An Insider's Take on Social Media Marketing for Mobile Games

Sandy Smith | Social Media Content Manager at Yodo1 Games

As a social media manager for Yodo1 games, I'm nearly always knee-deep in the often-fascinating-sometimes-infuriating world of mobile game marketing. Navigating this landscape involves understanding the trends, adopting an experimental mindset, and most importantly, digging deep into the niche a game naturally occupies to make impactful marketing decisions. It’s not enough to create a great game; you need to stay ahead of the marketing curve to ensure genuine success and longevity.

Let’s dive in.

Platform trends

We live in a fast-paced digital world where the only constant is change. Embracing this reality means aligning with the trends that the major platforms are pushing.

Let's use TikTok as an example. The platform has shifted towards favoring video clips that are longer than a minute. If we leverage this trend and start creating longer and more carefully planned content, we can reap big rewards. It’s pretty simple: platforms will favor content that embraces whatever new thing they’re pushing.

How to make storytelling content:

@maggievirtually SAVE THIS for your next content creation day! I know a lot of you guys are confused about storytelling content and what it actually looks like 👀 so I’m back with my greenscreen notes with 7 specific examples of how to create storytelling content! SO many people think that storytelling content is just telling a ‘once upon a time’ full start to finish story- but it doesn’t have to be that way! It’s basically just outlining a process or sharing the journey from problem to resolution. Simple! Make sure to save this video for later so that you can start making storytelling content and connecting with your audience on a deeper level. Follow along for more TikTok Strategy advice (And for part 2 of this video!) #storytellingcontent #storytime #contentcreationtips #contentideasforbusinesses #tiktokforbusiness #tiktokstrategyforbusiness #tiktokstrategist ♬ original sound - Maggie 💖 TIKTOK STRATEGIST

This doesn't mean putting all your eggs in the TikTok basket. It's essential to experiment across platforms and with different content types—short, long, trending sounds, original trends, streaming, memes, reels, stagnant pictures, comedic elements, or story-based content—to uncover what resonates with your audience. Try it all!

Case in point: Riot Games. They suffered a backlash from a controversial update to League of Legends. Some quick thinking led them to do a pre-recorded premiere on YouTube (with live chat), candidly explaining the situation authentically. The message resonated with players, who retracted their claws and let Riot live to fight another day. This highlights a key mindset: Think deeply about how and when to share content. Don’t fall into autopilot mode. If Riot had been upfront with their community, preemptively, about what was going on internally, odds are, things may have transpired differently. Riot Games learned the hard way just how influential “Developer Updates” can be, and they now release a video with every update. Remember, at the end of the day it is important to remain authentic and keep your community front and center; they are what makes your game.

To keep up with trends like these, I suggest following platform newsletters and staying abreast of changing winds and the latest features. Understand the advantages of each platform and diversify your content across them, following what works but never losing your experimental mindset. Diversify! That way, if TikTok should ever be restricted, it will feel like a pivot rather than the end of the world.

Creatives and content

The best social media managers are like mad scientists—constantly experimenting and refining their strategies, never settling into one style or format—and certainly never making assumptions about what’s going to work! Recently I’ve been helping the mobile game Idle Slayer grow its newly-created social media channels, as part of Yodo1’s UA and social media service. Given their eye-catching 8-bit aesthetic, I’m trying longer videos with voiceovers to share tips and strategies, making sure to show moments of gameplay that existing players love.

That may sound odd coming from a social media manager also handling top games like Rodeo Stampede. But this is the beauty of social media marketing. There’s no ivory tower where all the secrets are kept. Experimentation and iteration are the keys to finding your niche, whatever the size or genre of your game. That’s what it boils down to.

This ties into the next key: in addition to constant experimentation, understanding your game's core appeal to players is critical. With Idle Slayer, we discovered that tagging posts with ‘#retrogaming’ significantly increased views. Who would have guessed?

https://www.tiktok.com/@idle_slayer/video/7238282348280778027is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7249583292084258346

If you can gain a deep understanding of your potential players and their interests (again, through experimentation and iteration), you should be able to uncover the unique things that make your game stand out from the crowd. Then amplify them in your social creatives. In the case of Idle Slayer, the key has been an emphasis on the unique retro aesthetic. If you haven’t found your niche yet, get to work.

It’s also worth noting how crucial it is to be consistent. Remember, social media success is a marathon, not a sprint. Tools like Later can help you schedule and plan content to ensure a regular posting schedule.

What about streaming?

Since we're exploring the diversification of content formats and the need for experimentation, I would be remiss not to mention streaming.

While not necessarily a key top-of-funnel activity (unless you're working with influencers--a topic for another day), streaming consistently can become a core pillar of your social media presence over the long term, and is a particularly useful way to keep players engaged in your community and coming back for exciting new content.

Let's get into this a little bit more.

Streaming has matured into a powerful way to connect with your community, share updates, and receive feedback. Consider the impact of spending an hour streaming: it creates an evergreen content piece (as a VOD) that players can revisit for information, tips, and rewards. Also, you can then repurpose that content for other formats and platforms. That’s a lot of value for a one-hour stream.

Recent ARBS and Rodeo Stampede Update Stream

But what about getting people to click? The promise of in-game rewards during streams can be a significant draw for your audience. Stagger rewards throughout the stream, with the biggest reward at the end, to keep viewers hooked. Think outside the box with tournaments, anniversary streams, and post-stream replays. It can be an opportunity to show the faces behind the game and get your community excited and involved in upcoming events!

