mobile Games first appeared on Yodo1.

Yodo1 Stories: Making it Easier for Women to Grow a Career From Anywhere

Designer — Wed, 08 Mar 2023 16:18:22 +0000

Yodo1 Stories: Making it Easier for Women to Grow a Career From Anywhere

At Yodo1, we’ve championed the importance of equity and diversity from day one. When we launched over 10 years ago, half of our founding team was women, and all these years later, that fact remains true among our leadership team.

Today, we recognize the success of seven incredible women from across Yodo1—and worldwide—who are making waves in the mobile gaming industry. By diversifying perspectives and taking risks, these inspiring women have achieved remarkable growth and built a life they love through mobile games.

Join us as we share their stories and highlight their incredible accomplishments to celebrate International Women’s Day!

Vivien Zhang, from career launch to business leader, while starting a family

Vivien Zhang joined Yodo1 in an entry-level marketing position in 2012. A few years later, she was leading the Chinese marketing department. As Yodo1 became globally focused, Vivien got the opportunity to reinvent herself as head of a completely new IP licensing business unit launched in 2019 called Brands in Games.

As her career was advancing, Vivien also started a family. From newly-wed to new mom, Yodo1’s Work From Anywhere (WFA) policy has given her the flexibility to spend more quality time with her daughter, travel as a family, and strengthen bonds.

Vivien continues to lead her teams in what is now our fastest-growing business line and she has been a member of Yodo1’s executive management team for over five years.

Vivien, how has Yodo1 empowered you?
Over the past ten years, I have grown professionally and started a family at the same time. As a woman, I feel strongly that Yodo1 always trusts and encourages me to take on new challenges and helps me succeed. I’m given the chance and guidance to try new things and even if I eventually fail in some of them, what I learn in the process is still a great treasure to me. Also, the management and my peers respect my personal life and have supported me when I had to deal with family issues.

What advice would you give to other women who want to advance their careers without sacrificing family life?
In current society, women are under even more pressure than men. We have to take care of the kids and family while also being excellent at work.
My suggestion to you is not to lose yourself in all the daily chores and tasks. Remember, you are the most important person in your life. When at work, do your best so there’s no room for regret. Reserve time for yourself and doing what makes you happy.
Trust me, if you do this and stay positive in everything, you will find your life and work getting better!

Elizabeth Wong, accelerating while relocating

Elizabeth currently lives in Dublin with her 12-year-old daughter. She joined the Yodo1 team in Beijing in 2014 as an accountant and was later based out of Hong Kong. In 2022, she decided to take full advantage of our Work From Anywhere arrangement and relocate to Ireland for her daughter’s studies.

Moving to a different country and time zone is never easy, but it didn’t stop Elizabeth from being promoted from Accounting Lead to leading the entire Finance Team and earning a spot in management for her outstanding work in transforming Yodo1’s finance function.

Elizabeth, how has Yodo1 empowered you?

Yodo1 embraces our mobility through Work From Anywhere. I’m very glad I’ve continued my job while navigating a new hometown. It empowers me and my daughter, as she can pursue her preferred education. With the flexibility to work from anywhere, we’re able to live in an area with better education opportunities that’s more affordable than in other regions of Hong Kong.
What advice would you give women who are thinking about relocating for work?
It certainly takes a great deal of time and effort to blend into a new environment. Being respectful in a new society is important. Be focused and prepared to explore; get ready to experience a bit of a bumpy ride sometimes and, most importantly, have fun!

Marina Espin, Yodo1’s youngest business leader

Marina moved from her hometown of Barcelona to Beijing in 2017 to study Mandarin. In 2019, after being enticed by the gaming industry, Marina started an entry-level position as a Monetization Manager at Yodo1. After less than six months, she led the team, and one year after that, she became the head of Yodo1’s MAS business unit—managing 30+ people and becoming Yodo1’s youngest-ever business leader.

