The Massive Success of Monopoly GO: A Game-Changing Shift in Mobile Gaming Landscape
By Oxana Fomina, founder of Gradient Universe Games Analytics Consultancy
The Rise of Monopoly GO
In April 2023, the mobile gaming industry witnessed a groundbreaking development with the introduction of Monopoly GO. This free-to-play game took the US download charts by storm, revolutionizing digital entertainment. Within a short span of time, Monopoly GO became the most downloaded game of the year, generating an unprecedented $1 billion in revenue in just seven months.
A Fusion of Tradition and Innovation
Monopoly GO ingeniously combines the beloved elements of traditional Monopoly gameplay, such as rolling dice, acquiring properties, and navigating jail, with innovative features. Empire-building, community collaboration, and competitive challenges breathe new life into the classic formula, striking a perfect balance between the old and the new.
The Social Aspect and Successful Mechanics
The game’s social aspect unites Monopoly fans worldwide, igniting a sense of competition among players. Additionally, Monopoly GO skillfully incorporates successful mechanics from the popular game Coin Master, enriching the gameplay experience and enhancing the game’s monetization strategy.
A Rewarding and Engaging Experience
To keep players engaged, Monopoly GO offers a diverse range of early events, extensive tournaments, balanced challenges, and team activities with friends. This ensures a rewarding and satisfying experience for players of all levels. The game features a mix of eight offers and nine events initially, with seven additional events and three more offers introduced over time.
Diving into Event Types and Duration
The events in Monopoly GO encompass various types, including tournaments, tasks, activity stimulation, separate gameplay, and offers. Most events typically last around two days, with around 57% of events falling within the one to two-day range.
The Psychology of Rewards
The game’s core strategy revolves around the “Reward Flow,” where players receive sequential rewards that act as catalysts for the next reward. This system effectively hooks players, maintaining their engagement and motivation. By structuring rewards in this way, Monopoly GO creates a psychological link between gameplay and the rewards received, enhancing player interest and diversity.
Enhanced Monetization and Return on Investment
Monopoly GO ensures an exciting return on investment for players by offering up to 15 times more dice from event rewards. This creates anticipation and excitement about potential returns, ultimately boosting monetization. Even non-paying players experience significant rewards, encouraging them to make real-money purchases.
Events: The Main Source of Resources
According to research, more than 50% of free resources in Monopoly GO are obtained through event participation. This highlights the importance of events as the main source of resources for both paying and non-paying players, further reinforcing the game’s engagement and monetization strategies.
Long-Term Retention and Coordinated Efforts
Monopoly GO focuses on long-term player retention through album collections and cooperation events. These aspects encourage players to collaborate in achieving common goals and foster a sense of responsibility and dedication. Ultimately, such cooperative play significantly enhances player engagement.
The Power of Backing Partners Event
The most successful event in the game is the Backing Partners event, which led to a substantial increase in game revenue, ARPDAU, daily time spent, and daily session duration. The event’s duration is six days, requiring players to collaborate with a game friend to bake a cake. This psychological move fosters commitment and a sense of belonging, motivating players to invest more time and money for the grand prize.
Key Recommendations for Enhanced Engagement and Retention
- Prioritize early access to events: Provide new players with early access to events, preventing early player churn and encouraging full engagement.
- Balance event cycles: Alternate between easy and challenging events to maintain accessibility and provide a sense of challenge and achievement.
- Introduce more bonus events: Implement short-term bonus events with time-limited advantages to keep players engaged and motivated.
- Foster cooperative play: Develop and promote cooperative events, enhancing player engagement through collaboration and common goals.
- Adapt and improve successful strategies: Observe and incorporate successful strategies and features from other games, adapting them to fit the unique environment and community of Monopoly GO.
- Focus on player experience in event design: Prioritize player experience and enjoyment in event and challenge design to ensure better long-term player retention and satisfaction.
About Oxana Fomina
Oxana Fomina is the founder of Gradient Universe, a games analytics consultancy that has been aiding game developers in optimizing profitability through live ops strategy since 2017. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Oxana is a prominent speaker and writer in the mobile gaming field. Her unique strategic game analytics approach focuses on improving engagement, retention, and monetization by considering psycho-social behavior patterns and games economics for ROI and LTV optimization.
Disclaimer: The article above is solely the opinion of the author and does not represent the views or opinions of Gradient Universe or any other organization.