Yodo1 recently organized Rodeo Stampede's 7th-anniversary stream, as well as an update stream for Animal Revolt: Battle Simulator, both of which were big successes due in large part to their structure. Each stream may only be around an hour, but we put a lot of time into planning the most attractive awards, deciding when to drop them, and how to tease those in the title and thumbnail.

What’s next?

Here’s a final thought: The most common issue I see in game development teams, around social media marketing, is analysis paralysis—or posting paralysis.

While you may want to meticulously plan your next game trailer, the same approach isn’t necessarily the right path for social media. Trends move so quickly that this article is probably already out of date. Don’t be a perfectionist—get your game out into the culture and refine it as you go. That’s how the biggest games do social media. They try a lot of stuff, learn, then try again, and continue learning. It’s the main difference between those who succeed and those who flounder.

If you’re looking for help with your game’s growth, including your social media, reach out to Yodo1 and learn how we could help take your game to the next level.

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Yodo1 IP Licensing: Why Major Game Studios Keep Coming Back

In an increasingly competitive mobile gaming industry, the quest for innovation and new growth strategies is relentless. To thrive, game studios must stay ahead of the curve so that they can tap into new audiences, and ultimately keep growing. One of the most effective strategies in recent years is the integration of popular Intellectual Properties (IPs) into games.

As the bridge connecting game studios with IPs, Yodo1 has become a critical player in this emerging landscape. We work with top IPs like The Walking Dead, Transformers, Ninja Turtles, and many more to bring new audiences to mobile games, helping game studios achieve next-level growth. The era of IP collaborations is here to stay and set to grow in leaps and bounds. This article will cover some of the ways Yodo1 works to help studios take full advantage of this major trend, and why we’ve become the recurring go-to partner for games like Top War.

Top War - A Partnership of Epic Proportions

Top War, an addictive military simulation SLG from Rivergame, swiftly climbed to the top of the charts after its launch in 2019. With an eye on expanding its horizons into IP collaborations, Top War sought help from Yodo1’s IP licensing team, integrating the ever-iconic Transformers IP, one of many in our roster of iconic brands and IPs.

Via Pocketgamer

This collaboration was a massive success, ultimately bringing in over 13 million players in the first phase of the 2-week event and breaking a revenue record on the day of the launch. Given the massive performance of this first collaboration, Top War was eager to plan a second, citing Yodo1’s reliability and clear guidance throughout the process. After all, these deals are complex, resource intensive, and potentially risky. We help studios navigate challenges from day one to ensure that everybody wins.

The second collaboration, this time integrating Pacific Rim, has also done extremely well, yet again boosting revenue and bringing whole new audiences to the game. Phase 2 of the Top War x Pacific Rim collaboration started on June 10th and promises nothing short of jam-packed action. Be sure to check out the trailer below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugNH5uFjbNU

How Yodo1 Facilitates Successful IP Collaborations

Yodo1’s role in IP collaborations goes well beyond simple mediation. For the Top War x Transformers collaboration, we leveraged our familiarity with the Transformers brand and worked closely with the developers to plan the collaboration from scratch, helping with character selection, discussing the story's backdrop, and ensuring the IP would fit organically within the player experience.

A crucial advantage here is our extensive publishing background. With hit games like Rodeo Stampede helping bring in over 1.5 billion players worldwide, a wealth of expertise can be brought to bear to ensure collaborations like these are massive hits. In the case of the Top War x Pacific Rim collaboration mentioned above, we were able to provide unique solutions throughout the development process. Pacific Rim’s Kaijus and Jaegers needed to feel fully integrated into the game, yet add freshness to the gameplay and feel like a special experience (a critical balance to get right). The event also had to tie into To War’s overall game economy and event monetization strategy, while considering the film series’ characters and the integrity of the IP. Again, these are complex dynamics and certainly not easy to navigate.

The Era of IPs in Mobile Games is Here

As more IP holders begin to see the appeal of bringing their IPs and brands to mobile gaming audiences, we feel there’s never been a better time for studios to catch this wave. The opportunities provided to game developers and studios to reach a new scale of players cannot be ignored. It’s happening now, and the trend isn’t going anywhere.

Leveraging 12 years of game publishing experience and six years of IP game operation and collaboration, we’ve become the go-to partner for game studios looking to access hundreds of top global IPs, including Sony, AMC, Legendary Pictures, and Hasbro. As an all-in-one platform, we offer full-stack support throughout the collaboration, consulting on negotiations, project management, operational supervision, insurance, operational authorization, dubbing, promotion, and celebrity image rights, to name a few. And since timing is key when it comes to a successful collaboration, we do all this within a four-month timeframe (on average).

This is not the time to watch the IP-licensing wave pass you by. Like Top War, look to a partner with the experience and breadth of know-how to help you navigate the complexities while gaining the massive upside of well-executed IP collaborations. If you’re ready to explore what’s possible, reach out to our IP licensing team to learn more.

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The Economics of IP Licensing

Fil Robinson, BD Manager IP Licensing | Yodo1

When you think of licensing... think of a Happy Meal!

Licensing. It's a term many of us have heard tossed around, but may not know what it actually is, or the huge role it plays in the world of business, entertainment, food, and fashion.