In 2022, Marina moved to a new challenge, becoming Head of Strategic Partnerships for our Publishing and IP Licensing teams. Today, she is fully focused on expanding our global licensing partnerships and Brands in Games collaborations.

She’s also a certified sailor and can even do a headstand!

Marina, how has Yodo1 empowered you?
Yodo1 allowed me to grow extremely fast in the past four years, trusting me to do things I had never done before. I got the chance to work in the three main business units, engage with, and learn from many different teams around the company.
Working remotely allowed me to be based in Barcelona but have the freedom to travel often for work and pleasure, planning my working hours in a way that best fits me.
I have also been able to hire great team members from all around the world. Not being limited by a geo-location when building a team is extremely empowering and allowed me to hire the best people for each role.

What advice would you give to women who want to stay physically active and socially connected while advancing their careers in a remote work environment?

If you want to advance quickly without sacrificing your health or social life—especially when working remotely—you need to create the right environment for yourself.
Choosing a place to live where you have friends or at least have the chance to meet people is important, as you’re going to spend a lot of time working by yourself, connected to your colleagues online but far away physically.
In my case, using a co-working space really helped, as I got to meet new people and have a more stable routine. It feels like having the perks of an office with the freedom of working remotely.
Lastly, I think it’s important to make the effort to meet your colleagues in person once a quarter to strengthen personal connections and engagement with the company.

Flo Alcasas, from freelance writer to HR leader

Flo was never interested in a traditional career path. After high school, she left her home country of the Netherlands to volunteer in Asia while pursuing an online college degree and teaching English on the side. Coincidentally, it was when she started running a blog that she landed her first freelance writing work with Yodo1. After a few months, she was offered a part-time and eventually full-time position in the PR department.

The big leap came when Yodo1 closed its Beijing office and went fully remote. Co-founder and Co-CEO James LaLonde asked Flo if she was interested in leading Yodo1’s new global recruiting efforts. Four months after that, she became the Head of HR—leading recruitment and people operations—and hasn’t looked back since.

Flo, how has Yodo1 empowered you?
My boss and mentor was quick to see my potential in areas I’d previously never imagined myself working. Along with new opportunities, I got a lot of coaching, on-the-job learning experience, and—most importantly—a lot of trust to try my hand at a new set of challenges.
I’ve never heard of a company that promotes people as quickly as Yodo1. And it’s super empowering to work alongside so many exceptional women leaders!

What advice would you give to freelancers who want to transition to a full-time career?
Whatever job comes your way, don’t take it unless you’re going to give it your best. Freelancers build their careers by establishing a reputation of excellence, whether the assignment is one hour or one year.
Do the research needed, pay attention to detail, double and triple check. Once you are known for delivering at your best on whatever task you’re given, clients will keep coming back and may even want to bring you on full-time if an opportunity opens up.

Winnie Yang, from managing a game to a whole business unit

Winnie joined Yodo1 in 2019 as a project manager in the Publishing department, handling the game production schedule, ensuring quality releases, and managing external communications.

As she gained more experience and demonstrated her capabilities, she was given the opportunity to take on a bigger role within the team. Now, she oversees the entire game production team, operates multiple projects, and helps run the business unit.

Winnie, how has Yodo1 empowered you?
Yodo1 empowers me by trusting me with increasing responsibilities and providing opportunities for growth and development.
Moving to my new role, I had to start managing people, costs, and strategic direction. One of the biggest challenges I faced was transitioning from a hands-on worker to a more strategic thinker, which required me to learn how to delegate tasks effectively, empower team members to make decisions, and focus on the bigger picture of the business.
Despite the challenges, my work at Yodo1 has been extremely rewarding, allowing me to significantly impact the company. Overall, this role has been an incredible opportunity for growth and development, and I am excited to see where it will take me.

What advice would you give to women wanting to become gaming industry leaders?
I honed leadership skills such as communication, delegation, and decision-making to succeed in my role. I built relationships with key stakeholders. These are important skills to develop.
Additionally, I stay up-to-date with industry trends and best practices to ensure our games remain competitive and engaging for players.
My advice — believe in yourself, develop your skills, seek mentorship and support, and remain persistent in pursuing your goals.

