Modern mobile games have adopted innovative monetization strategies to maximize their revenue potential. A case study on the freemium model used by Random Dice, a popular mobile game, reveals how this approach can be highly effective.
By offering free-to-play experiences, games like Random Dice can attract a large player base and generate revenue through various monetization methods. This approach has proven successful, with Random Dice boasting over 500k downloads and $3m in revenue on the iOS store alone as of February 2020. The game's success can be attributed to its ability to draw players in with no barrier to entry.
Randomness is a key factor in keeping players engaged. Integrating random elements into the economy and rewards system makes spending money more enjoyable, but also more addictive. While this approach may not be healthy or fair from an ethics perspective, it's a winning strategy for businesses. Random Dice offers various loot boxes available for purchase directly, through in-game currency, or as a reward for certain gameplay performance.
Offering premium currency, such as diamonds, instead of using microtransactions to purchase content directly is another common approach. Some players may choose to buy premium currency when they want more content or resources, but aren't sure yet what they will spend it on. Others may know exactly what they want the diamonds for, which can lead to larger purchases.
The "VIP" pass is a popular option for players who want to get the most value out of their gaming experience. This one-time pass encourages players to continue playing and spending money once they've broken the mental barrier of making their first purchase. The more time players spend in the game, the more they care about the in-game content and will want to spend more again.
The modern approach to advertising is to let players choose when (and why) they watch an ad, and then reward them for it. This revenue stream targets players who are looking to gather more resources or spend resources, without relying on those who will fork over cash directly. Random Dice allows players to watch a video to refresh their daily shop offers or earn in-game currency.
The cooperative mode in Random Dice only allows 5 plays per day, encouraging players to pay for additional plays or upgrade to 10 plays per day. The separate mode called Random Arena can only be played by spending diamonds, targeting players who care more about playing what they want than purchasing items.
Random Dice's daily rewards and quest system refreshes every 24 hours, building a habit in players to check in at least once a day. This habit can long outlive a player's enjoyment of the game, causing them to continue checking back and perceiving value in their resources long after they should have stopped playing.
When there are daily quests that will disappear the next day, some players don't want to miss every opportunity to get extra value, so they'll spend money to complete the quests. When there are daily deals they can't afford with in-game currency, they may be afraid of missing a great offer and decide to spend money to get it before it's gone. The same systems that cultivate habit in players also feed on players with FOMO (the fear of missing out).
By casting their monetization net wide, Random Dice and other modern mobile games seem to be maximizing their revenue potential. AI-powered games like these are revolutionizing the way we play and earn rewards, offering a unique gaming experience that keeps us coming back for more.