{"id":17234,"date":"2024-03-14T13:46:09","date_gmt":"2024-03-14T11:46:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gamerefinery.com\/?p=17234"},"modified":"2024-03-14T13:46:09","modified_gmt":"2024-03-14T11:46:09","slug":"mobile-game-market-review-february-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gamerefinery.com\/mobile-game-market-review-february-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Analyst Bulletin: Mobile Game Market Review February 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When we put together our extensive list of battle pass and subscription plan implementations<\/a> at the end of last year, it didn\u2019t leave much room for studios to surprise us with new monetization features \u2013 or so we thought. Match3 game Match Masters<\/a> launched one of the most innovative subscription plans we\u2019ve seen in its February update, replacing its auto-renewing subscription plan pass with a new Premium Pass, activated through in-game purchases. More on that below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jumping from monetization to engagement, Playrix continues on its track of beefing up the minigame event experience, with Homescapes<\/a> adding a new tournament-style event to support a larger exploration event in February. And speaking of in-game events, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang<\/a> saw huge download and revenue spikes from its collaboration with Attack on Titan, where players could unlock special event currency by watching scenes from the anime and correctly answering quiz questions afterward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were plenty of surprises on the new game front in February, too. Notably the Japanese launch of idle RPG Mushroom Legend: The Hero and the Magic Lamp<\/a>. It\u2019s been a hit with players, so much so that it reached a top-grossing and download position of #2 in the Japanese charts. Its comparisons with Legend of the Slime and a major UA campaign featuring gravure [glamour] Idol Umi Shinonome has some of the answers\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can find more on the above, as well as deeper dives into the biggest events and updates from the mobile game world in February 2024, below. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

February\u2019s casual mobile game updates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The PvP-focussed match3 title,\u00a0Match Masters<\/a>, launched an innovative Subscription Plan in its 4.706 update unlike anything we\u2019ve seen before. The game\u2019s auto-renewing subscription plans (Masters Club) were replaced with a new Premium Pass, activated for seven days by making any real money purchase in the game. Other changes included a new Daily Tasks feature and Legendary Booster, \u2018Mixy Meow\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Match Masters\u2019 Premium Pass is activated for 7 days by making any real money purchase<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

The game had been scaling highly in downloads before the update in January, but February saw the highest daily revenue spikes in the game\u2019s history, with a 95% increase in revenue per download, according to GameRefinery data. This could be caused by the launch of the new subscription plan as it incentivizes frequent real-money IAPs, catering to a larger number of players than the old subscription plan through its more attractive \u201cprice point\u201d that might activate especially low-spending players to purchase more.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Match Masters daily revenue & downloads chart (GameRefinery SaaS US iOS)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

SimCity BuildIt<\/a> has a new ad feature that allows players to activate a factory building by watching rewarded ads. Players can activate the factory for 10 minutes at a time, up to six times a day. As factories are an essential part of the core gameplay, players craft the materials needed for their products by crafting them in the factories. This is the first step in building the city in the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Homescapes<\/a>\u00a0introduced Call of the Wild, its first-ever tournament-type support event to a larger minigame event, which is also the longest tournament in the game to date. Players needed to clear obstacles and collect event points, Shillings, inside the exploration minigame event, adding competition elements to the minigame experience and further incentivizing energy consumption. The tournament is also two-fold, with shorter three-day personal leagues and a global league lasting for the three-week duration of the exploration event.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Homescapes<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n
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\"Homescapes
Homescapes introduced Call of the Wild, its first-ever tournament-type support event to a larger minigame event, which is also the longest tournament in the game to date<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Additional casual game highlights and other news<\/h3>\n\n\n\n