Nina Wang, from China to Global

One of our first employees, Nina, joined Yodo1 in the early Beijing days in 2012. Four years later, she left to pursue a different path, and in 2020, she returned to continue her career in gaming. By this time, Yodo1 was a completely different company… and while COVID disrupted work, it didn’t slow Nina’s growth.

Starting as a Product Manager for a publishing project in China, Nina eventually took on the brand new challenge of leading Yodo1’s first globally published game.

Though it required getting out of her comfort zone, Nina stepped up to the plate and led her fully-remote (and now globally distributed team) to success with ARBS, increasing the game’s player base by 50x

Nina, how has Yodo1 empowered you?
At work, Yodo1 gives me a lot of room to play. When I face unknowns, my leaders never give me direct orders, but they provide me with a lot of information and inspiration to explore and learn on my own. My colleagues also share recent discoveries and grow together. I feel that I am making progress every year, every month, and even every day at Yodo1 and this makes me feel more empowered and confident.
There is one more point I want to make about women. For women my age, I am often asked when I am looking for a job in China, “When are you going to get married?” “When are you going to have children?” But the interviewers at Yodo1 never asked anything like this; they were focused on my career plan, professionalism, and potential. This made me feel very well taken care of as a woman.

What advice would you give non-native English speakers wanting to break into a global workspace?
Get out there and talk! Speak out loud. Don’t worry about grammar or word choice. The first step is always to speak. People are very tolerant of non-native English speakers. They will encourage you if they understand what you are trying to say and see that you’re making the effort. The more you speak, the more you’ll get used to it and the better you will become!

Nadiia Marchynska, three countries, three promotions

Nadiia, a digital nomad from Ukraine, was living and working in Vietnam when she decided it was time for a new challenge. She spotted one of Yodo1’s “work from anywhere” job openings and joined the team as a User Acquisition Specialist in 2021. It wasn’t long before she was promoted to UA Team Lead, and in less than a year, she became Head of Game Marketing and a member of our management team!

Nadiia was at a Yodo1 offsite in Thailand when the war started. If not for the trip, she would have been in Ukraine. Today, she is living and working in Canada.

Nadiia, how has Yodo1 empowered you?
Working at Yodo1 helped me keep moving despite the difficult war situation back home and inspired me to grow myself, my skills, and my team.
Receiving constant support from my team has been almost life-saving for me during such a difficult time. But the cherry on top is when I hear testimonials from our developers and receive sincere thanks and positive feedback directly from them. Being in a role where I can directly help developers empowers me greatly!

What advice would you give to women wanting to enter the gaming industry?
With focus and determination, nothing can stop you from succeeding, so keep moving towards your goals!

Ready to grow with us? Check out our Careers page!

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The post Yodo1 Stories: Making it Easier for Women to Grow a Career From Anywhere first appeared on Yodo1.

Worldwide Adventures in Work-From-Anywhere with Team Yodo1

Editor 01 — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 02:56:20 +0000

Adventures in Work-From-Anywhere with Yodo1

Snorkeling with sea turtles in Indonesia one month, catching NBA games the next. A stint living and DJing in the Caribbean. Home in South East Asia one day, Canada the next. Hanging out with people of 30+ nationalities. Visiting eight countries and four continents in three years.

These are not the stories of students on a gap year; this is the WFA life of some of our global team.

When Yodo1 switched to a fully flexible work-from-anywhere (WFA) policy in December 2020, doors opened for nomads to live their dream lives and take their job with them. The policy is simple: As long as you are excelling at your work, you can do it from any country in the world.

For many Yodies, this has meant taking advantage of the flexible work hours to spend more time with family and friends, and several brave souls have fully embraced the nomadic and adventurous lifestyle that working from anywhere makes possible.

These are their stories.

