3 Mobile Game Rewarded Video Ad Myths, Debunked

So you?ve crafted a mobile game with a solid core game experience that?s fun, which is no easy task. You?ve also chosen the free-to-play (F2P) business model for your mobile game. If you?re going down the F2P path, monetization will, by definition, be part of the foundational core of your mobile game.Today, the lion?s share of mobile games monetize through in-app purchases (IAP). But generating enough revenue from IAP to pay the bills for your mobile games business isn?t easy. There are a ton of numbers we can throw around to support the claim that most players never convert to becoming a paying player.It begs the question: how do you monetize the vast majority of non-paying players? Many mobile game developers are monetizing non-payers by adopting highly engaging rewarded video ads that add value to the core game experience. Do you have reservations about this mobile game monetization method? Let us dispel your fears about these three rewarded video ad myths.

Myth: My Mobile Game Wasn?t Built for Rewarded Video Ads

A great mobile game is the sum of its parts -- meaning you have to look at the mobile game experience as a whole. Also a mobile game experience isn?t meant to be static, absolute or finite. Mobile game design is dynamic -- growing over time.Monetization is a factor of your game design that evolves along with other parts, including the game loop, gameplay, game economy, game balance, multiplayer, social, graphics, sound and user interface. If rewarded video ads weren?t factored into the monetization piece of your mobile game?s foundation, that doesn?t mean you can never integrate ads at other points during your game?s lifespan. For inspiration, check out four mobile games with clever rewarded video placements that not only enhanced revenue, but the player experience too.

Myth: Rewarded Video Ads Will Ruin the Game Economy

Almost as important as respecting your players is respecting the balance of the game economy. Many mobile game developers are concerned about cannibalizing IAP revenues in their games by implementing any ads at all. Regarding rewarded video ads, some mobile developers fear that the premium content rewarded from the ads will exert inflationary pressure on the game economy.On the contrary, rewarded video ads are the perfect vehicle to bring both non-paying and paying players into the premium economy. Rewarded video gives players opportunities to get a taste of premium content, such as in-game currency (both soft and hard), consumables (energy, ammo, temporary shields, etc.), custom skins and more. Players will want to eventually buy IAP after getting a taste, which results in even higher revenues, happier players and a stronger game economy -- all thanks to rewarded video ads.Your game economy is a beating heart. So long as you strike a balance between the value of the free premium content doled out through rewarded video ads and the monetary cost of items, your mobile game will foster a healthy game economy.

Myth: Rewarded Video Ads Will Negatively Impact User Experience

When players take your mobile game into their daily lives, you need to respect those players? lives. As part of that respect, mobile game developers want to avoid disrupting the user experience with intrusive ads. But mobile game developers still need to make money. Rewarded video ads offer developers the best of both worlds.Mobile game developers can tastefully and profitably monetize with opt-in rewarded video ads that players can watch in exchange for free premium content. It?s a win-win for both parties. Players enjoy interacting with video ads that add value to their game experience and developers make money to keep doing what they love -- making mobile games.Players love being rewarded, so it?s no wonder that some of the most successful mobile games to date are some of the most generous as well, whether it?s bestowing free content through the game itself or via rewarded video ads. In contrast, players can smell a money grab mobile game a mile away. A generous attitude toward your players will pay dividends down the road.Let us dispel these rewarded video myths for you first-hand. Check out Chartboost?s high-quality rewarded video ads that add value to the core game experience, right now.