Apple’s new IDFA policy implemented with the release of iOS 14.5 has already impacted the mobile market. Developers and publishers are now looking for new ways to keep players engaged and increase monetization. Adding new features in their games might help in it.
That’s what GameRefinery highlighted in its latest market snapshot. According to the analysts, feature updates were one of the main trends in the market during the second quarter of 2021.
Key takeaways
- In the second quarter, feature updates increased by 37% year-over-year. GameRefinery noted that this trend was expected, as mobile games these days have to constantly add new content and mechanics to compete in the market.
- This increase, however, most likely happened due to the IDFA changes, as publishers are now trying to reach new audiences and compensate for the challenges in the user acquisition sphere.
- Certain genres try to implement more features than others. Strategy games were on top of this list, as feature updates in them increased 208% year-over-year. On the other hand, hypercasual titles saw a 84% decline.
- Two features with the most increasing frequency of updates were live events and limited in-app purchases. They grew 143% and 122% year-over-year respectively. These features became especially popular in puzzle, RPG, and strategy genres.
The mobile market has been in shock ever since the so-called IDFApocalypse. Just two weeks after iOS 14.5 was released, Android ad spend increased by 21%. It will take time to adapt to this new reality, which might be quite challenging for some developers considering the tough completion.