Since becoming the IP licensing Manager at Yodo1, many people have asked me "What do you do?" or “What is licensing?" Initially, I tried numerous variations of the formal business definitions, such as "I work with companies to make business agreements, whereby a company authorizes another company the right to use its IP or brand for a set period of time."

I soon found that lines like these weren’t relatable to most people, and so to keep things simple, I decided to use the analogy of a McDonald's Happy Meal. "Every month or so, McDonald's has a new toy, usually based on a children’s movie, TV show, or toy brand, which gets included in a Happy Meal. My job is to accomplish that, but for different video games instead of Happy Meals."

Via Tickets to Toy Time

Once you start to look, you’ll find the Happy Meal licensing analogy all around you, in every facet of consumer products and merchandise life. From limited-edition cars to board games, toys, and fashion, examples are everywhere. The images below are just a small showcase of the numerous and unique products which can come to life through licensing agreements.

SpongeBob Kyrie 5 via Nike

Via Star Wars

How licensing works

In this article, I will be looking into how licensing works, especially within the context of the gaming industry, and its future potential.

The basic concept of licensing is this: one party/company grants another the right to use their IP or brand for an agreed-upon period of time, just like a Happy Meal. You have the licensor and the licensee. The licensor (e.g. Disney) is the owner of the IP or Brand and decides who gets to use it for a set period of time (the licensee). The licensee (e.g. McDonald's) is the party/company that uses the granted license to make a new product inspired by the IP or brand. Aside from the obvious advantage to the consumer in the creation of some seriously cool products, there are many benefits to both the licensor and licensee from this agreement-some are outlined in the image below.

Business models

The process

1. The process of creating a license agreement begins when a licensor or licensee approaches the other (usually, the licensee will approach the IP/brand owner) with an idea of how they would like to use the IP/brand for a new product or project—be it physical or digital.
2. If both parties agree on the concept and the rules governing the development and launch of the product, then they move on to the commercial model for the agreement.
3. There are many different commercial models that can be implemented when concluding a licensing agreement. However, the three most common are Royalties only, Royalties + Minimum Guarantee (MG), and Flat Fee.

Model 1: Royalties only (with no Minimum Guarantee)

A royalty is a binding payment made to an individual or company for the ongoing use of their assets (including IPs or brands). Licensors have a right to receive a payment for every product sold related to their IP. The licensor and licensee negotiate and agree on what percentage each party should receive for every IP-related item sold (this is commonly known as Revenue Share).

This model is popular for licensees as no capital investment needs to be paid to the licensor upfront.

Model 2: Royalties with a Minimum Guarantee (MG)

Royalties with a Minimum Guarantee are similar to royalties, but require the licensee to guarantee an agreed amount of royalties to the licensor. Even if the total royalties do not reach the agreed amount, the licensor will be guaranteed that money. The MG amount is usually based on the IP and how the licensor values it. It’s not fixed and so can be negotiated between the licensor and licensee. It is normally paid upon signing of the agreement (though it can be split into multiple payments), so it’s an important financial investment for licensors.

MGs are recoupable against royalties, so once the event takes place and royalties are generated and calculated, the MG is deducted and the remaining revenue is paid. So net-net, if the event goes well, everyone achieves a successful outcome: The licensee will recoup the MG with revenue from sales and the licensor will receive more royalties beyond the MG.

Model 3: Flat fee (licensing fee)

The Flat Fee model requires the licensee to pay a fee (which, again, can be split into several payments) to the licensor for the use of the license for a specific period of time. The flat fee price is negotiable between the licensor and the licensee. The fee is non-recoupable for the licensee. In this case, the outcome of the event is less relevant for the licensor as they are not receiving royalties for any sales related to the IP.

The flat fee model is often a good option for a licensee on their first IP collaboration, as they will not be required to provide a licensor with a highly detailed report of sales based on the IP once the collaboration is complete.

Trends in the licensing industry

With these three commercial models used as a basis for many licensing deals across multiple industries, huge revenues are being generated, with nearly unlimited potential. In the 2021 fiscal year, $260.8 billion in revenue was reported (sold at retail) based on the top 88 companies who submitted to License Global's top Global Licensors Report 2022. This was an increase of 28.35% from $203.2 billion over the previous year.

Entertainment licensors were the top-performing licensing sector in 2021, with many of their IPs being the top media-performing IPs of 2021. Many of their IPs and the licensees (game studios within the entertainment licensing sub-sector of gaming) have been used to drive growth and revenue within the entertainment licensing sector overall.

Via License Global

IP licensing in mobile games

Licensing in gaming has been around for decades (since the 1970s), but its growth and revenue generation in the last decade has grown exponentially. Mobile games have been at the forefront of this. The development of mobile technology and free-to-play games have been major factors driving this growth, according to the 2022 Newzoo IP Mobile Games Report.

Developers usually choose to incorporate IPs into games in one of two ways:

Timed events/DLCs such as the recent Last Shelter: Survival x The Walking Dead or Top War x Pacific Rim, have brought IPs into an existing game for a limited period of time, or standalone games (brand new games), which are developed from scratch based on an IP, such as Transformers: Earth Wars or Monopoly Go.

The image below reflects the growth in IP-based games (based on standalone IP-based mobile games) developed and launched by game studios (licensees) year-on-year.