One Year, Four Countries, 14 Cities: Ismael Jorge Soler

Home Country: Spain,

Currently Found In: Lombok, Indonesia

I have been with Yodo1 for 13 months now; I started on a commission basis as part of the Games Growth team and then graduated to full-time employment; I work to help developers to grow a sustainable economy with their free-to-play games. Before joining Yodo1 I worked in four different countries: I would move somewhere and start a new life, find a job there, etc, and live there for a while.

When I joined Yodo1 the WFA policies were certainly a great plus but I was also attracted by the opportunities this company gives you to grow. And thanks to the freedom provided by WFA I have worked from 14 cities across four countries over the last year, even meeting up with other Yodies like Felipe (see below) several times around the world!

From snorkeling with sea turtles off the spectacular island of Gili Meno in Indonesia to indulging my love of the NBA by attending not one but 11 live games–including a playoff!–when I was in the US a few months ago, it has been one adventure after another!

I’m glad that I can travel and still progress professionally without having to find a new job each time.

Living Different Lives: Felipe Gomez

Home Country: Chile

Currently Found In: Back home in Chile

I have been with Yodo1 for about a year. I started as a Business Developer for MAS and in January this year I joined the publishing team. My job is to find Indie developers with great games and see if we can establish new partnerships with them in order to help them scale their games globally.

About five years ago I quit my corporate job in Chile and started traveling, first moving to Kaohsiung, Taiwan, to study Mandarin. After Taiwan, I moved to Barcelona and started working at a startup before moving to Zurich where I spent 2 years. I started looking for remote jobs because I wanted to be able to move forward with my career without having to be bound to any country. This is when I found out about Yodo1. I was looking for a job with this sort of freedom, and also one of my dreams was to join the gaming industry, which made the decision to join the company a no-brainer.

I am not really a big city person and I love that I can work while living in places like the Caribbean–it feels like living two completely different lives: I can be fully focused on a high performing job during the morning and next thing I know, I will be playing at a DJ gig in the middle of the jungle in the evening!

WFA is a Lifestyle Gamechanger: Nadiia Marchynska

Home Country: Ukraine

Currently Found In: Vancouver, Canada

I’m the Head of Game Marketing and have been with Yodo1 since September last year. I was always a nomad at heart, but my previous jobs didn’t give me the opportunity to fully embrace my nomadic self. Yodo1’s WFA policy was definitely a game changer for me and helped me make the decision to give up on my settled-down office lifestyle.

I was in Vietnam when I joined Yodo1. Thanks to the flexibility WFA gave me, I was able to visit my hometown in Ukraine and see my family for the first time in three years. When the war started in Ukraine and my city started getting bombed I was actually luckily pulled out on a company trip to Thailand, which was destined to save my life. Despite this un-peaceful time in my life, thanks to WFA I was able to peacefully keep my job no matter where I was.

And thanks to WFA, I have once again relocated—this time to Canada, and I plan to travel more soon!

No Limits: Kemal Kalimov

Home Country: Kyrgyz Republic

Currently Found In: Back home in Kyrgyz Republic

I’ve been at Yodo1 for over two years now, starting as an Business Development Manager and now leading and training our Games Growth sales team. I love traveling and with Yodo1 I can work and travel around the whole world, there are no limits. I have been to around 20 countries already, four since joining Yodo1. I love our WFA policy: I have family and friends all over the world and I can visit them while I work.

Also, I love learning about different cultures and absorbing their way of living, their wisdom and knowledge. The things travel has taught me have helped me build and lead our international team of 20 Yodies representing 15 different countries from varied backgrounds–we are honestly one big family.

These two years with Yodo1 have helped me to grow and become a better version of myself both professionally and individually. I love the intercultural atmosphere, it really expands your horizons when you are learning from people who are anywhere from Japan to Venezuela!

