Monetizing mobile games via a subscription model has gained traction over the past few years.
In a recent report by eMarketer, the share of mobile game apps that have a subscription model have steadily increased in popularity over the past 5 years.
According to SensorTower, eight out of the top 15 grossing mobile games in 2020 had adopted in-app subscriptions as a monetization model, seeing higher long-term retention rates than non-subscription games in 2020.
It made us wonder what genres had players who seemed to gravitate to subscriptions more than others.
Let’s take a look.
We surveyed 1,002 mobile gamers, balanced to the US Census. In a couple hours, we had our results.
If you’re a Shooter and Casino game publisher then you’re in for a treat. Gamers in these two genres tend to have players who are more likely to have at least 4 subscriptions.
But if you’re part of a Lifestyle and Sports & Driving gaming team, you’re also in luck as these gamers tend to have more subscribers overall.
It gives you extra boost and plus you don’t have to deal with ads depending on the game that you are playing. - 22 y/o male
The Easter egg awards you get for applying for subscriptions on mobile games - 33 y/o male
Subscriptions mean I don’t get surprise charges for so-called free games. - 40 y/o female
I really love it cause you get rewards for subscriptions to the game. - 53 y/o male
As the subscription trend continues to rise in popularity, it’s evident that if you’re not taking advantage of this monetization model, you may be missing out on a lucrative revenue stream. Especially if you’re part of a Shooter or Casino gaming team, your audience appears willing to subscribe to multiple games - you just have to give them a compelling reason to.
Better yet, why not ask your players if they’d be willing to subscribe to a plan? Give them options? What motivates what segments to subscribe? In-app surveys are a great way to gain big insights into key user segments about what motivates them.
And with in-app rewarded surveys, players never leave your game and are instantly rewarded with your game’s virtual currency. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Regardless of whether your audience tends to gravitate towards subscription based or not, with the overall rise in popularity of subscriptions, you should strongly consider including this as part of your monetization mix.
Top game studios are leaning into player experience insights. The more they listen, the better decision they can make. We help AAA mobile game teams unlock feedback from all players – not just the loud ones – while monetizing with brand surveys.
If you’re interested in learning more about what motivates your players to inform your decision making, we have some exciting solutions to share with you. 
or 
to get started right away.