Note: ​​The slowdown of standalone IP-based games in 2021 can be attributed to Covid development delays and the trend towards more live service games (like Fortnite, etc, which are games continually in development that were initially released a while ago).

Via Newzoo

The combination of mobile games and IPs has become very popular and powerful, with IP-based games being the most downloaded and biggest revenue-generating games in the mobile sector throughout 2021 (as shown in the images below). Marvel in particular is a great example of how a licensor with a big IP can do very well when incorporated into top mobile games (such as Strikeforce or The Game Awards 2022 Mobile Game of the Year Marvel SNAP).

Via Newzoo

The future of game licensing

Licensing within the gaming industry is only set to keep growing. The continued development of gaming technology (e.g. VR, AR), innovation, and the numerous benefits for both the licensor and licensee, as outlined in this article, ensures that new ideas for collaborations will continue to come to the fore. The success of entertainment licensor's IPs/brands (including game studios) has attracted the interest of licensors in everything from fashion, food and beverage, to sports and corporate brands across the world—everyone wants in on the potential for growth and revenue generation. Game studios who’ve seen this explosion of success amongst their fellow studios that have engaged in IP licensing also want to join the party.

At Yodo1 we bring a decade of industry-leading experience to the table to assist both global IP licensors and game studios to achieve successful IP gaming collaborations. Are you ready to dive into the world of IP licensing? Reach out at BIG@Yodo1.com to learn more.

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7 Ways To Meaningfully Engage Fully Remote Teams

Flo Alcasas | Head of HR at Yodo1 Games

Having a company all hands is far from the only way to engage people in a fully remote company. They can be a great tool, of course, but with a team that includes well over a hundred people across more than 30 countries—in time zones ranging from Vancouver to the Gold Coast—getting everyone together in a Zoom room isn’t something we at Yodo1 do more than a few times a year.

And yet finding ways to meaningfully engage and connect within and across teams is vital to the way we operate. How? Here are seven ways we’ve worked to keep our fully remote team engaged and prospering. Feel free to crib or tweak them to help you achieve the same!

1. Learn together online

Collaborative learning is a great way for teams to connect and share knowledge, skills, and feedback with each other. By focusing on input (learning) rather than output (work results), team members can explore new ways of working and develop skills together.

Making learning together a habit and deeply rooted part of the culture also helps companies stay on top of industry trends and innovations, and identify new opportunities for growth and development. Plus, it helps build strong, supportive, and resilient teams that can adapt to any challenge and achieve great things together.

Let’s take, as an example, good communication. It’s essential to success in any organization and becomes even more important when working in a fully remote, globally dispersed, and culturally diverse team.

To help people at Yodo1—regardless of their position—improve spoken communication, presentation skills, confidence speaking in front of an audience (often in English as a second language), and ability to inspire others and gain support for their ideas, we’ve been running multiple chapters of Pitch Club for over four years.

Besides live online events, learning together can be done asynchronously—why not try a chat group dedicated to reading together or sharing knowledge on a certain topic? You could pick one book to read each month and encourage people to share their thoughts, takeaways, and favorite quotes in the chat group as they go.

From Pitch Club

2. Build social habits into your communication channels

While it may seem counterintuitive, being able to goof around and crack jokes sometimes might be just what your people need to pull out of a slump and get some real work done. Humor can help the team re-engage the work at hand with fresh inspiration, and it’s a great social habit to build into your communication—be it by cracking jokes in a meeting or sharing memes in your team chat.

You can also build connection into your daily routine with habits like sharing fun photos or spending the first five to ten minutes of your weekly team meeting on a non-work topic where you can learn something new about each other.

One of our most active chats at Yodo1 is a company-wide group called “WFA Share Your Day.” Here, people share pictures from their vacations, family activities, or a new location they’re working from. Other examples of fun company-wide chat groups include “Games We Play” (we are a gaming company, after all!), “AI Best Practices” for sharing cool ways to use AI, and a planned “Duolingo Leaderboard” to compete for the longest streak.

There should never be pressure to participate, but if you diversify by having chat groups on a range of topics, people will find something that clicks and that they want to be a part of, and that’s the key.

3. Pepper the company calendar with some virtual sessions–that aren’t just work meetings

Experiment with different standing sessions on the company calendar that give people a break from their usual routine and a chance to connect with others. Here are a few we’ve had fun with–you could try out a couple for say, six months, and see which resonate best with your company.

All Staff Workshop: A 30 to 60-minute event that all staff are invited to but not required to attend, where we invite one person to teach us something they know, with a short presentation followed by live discussions and Q&A.

Meet & Greet: When a new person joins the company, organize a welcome session on their first day with members of their department and other stakeholders.

Coworking Space: A simple virtual room people can drop into to work alongside someone new. You can use your company’s meeting software of choice for this, or look into some of the other options out there designed to create a fluid virtual coworking environment.

Friday Happy Hour: A casual session people can join to hang out and chat with coworkers before signing off for the week.

Of course, you don’t want to overdo it. But having, for example, one or two sessions like this on the calendar in a given week gives people options to connect and engage if and when they want.

Milos and Roberta in Amsterdam

4. Encourage people to network and join external communities

In any company, the salespeople are likely to be out a lot, meeting people and attending events. But they’re not the only ones who can do so! Your engineers may want to join an online or local tech community. There may be local or virtual conferences that are particularly relevant for a department that doesn’t get out much.