Work/Life Balance Revolution: Flo Alcasas

Home Country: United States of America

Currently Found In: The Netherlands

I recently celebrated my three year anniversary with Yodo1, and it’s been quite a journey—literally and figuratively. Back when I was based in the Philippines, I wanted to go spend a few months in Australia but my then-employer wouldn’t let me. So I quit and started looking for online freelance work.

That’s how I started at Yodo1. A lot has changed since then—I’m now the Head of HR—but one thing that hasn’t changed is that I can go anywhere, anytime, and still do my job. All I need is my laptop. It’s been great for my partner and daughter, allowing us to go on all kinds of adventures together as well as making it possible for me to take her to visit family in the US.

Plus, I love to travel! In the past three years with Yodo1, I’ve worked from Australia, Taiwan, Malaysia, the USA, Germany, Ireland, and—most recently—Thailand. Most of the time, my partner and daughter come along. Since Covid we’ve established our home base here in the Netherlands but we still love traveling together as a family whenever we can. My dream is for us to be world-schooling nomads in a few years’ time. I’m also looking forward to meeting more colleagues from around the world!

Ready to Start your WFA Journey?

If you would you like to travel the world while growing your career in a cutting-edge industry, and working from anywhere with no limits appeals to you, then don’t just sit there dreaming about it— check out our WFA career opportunities today!

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The post Worldwide Adventures in Work-From-Anywhere with Team Yodo1 first appeared on Yodo1.

From Finance to Game Creation: One Developer’s Road To Success

Editor 01 — Mon, 20 Jun 2022 18:25:04 +0000

From Finance to Gaming: One Developer’s Road To Success

This is the first in a four-part series about mobile game growth featuring Animal Revolt Battle Simulator (ARBS). Follow along with Lam Trinh Hoang on his journey to establish VDimension Studios and scale his first cross-platform hit game.

Are you passionate about gaming? Maybe you make games in your spare time and dream of turning them into a business but just aren’t sure how to make it happen. Well, Meet Lam Trinh Hoang, creator of Animal Revolt Battle Simulator (ARBS), the popular physics-based sandbox game, and follow along with us through this four-part series focusing on his early beginnings to gaming success to publishing his game with Yodo1.

An Opportunity For Change

Originally from Vietnam but now UK-based, Lam started his career in the financial services industry, making games in his spare time. When the opportunity arose for a career change, he knew It was now or never—bored of the tedium of the financial field, he wanted to try his hand at something creative and fun.

“I’d done some work on a VR game, which made only a little money, as the market for it was still too small then. I didn’t want to jump into game development again without really understanding the market, so before I started making ARBS, I researched what kind of games actually sell: specifically those made by small and solo developers,” said Lam. “I quickly realized sandbox-type games, ones where the player has a lot of freedom to do things inside the game, rather than constrained to a narrative, were among the most popular—like Minecraft, which was also initially created by just one person. This is super important for developers to know: people love games that give them a lot of freedom,” he explained. “They are also into games that involve a lot of physics because hitting things and watching them fly around is something that makes video games so much fun, and these are the exact things we love when we are kids!”

After deciding on the genre, Lam continued his research on Steam and YouTube, reading about, watching, and playing various games to learn what was popular in the market before finally arriving at his final decision: an animal-based battle simulator.

Challenges and Key Learnings

Even after he found his niche, the development process itself was not without challenges.

“As an indie developer, especially if you work solo, you must wear many hats. I did all the coding myself, but I outsourced some parts, like the 3D modeling and music,” said Lam.

He had to figure out how to make the game fun to play, as well as expand his skills beyond writing code; learning Photoshop, GIMP, and 3D modeling software. Lam’s not complaining, though: “I had an absolute blast making Animal Revolt!” he said.

Unlike many developers who went straight into mobile, after two years of development, Lam chose to release ARBS on Steam first, in June 2020. In fact, when Lam first made ARBS, he hadn’t planned to turn it into a mobile game at all. But as the game became increasingly successful, he wanted to capitalize on it and wondered whether it was possible to port his title to mobile.

