Marketing and Monetizing - Beginning Android Games - page 643

Chapter 14
Marketing and Monetizing
So, having read the previous 13 chapters, you now are imbued with the skill and knowledge
required to build a great Android game. Is it as simple as “build it and get rich?� Certainly not!
Making money by marketing and monetizing your game is a skill in itself, and there is a lot you
need to learn to become successful at it—not just after your game is completed, but even before
you start developing it. The real moneymakers are often designed from the planning stage to
become popular and to make money, on top of being well made.
Monetizing Your Game
Monetization is a commonly used term that roughly translates to the process of making money
from a product or service. When someone says, “I need to monetize my game,� what they
are saying is that they need to take the current user base of the game and find a way to start
bringing in real money from it.
There are many ways to monetize your game:
ï?® Banner ads : Graphics or text ads that generally operate on a pay-per-click
basis. We've all seen banner ads on the Web and in apps and games. They
are ubiquitous on websites.
ï?® Full-screen ads : Much like banner ads except they demand much more
attention from the user, often requiring the user to click a button or wait
a certain length of time to dismiss them. Video and registration forms are
common in this format.
ï?® In-app purchases : Options for the user to purchase content, items,
upgrades, or virtual currency for real money. An example would be buying a
level pack for 99 cents or purchasing a “low gravity� cheat for $1.99.
ï?® Virtual currency incentives : Options that provide the user with in-game virtual
currency in exchange for performing a task. For example, the user might be
presented with an option to install a third-party app in exchange for 50
in-game coins that can be used to purchase an upgrade for a character.
649