As I entered a new role in HR early last year, it was helpful to find communities I could network with and learn from, and I discovered a combination of online and offline events I could join. The Women in Games community on Discord, the Quan Wellbeing community for people leaders on Slack, and a host of webinars and AMAs by remote work and HR tech companies are just a few of the communities I’ve benefited from over the years.

In short, you don’t have to be in BD to network. Encourage all of your people to join communities where they can connect and learn from people in their fields of expertise, and consider a budget for these types of events, especially when they involve ongoing learning.

5. Encourage local, offline coworking

Not putting any geographical restrictions on your team means they can–and often do–end up anywhere in the world. But if you find there are local or regional clusters where it doesn’t take too much to get people together in person, why not go for it?

Encouraging people to get out of their usual environment and co-work with nearby colleagues or simply spend time at a co-working spot or cafe can be a great way to remind your team to break their routines and engage with others IRL. Providing a way for relevant expenses to be reimbursed is a simple way to encourage this, without forcing anyone to participate.

Simply changing your environment on occasion can be refreshing and stimulating for creativity and productivity. It also provides an opportunity to engage with others face-to-face, which can be a welcome change from collaborating on screen and help foster a sense of community and collaboration.

Since we introduced “Coworking Day” at Yodo1, we’ve had meetups in places like China, Vietnam, Amsterdam, and Pakistan, and traveling Yodies often stop along the way to meet people in the areas they pass through, be it New York or Hong Kong.

Yodies Coworking in Vietnam

Yodies Coworking in Amsterdam

If someone isn’t located near anyone else in the company, going to a co-working spot can provide similar benefits, and a chance to network and build relationships with other professionals that may lead to new ideas and opportunities.

Keep in mind that different people have different needs. One person may love the peace of working from home and having lunch with their family every day; another may crave being in a bustling environment surrounded by other professionals. In the future of work, there are ways for fully remote companies to accommodate both.

6. Organize global team meetups and offsites

While the above tips and tools can do wonders to help your remote teams bond and prosper, you’ll likely find it important to organize opportunities for teams to meet and work together in person—even if it means flying some people halfway around the world sometimes.

How often your team can or should meet up in person is completely up to you—and them—of course, but it should be well planned with a specific outcome in mind and not just because you feel it’s something that “should” happen.

There’s plenty out there on why in-person team building is (and isn’t) important. In short, can you build an amazing, well-functioning team without meeting in person? Yes, absolutely! Are there specific benefits to relationships, teamwork, and outcomes when you do meet in person? Also yes!

LinkedIn’s 2022 report The Reinvention of Company Culture highlights the ways that what employees want and need has evolved, and it’s clear that companies that are in tune and moving with these changes are the future of business.

7. Leave people alone sometimes

Last but not least, don’t force things; make engagement opportunities available and optional. People are different and at different points in their lives; some will be looking for more ways to engage with their coworkers, and others for more time to focus on non-work relationships. When you have to participate in work events that aren’t relevant to you, it’s pretty painful. But if you want to be there, it’s great.

At the end of the day, engagement isn’t as simple as how many people join a session or react to an announcement. It starts at a personal level—Do people care about what they’re doing? And at a team level—Are they trusted and supported by their team? Do they know they’re trusted to do their job when and where they prefer and that they can get help when they need it?

Focus on building and empowering great teams and giving people meaningful work, and the rest should be the icing on the cake. In the HR department, we might have a tendency to think we have to make engagement happen. Sometimes, it can be more impactful to empower teams to do their own thing in their own way, checking in and providing support when needed. Then stand back and watch what they can do!

If you’re looking for a career in the mobile gaming industry and value the freedom to work from anywhere in the world, we encourage you to explore our careers page and see what opportunities may be right for you.

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The Future of Work: Why Remote Work is Here to Stay

Is it really so surprising to see the continual rise of office space vacancies in the post-pandemic world? Resoundingly, no. Too many of us have seen the light, and it’s not fluorescent. In the future of work, balance and flexibility will emerge as widely-adopted norms no company can ignore—and rightly so. 

Yodo1 Games is proud to be recognized as one of the 30 leading companies offering the most work-from-anywhere job opportunities, according to a recent Forbes article. As we take the lead in shaping the future of work, we are committed to cultivating a remote work environment that attracts the best talent in the gaming industry and enables our team members to unlock their full potential.

Our decision to shift to a fully remote policy in early 2020 was driven by our belief that exceptional work requires flexibility—it was time for a rewrite of the status quo. After over three years, we continue to push the envelope and hone our approach to cultivating a diverse high-trust remote workforce where each team member is empowered to live on their own terms.
If you're looking for a career in the mobile gaming industry and value the freedom to work from anywhere in the world, we encourage you to explore our careers page and see what opportunities may be right for you. Join us in revolutionizing the way we work and play.

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Monopoly GO: A Fresh Take on IP Licensing and Mobile Gaming Success

Ismael Jorge, BD Manager for Global Games at Yodo1

A new player has emerged in the mobile game industry, and it’s got everyone buzzing. Developed by Scopely in partnership with Hasbro, Monopoly GO!, based on Hasbro’s legendary original, boasts an impressive lineup of features that has, within a month of launching, propelled it to the top of the charts in terms of revenue and downloads. According to AppMagic, the game has already raked in over $10 million in revenue and soared past 20 million downloads. Let’s look into some of the key elements, from an IP-licensing standpoint, that helped Monopoly GO! achieve its meteoric rise.