“I realized that I could bring the game to mobile players because on the computer you’re using a mouse to select, point, and build things, which is actually quite easily transferable to mobile, where you use your finger in the same way,” he explained.

That’s one of the big advantages of working on your own: you know where things are and how they all work, and can adapt your game much easier to changes and new opportunities.

Discovering MAS for Monetization

Lam first learned about Yodo1’s Managed Ad Services (MAS) through another developer, Ivan Panasenko, whose YouTube video detailed his monetization experience using various ad services, running the numbers, and detailing the increase in earnings once he’d switched to MAS. “I found it interesting because I was using another monetization provider. And once I tried MAS, immediately the earnings went up without the downloads changing at all. When I found that for the same number of downloads and users I could increase my earnings, it was a very easy win for me. So whatever magic you guys are doing behind the scenes is definitely working!”

The ‘magic’ of MAS is a combination of human expertise and AI optimization, which work together to ensure your game’s ad revenue is always maximized.

The personalized support is also a big part of what Lam loves about using MAS.

“Whenever I had an issue, Ismael [from the Customer Success team] would jump on it right away and connect me with the right support staff very quickly. So that was very useful, and something that you definitely cannot get from any other monetization partner: MAS is a clear winner in this department. The support you provide for developers is way beyond anything else you can get anywhere else: personalized support where you can actually speak to someone, which is just unheard of, and they react, they respond to you immediately.”

The MAS team also provided data on ad optimization and placement, leading Lam to incorporate rewarded ads in addition to the interstitials he’d been using, further boosting ARBS’s revenue and improving the player experience.

“Big props to you guys for being so hands on with developers on how to maximize revenue, because I really doubt I would get that anywhere else. I would absolutely recommend MAS to any other mobile developer out there who’s deciding what to use for game monetization. It is the best choice both in terms of extra revenue compared to other networks, and the support that you receive. It just doesn’t compare. MAS is definitely the number one choice for me and it should be the number one choice for anyone that wants to make money from their mobile game.”

Strike a Good Work-Life Balance

Lam’s advice for other indie developers reading this article is simple: “Make sure that you enjoy the work you’re doing. Don’t get into it expecting to become a millionaire but be passionate about games and about your idea. Do your research: ensure the market wants what you’re making. And lastly, make sure you have a good work-life balance. Work reasonable hours and go out and enjoy the sunshine and spend time with your friends and family and do things apart from just game development. It doesn’t matter how fast you make the game: if it is good it will sell. So don’t kill yourself working hundred-hour weeks.”

Invaluable advice not just for indie game developers, but for anyone working in a creative field! Learn more about Lam’s journey from using MAS to publishing with Yodo1 in the next part of this ARBS article series!

Want to increase your game’s revenue in three simple steps?

Check out MAS today or book a call with us to learn more!

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Vivien Zhang, from career launch to business leader, while starting a family

Elizabeth Wong, accelerating while relocating

Marina Espin, Yodo1’s youngest business leader

Flo Alcasas, from freelance writer to HR leader

Winnie Yang, from managing a game to a whole business unit

Nina Wang, from China to Global

Nadiia Marchynska, three countries, three promotions

Worldwide Adventures in Work-From-Anywhere with Team Yodo1​

Adventures in Work-From-Anywhere with Yodo1

One Year, Four Countries, 14 Cities: Ismael Jorge Soler

Living Different Lives: Felipe Gomez

WFA is a Lifestyle Gamechanger: Nadiia Marchynska

No Limits: Kemal Kalimov

Home Country: Kyrgyz Republic

Work/Life Balance Revolution: Flo Alcasas

Home Country: United States of America

From Finance to Game Creation: One Developer’s Road To Success​

From Finance to Gaming: One Developer’s Road To Success

An Opportunity For Change

Challenges and Key Learnings

Discovering MAS for Monetization

Strike a Good Work-Life Balance

Worldwide Adventures in Work-From-Anywhere with Team Yodo1

From Finance to Game Creation: One Developer’s Road To Success