As mobile gaming publishers compete for consumer share of wallet in an evolving market, new data enables optimization of player loyalty and strategies for sustainable growth

Mistplay Inc., the leading loyalty app for mobile gamers, today released the 2024 Mobile Gaming Spender Report, a collection of new insights from thousands of mobile spenders on why they spend on in-app purchases (IAP) in games, how that spend may change in the future, and what factors may influence further investments. With these findings, the broader mobile gaming industry, including leadership, product, monetization, and acquisition teams, will have a deeper understanding of the modern mobile gaming spender, enabling them to implement informed strategies to overcome the onset of industry challenges.

“A new reality is setting in for the mobile gaming industry and there will be a disproportionate number of winners and losers among gaming publishers, as spenders plan to reduce in-game spending, user acquisition becomes more competitive and expensive, and companies continue competing for a limited share of IAP wallet,” said Jason Heller, CEO, Mistplay. “This is the inaugural release of an annual report that we hope will empower mobile gaming publishers with strategic insights that will help them to scale their businesses sustainably. I firmly believe that those who can successfully execute on three key drivers – diversifying user acquisition, strengthening product market fit, and nurturing long-term loyalty – are going to outperform those that do not.”

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Mistplay’s 2024 Mobile Gaming Spender Report provides a holistic view of mobile gaming spenders based on tiered spender cohorts, including High-value spenders, and core personas based on top mobile game genres. Key findings include:

• Mobile spenders will be more discerning with their spend in 2024: The landscape of mobile game spending may witness a discernible shift this year, with 32% of spenders – and 41% of High-value spenders – planning to reduce their in-game spending and shift towards more budget-conscious decisions for discretionary spend.
• A good (personalized) offer goes a long way: Optimizing the usage of IAP offers and discounts can be a viable strategic approach to encourage investment, given that 33% of spenders indicate they will spend if they encounter a deal too good to pass up, and 40% would be influenced to spend more if given personalized offers.
• Social factors influence installs, not always spend: Community is a powerful lever at the top of the funnel, with mobile spenders ranking word-of-mouth recommendations as a top-3 discovery channel and 31% downloading three or more games from referrals in the past year, but it may lose importance further down the funnel, as a majority of spenders (69%) report that social factors don’t influence their spending decisions at all.
• Loyalty bonuses are powerful tools to engage spenders: Spenders are looking for ways to make their discretionary spend go further and will engage with brands that help them do so, as a majority (79%) not only engage with a variety of loyalty programs but will also spend more in-game if doing so earns them extra points or monetary rewards (51%).
• Engagement with ads relies on relevant, real gameplay: A majority of spenders will download a new game after seeing ad impressions for a few days or less – and while 72% of mobile spenders will be interested in ads that have appealing gameplay, they are often frustrated with misleading gameplay.

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