Via Scopely

What makes an IP-based game a hit?

Know your audience

Newzoo's IP-based games report outlines several critical factors that can propel an IP-based game to success, and Monopoly GO! seems to check all the right boxes. The game's developers have crafted a product that caters to a broad audience, from long-time fans of the classic board game to new players looking for a casual gaming experience.

The game's market fit is undoubtedly one of its strongest suits. With over one billion Monopoly players worldwide and licensing agreements in more than 100 countries, Monopoly GO! has a built-in fan base that spans generations. On top of this, the casual/board games market niche caters to players of all ages, making it a perfect fit for the mobile gaming market. Combining laid-back gameplay mechanics with an iconic IP creates the perfect synergy for Monopoly GO!’s target audience.

Clever game design

Another critical factor in the game's success lies in its game design. The developers have masterfully woven together traditional Monopoly elements with fresh, inventive mechanics, creating a game that captivates both long-time enthusiasts and new players.
Monopoly GO! also features mini-games outside the realm of the classic board game, providing an extra layer of excitement, as well as fast options for gamers on the go. The game's smooth progression system allows players to unlock a treasure trove of over 100 new boards, ensuring there are always fresh experiences that keep players coming back for more. Most importantly, perhaps, the game manages to preserve the competitive essence of the original Monopoly while presenting it in a revitalized, dynamic form. Combining nostalgia and innovation is powerful.

https://youtu.be/cwfoZy3mNTI

Strategically planned launch

Business considerations also play a critical role in shaping a mobile game's success story, and Monopoly GO! seems to have hit the nail on the head in this regard, too. Its launch is impeccably timed, capitalizing on the buzz generated by Scopely's recent acquisition by Savvy. The alliance with Hasbro, combined with Scopely's mobile gaming prowess, forms a potent recipe for success in marketing and distribution, with both sides of the partnership having a wide reach that they can take advantage of in promotions.

Smart monetization

While Monopoly GO! is free to play, the game's in-game purchases strike a thoughtful balance, and even though some items may appear pricey for players unaccustomed to spending in-game, they’re designed to truly enhance the gaming experience. There is also a clear effort from the developers to prioritize player retention by bringing in enticing daily events and limited-time rewards, as well as offering both cooperative and competitive play modes.

With eight out of last year's top ten most downloaded games (excluding hyper-casual games) being IP-based, Monopoly GO!'s careful consideration of market fit, game design, and business factors make it a strong contender for a spot among the top titles of 2023. Whether or not it will roll the dice and beat everyone to the finish line remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure—Monopoly GO! is definitely in the running.

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China Game Licensing is Back: Don’t Miss the Boat!

As the world's largest gaming market, China generates billions in revenue annually. Yet, the 2018 game licensing freeze left developers struggling to break in. Things are changing. As the gates begin to swing open, a sea of opportunities awaits those ready to take full advantage of this newly-accessible blue ocean. Get ready to explore the latest developments and learn how you can be the first in line to reach Chinese gamers eager to play your games.

The key to entering China: ISBN licenses

Entering the Chinese gaming market requires obtaining an ISBN license. In 2018, a game licensing freeze significantly affected the plans of developers and publishers alike (including some of ours). Things started changing in 2021 and 2022, with over 3,500 games receiving licenses, primarily benefiting local Chinese developers.

SUBMIT MY GAME

Enter 2023, which saw a resurgence in foreign game licensing that included two approval batches within just three months—a stark contrast to the previous pace of one batch per year. This shift has paved the way for a more favorable environment for developers and publishers, suggesting that we are looking at a new era in access to Chinese gamers. As a publisher with over ten years of experience publishing games in China, Yodo1 has been monitoring these changes closely, and one thing has become clear: The time to act is now.

Riding the wave

With over 1.5 billion players worldwide and major success publishing hit games like Rodeo Stampede and Transformers Earth Wars to the China market, we feel well-positioned to help you ride this wave and succeed in the world's largest gaming market. Case in point: Yodo1 is helping Western game developers like Smart Project GmbH thrive in China’s ever-changing regulatory environment. We recently acquired an ISBN for their casual puzzle game "5 Differences," which earned its license among the first 27 foreign games this year. But we didn’t stop there. Given that Yodo’s expertise spans localization, marketing, and distribution within the complex Chinese app store landscape where major platforms like Google Play do not operate, we are now collaborating with the Smart Project team to help them prepare for a successful launch in the world’s biggest gaming market.

If your game has a unique selling point with over US$5 million in annual revenue globally and you are looking to unlock one of the biggest untapped mobile gaming markets in the world, partnering with Yodo1 could be your best path to next-level growth.

The future is bright

The unfreezing of game licensing in China has opened the growth potential floodgates. Put simply—the TAM is huge, and it’s open for business. But that doesn’t mean the waters are easy to navigate—that’s what we’re here for. With a partner like Yodo1 Games helping guide your game through the choppy waters of regulation, potential policy changes, and complex app store ecosystems, you can look forward to a bright future in the world's largest gaming market. So, what are you waiting for? Let's join forces and conquer the gaming world together!

To submit your game for consideration by our publishing team, click the button below.

