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Unity Technologies released a report on how Covid-19 lockdown has impacted user acquisition and monetization in the gaming industry. The data comes from games made with Unity or using the Unity Ads network.
Overall use
46% DAU increase in HD gaming (i.e. console, PC, VR) and 17% in mobile gaming
Weekend and weekday differences in gaming behavior narrowed by 63%
User acquisition
Mobile gamers are installing 84% more apps
Click-through rate (CTR) for mobile gaming ads went up 34% compared to 2019
Average cost per install (CPI) for mobile games dropped by 33%
“Pandemic gamers” -- gamers who joined only since the start of the pandemic -- convert 27.5% more often to paying users, but generate 8% less daily revenue.
Retention
In HD gaming, D1 retention is up by 11% and D30 retention is up by 8.8%
Monetization
In-app purchase (IAP) revenue for mobile games increased by 24%
Mobile gaming ad impressions increased by 57%, and ad revenues surged by 59%
Among mobile game players who watch ads, average number of ads watched increased by 14%
Individual average eCPM decreased by 3% compared to 2019