Mahshidsadat Makki, Mostafa Jafari and Mohammadreza Parsanejad
Growing technology adoption is a significant opportunity for the growth of the mobile gaming market. Rising smartphones allow game developers to reach more players and make more…
Abstract
Purpose
Growing technology adoption is a significant opportunity for the growth of the mobile gaming market. Rising smartphones allow game developers to reach more players and make more money. The study offers guidance for mobile game developers to increase profits and extend the longevity of their games. It aims to assist in making better marketing policy decisions by providing valuable insights into effective approaches for both early and subsequent market penetration stages.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents a model for analyzing factors that influence the attraction and retention of mobile gamers, which is based on a literature review of mobile gaming and uses the Bass diffusion model and system dynamics method for modeling and simulation.
Findings
In the initial stages of a game release, influencer marketing can be more effective than other marketing tools in increasing visibility. As the game progresses, incorporating referral programs can enhance user engagement, promote the game further, and reduce the number of uninstalls. Influencer marketing can also help the games reach a wider audience, generating more interest, and increasing installations for more tremendous success in the market. However, referral programs can extend the lifespan of games, mainly when gamers are engaged.
Originality/value
The study used new marketing strategies in the mobile game industry to gain insights into the growth and evolution of this industry. Development managers can use insights for effective policies and success. The model aids in understanding the dynamics of mobile games and informed decisions for game developers.
Details
Keywords
Mostafa Jafari, Mohammadreza Parsanejad and Mahshidsadat Makki
The basic purpose of this study is to increase the installation rate of mobile games and their life cycle. Little research has been conducted into the competitive market of mobile…
Abstract
Purpose
The basic purpose of this study is to increase the installation rate of mobile games and their life cycle. Little research has been conducted into the competitive market of mobile games and word-of-mouth (WOM), advertisement and quality simultaneously. In this paper, the authors aim to assist developers with a better understanding of how to invest in the game industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The primitive modeling has been made based on the Bass diffusion model and its extensions using features related to the game industry. Modeling and simulation have been performed using the system dynamics method.
Findings
The results show that if game developers only focus on advertising at the introduction of the game to the market, and neglect quality features, uninstall rate of adopters increases and the game life cycle decreases. And if developers only focus on the quality improvement of the game, and ignore advertisement, they couldn't create enough WOM and thus game installation wouldn't grow enough to create revenue. Furthermore, as long as the pleasure of the game is high for its adopters, developers shouldn't give up on investing in advertising to create even higher WOM. And also in communities with higher levels of variety-seeking among game players, quality is important at the start and advertisement is vital in the following steps of the game life cycle. And if the contact rate among people is high, developers could focus on quality more than the advertisement.
Originality/value
Even though WOM in mobile game installation is crucial, fewer studies have been done in this area and they only address the problem using qualitative or statistical methods. The quantitative system dynamics approach based on the Bass diffusion model, used in this research, fixes the shortcomings of the previous studies. Moreover, due to serious competition in the mobile game industry, only those developers can remain in the market who can predict the future trend of the game market. Furthermore, game development is a creative process and its key factors include engaging the gamers and monetizing.