SUBMIT MY GAME

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Building Mobile Games for All: Unleashing the Power of Inclusion

Andrew Tan, Game Community Manager | Yodo1

The gaming industry is undergoing a seismic shift as female gamers increasingly become a force to be reckoned with. In fact, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) reported that in 2021, female gamers represented over 40% of US gamers. That's right—and what’s more, mobile gaming has been particularly alluring to female players, attracting 55% of this demographic in the US and a whopping 70% in Europe.

As a mobile game developer, are you fully capitalizing on this expanding market, or are you missing out on your game's full potential?

The challenges faced by female gamers

While some genres like first-person shooters remain predominantly male, others, like RPGs and adventure games, tend to have a more balanced gender representation, thanks in part to well-developed social systems that appeal to female gamers.

But let's not sugarcoat it: the dark side of online gaming is very real. Female gamers often face harassment and bullying, particularly when their gender is revealed through voice chat.

This has driven many women to avoid voice communication, and even to steer clear of playing social games altogether. A 2019 qualitative study exposed the hostility, invisibility, and objectification experienced by female gamers, who often hid their gender identity to avoid harassment.

Let's face it; if the social aspect of a game is a significant part of its appeal, but the experience is immediately soured by harassment, it's no wonder these players don't stick around.

Strategies for building a supportive community

To foster a more inclusive and welcoming gaming environment, developers must be savvy about their game's genre and its natural player base. Laying down rules and establishing moderation systems to maintain a respectful environment is key. Developers can create a safer gaming experience by moderating social interactions, implementing clear rules against harassment, and enforcing these rules with temporary or permanent bans as needed.

Think about tapping into your player community by introducing a scoring system to assess flagged content severity and inviting reliable players to join the moderation team. Providing player moderators with the right tools to identify and report issues is a smart strategy. Make it loud and clear to your community that such behavior isn't tolerated, and back it up with solid action and enforcement—that's how you make a lasting impact.

Also worth considering: positive reinforcement and community settings are just as crucial as clear boundaries and rules. Riot Games, the developer of League of Legends, instituted measures like opt-in chat and an honor system, both of which decreased negativity significantly. A safer gaming environment benefits not only female gamers but all players, resulting in increased player retention and a more positive overall gaming experience.

Appealing to female gamers: best practices

To tap into the incredible potential of the female gaming market, developers need to think outside the box and cater to their unique preferences. Here are some best practices to capture their attention and keep them coming back for more:

1. Understand genre preferences
2. Understanding how genre preferences vary between male and female gamers is crucial. Male gamers often lean towards high-intensity games with crucial reaction times, while female gamers are more likely to favor puzzle and adventure games. RPGs, on the other hand, generally attract a balanced gender representation. Consider these preferences when designing your game.
3. Build a strong community
4. This was covered above, but remember that a solid community should feel safe for everyone.
5. Add customization and engagement
6. Interactive elements that allow players to invest time outside the core game loop can be particularly appealing to female gamers. Offer robust character creation, item stores, glamor elements, limited-time skins, a housing mechanic (somebody stop me) to provide more opportunities for personalization and self-expression.
7. Prioritize diversity
8. A diverse cast of characters can resonate with a broader demographic of players. Strive for representation across gender, race, and culture to create a more inclusive gaming experience. That said, diversity alone isn't enough—a game must also have good storytelling and solid gameplay to succeed.
9. Emphasize compelling storytelling
10. The success of games like The Last of Us highlights the importance of captivating narratives that keep players engaged. It goes without saying that some games don’t need story elements, but if your game has a story…make it a good one!

Via Playstation

Successful examples: Final Fantasy and beyond

Final Fantasy XIV, an MMORPG with a significant female player base, has succeeded in creating and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community. The game also offers extensive character customization, detailed outfits, player housing, and a diverse cast of main characters. As outlined above, providing more character customization options and adding features beyond the primary game mechanic are great ways to help your game appeal to a wider audience.

Via Reddit

In other genres, Rodeo Stampede exemplifies how two broad mechanics (zoo and endless runner) work together in a game, increasing its appeal to more players. Fire Emblem, a turn-based strategy game with a more female-based audience, contains interesting social systems like marriage and character interactions. Puzzle games like Candy Crush are also popular among female players, possibly due to a lack of time-sensitive reaction-based mechanics. Additionally, hit games with female leads such as Tomb Raider, Metroid, and the Horizon series clearly demonstrate the appeal of female representation in games when done right.

The bottom line: Don't miss out on female gamers

To tap into the female gaming market, mobile game developers must understand and cater to the unique needs and preferences of female gamers. By addressing the challenges faced by this demographic and implementing best practices for creating inclusive and safe gaming environments, developers can appeal to a wider audience and create a more positive gaming experience for all players.

Ultimately, designing games that resonate with a diverse array of players, including women, isn't just a matter of social responsibility—it's a savvy business strategy. So, embrace the shift in the gaming landscape and seize the opportunity to unlock the immense potential of the female gaming market.

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Going Viral in the Mobile Gaming World: Strategies for Long-Term Success

As one of the fastest-growing entertainment sectors, the mobile gaming industry continues to see massive, exponential growth for both established game studios and indie developers. As a result, though, there are now millions of games available in app stores, making it more of a challenge to stand out from the crowd and create a viral hit that achieves long-term success - having a clever idea is no longer enough.

