These are the Changing Trends of the Gaming World As per a recent report by Tune, 86% of mobile users have a minimum of one game on their phones

The one thing that is sure to turn wheels is "change.' Nowhere it is more prominent than in digital games of today. Transformations are happening slowly but steadily, and it is all due to the consumer attitude towards diverse entertainment choices and the velocity at which the games are growing as a new source of entertainment.

The Indian Game Field

In the year 2017, it was the sheer volume of digital titles that offered players an unprecedented choice in games. There was a bounty of new titles as well as experiences designed to appeal to a deeper and broader audience. The year saw the childhood favourite board game; Ludo became a national obsession with over 10 million downloads.

In revenue terms, it was games like Teen Patti, Rummy, PubG, Coinmaster offered by developers like Octro, RummyCircle, Miniclip, Moonfrog, Tencent that dominated the grossing charts. The trend has continued in the year 2018 as well.

It's the multiplayer games that bring together the thrill and excitement of playing against each other. Along with it, the preferred choice remains the strategy-based games; the top 10 games downloaded in India showing it clearly.

The fact is that almost everybody who owns a mobile phone, play games on it. As per a recent report by Tune, 86% of mobile users have a minimum of one game on their phones, and around 37% of these players have three or more games on their phones. Interestingly, Indians have roughly the same number of games whether they use an inexpensive phone (under 20K) or the expensive variety (30-50K). However, the type of game and the level of complexity and megabytes is quite different. Once the players get to try and enjoy a game, they are likely to be loyal users of the game.

Strong Player Retention

Indian mobile game players rank third of the countries worldwide when the user retention for a 14 days period is seen. The non-organic app retention rates are at 6.3% closely followed by Germany at 6.4% and the UK at 6.8%. What's seen in this recent research done by AppsFlyer is that the gaming sector is ready to compete with the developed gaming segments of the world.

The player today has super high expectations and the only way to stand out amongst over 5 million gaming apps out there is through quality. A great game is about the complete experience with excellent graphics, smooth interface, and fast gameplay that keeps the user coming back for more.

One can only lead the industry through its data-driven personalized approach. From observing the player preferences to the gameplay patterns and real-time offers, they are constantly working to provide a better and improved rummy experience.

Show me the wallet

When it comes to spending power, we have always known it is difficult to get people to spend money on things that they can't eat, wear or keep on a shelf. Simply put, things you can't use in the real physical world. However, it has significantly changed now. In fact, 34% of Indians today spend money on mobile games every month. Players have preferred the freemium model over the paid games, but when it comes to revenue, it is the paid games that are leading with over 173 Crore in profit in the Financial Year 2016-17, as per industry estimates.

India is Set to See Revenue of USD 1.1 billion in 2019

Yes, the numbers are impressive, but this is coming from a tiny fraction of players with just 2.5% of Indian players contributing to over half of game revenue. There is a fantastic opportunity in the Indian app ecosystem. What the recent research by Tune tells us is; the average lifetime value (LTV) of players just around INR 1143 and there is so much more that can be done. However, one interesting thing that remains constant across all major countries is the conversions double from Day 1 to Day 3 and increases by 30% from Day 7 to Day 30. What's also seen is, India has the highest engagement with 33% of players making more than 3 purchases in a 90 Day period, as per the AppsFlyer report.

The trick that seems to be working here is re-engaging with the audience at the right time. But, there is a long way to go. With only 14% of Indians transacting with credit cards, a quarter uses debit cards and the largest segment use one or the other kind of digital wallet to cover their mobile game purchases. Keeping this point in mind, the Indian player needs different forms of transactions provided to them. Mobile wallets and UPI can play a significant role in the same. And with Google and Apple integrating the same in their payment methods, this will become a major boost for Gaming and other industries too.

Conclusion

From user behaviour to spending capacity and preferences, changes are happening around us at a continuous pace. To keep stride with this rapidly growing and evolving gaming world, innovation is the key. The games providing localized Indian content with a strong focus on data and improving consumer experience will continue to grow and become a significant entertainment option for consumers at large.