Today we’re going to talk about what developers can do to increase their chances of creating a viral hit game, and, if you should hit that lucky jackpot, how best to leverage success to achieve long-term growth and staying power.

Case Study: Backrooms - from meme to game

An excellent example of viral success is Backrooms, a mobile game by Indian developer Sibi Chakravarthy, based on a popular urban legend meme that originated on the imageboard 4chan before gaining notoriety on Reddit. From there it morphed into a fun, popular trope that developers built games around - an alternate reality consisting of endless, poorly-lit rooms inhabited by entities that may or may not be hostile to humans.

Via Oculus

In Sibi’s game, players explore an endless maze of rooms, avoiding dangerous entities in search of the exit. While the game is not directly tied to the original Backrooms lore, it draws heavily from its themes and aesthetics. Initially developed for Oculus (VR), the game gained popularity on TikTok as enthusiastic players shared their experiences and helped to spread the word. With this clear indicator of potential in mind, Chakravarthy created a version of Backrooms for mobile, which was soon featured on the app store in Saudi Arabia, attracting an even wider audience.

Via TikTok

Increase your chances of viral success

What did players love about Backrooms and what lessons can we glean from this case about achieving viral success? As mobile game publishers with over 10 years and 1.5 billion players under our belts, a few fundamentals are clear. While it goes without saying that implementing these elements cannot guarantee success, getting the basics right can significantly increase the chances of achieving an organic viral boost. Let’s explore.

• Multiplayer games have a strong social appeal: as people play together, they love to share the experience with other gamers, essentially free advertising! The mega-hit Among Us achieved its “overnight success” this way, in part.

Via Epic Games

Compatibility across devices and platforms: How people play games varies from region to region, and across demographics. The more people are able to access your game on their device of choice, the more you’re expanding your potential reach.

Solid gameplay mechanics: This is key. Something simple that works well is far better than a glossy, error-filled gaming experience.

Social media optimization: While it’s important to be active on social media yourself, building features that lend to shareability, particularly on fast-paced platforms like Tiktok, is a critical component of any viral success. Create opportunities for shareable moments. A good example of this is how players can easily share screenshots of new animals in Rodeo Stampede.

Via Thinknoodles

Insight: The key to achieving viral success is not about following a set of guaranteed steps. Rather, it's in realizing that viral games aren't accidents, but share key elements that increase their chances of taking off. These elements amount to algorithm velcro.

Capitalizing on viral success

So you’ve followed these steps, and now there is a solid core of players who love your game and are telling others about it. What next? Here are some ways to build on that in order to achieve the sustained success that keeps your game at the top of the charts.

• Players are more likely to stick with your game when there's regular, fresh content coming out. Build a pipeline of content releases (which you can post about and discuss in your community–see below); give your faithful players a reason to keep coming back.
• Quickly deal with crashes and ANRs; it goes without saying that monitoring and reacting in real-time is key. Make your game as stable as possible so that when that influx of players comes, you’re ready for them.
• Build a community where players can build a meaningful connection to the game, connect with other players, and even help shape the game’s future direction. If done currently, this leads to loyal fans who will be your biggest cheerleaders.
• Stay on top of your store reviews. Feedback from players is vital to help you improve and localize your game for various regions. Feedback of any kind—positive or negative—is an amazing way to learn what works and what doesn’t and is key to iterating the game and producing content that will help it to grow and improve over time.
• If one of your games gains traction and attention, capitalize on it to pull traffic via your community to other, similar games in your portfolio, whether sequels or games in the same genre.
• Finally, be aware of and adapt to regional differences, particularly in regard to monetization strategies when a viral success results in a large influx of users from a specific region. It’s vital to strike the balance between in-app purchases (IAP) and in-app advertising (IAA), as those factors can vary widely. So, do your research to find the right monetization solution or partner that can help you configure and optimize the best networks for each ad unit in order to get solid eCPM and performance.

Insight: Sustained long-term growth doesn't have shortcuts. Whether your game goes viral or not, putting in the right effort with consistency is the foundation of any successful mobile game.

Scaling up growth

To scale up your game successfully, you must develop a deep understanding of your players over time. Diving into your analytics and understanding your players more deeply can lead to tremendous insights: where are you trending and why? Gaining this kind of awareness of player behavior patterns and demographics will uncover paths for continued growth.

And of course, ASO and UA will be key as you continue scaling up.

Check out our video on increasing your downloads with ASO:

https://youtu.be/YlG4pPeWDl8

Not budgeting enough for UA early on can also hamper growth. You might not think you can afford it, but it can certainly be well worth investing in and testing UA, even if you have to start with a smaller budget. UA testing, ROI aside, will help you understand how to scale up your game and what you should be spending the most time and effort on; it’s like your R&D department.

Insight: As your game grows, you will gain an ever-more precise (data-driven) understanding of your players, and an intuition for what works and what doesn’t. That means fully leveraging growth to generate the insights that will unlock your next stage of growth.

Give yourself the best chance to succeed

Success doesn't come with a guaranteed blueprint, but diving headfirst into the strategies we’ve covered will help tip the scales in your favor and prepare you to ride the wave of momentum when your game takes off.

Also remember that there are no shortcuts, particularly when it comes to growth over the long term. Developing a curious and iterative mindset will drive you to make data-driven decisions that resonate with your existing players, fueling your next level of growth.

Learn more about how Yodo1 helps game developers at all stages grow their games here.

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