The success of the free-to-play mobile game, Monopoly Go, underscores the pivotal role of marketing in the video game industry, especially in the mobile gaming sector. Launched in 2023, Monopoly Go, developed by Scopely, has quickly become the most successful mobile game of the year, amassing over $2 billion in revenue within the first 10 months. This remarkable achievement is partly due to Scopely’s substantial investment in marketing and user acquisition, which amounted to $500 million. This figure not only demonstrates the game’s aggressive marketing strategy but also highlights the shifting dynamics towards marketing in game development and promotion.
In comparison, the development costs of some of the most significant AAA titles, such as The Last of Us Part 2, which amounted to $220 million, and Horizon Forbidden West, at $212 million, are considerably lower than the marketing budget allocated for Monopoly Go. This shift emphasizes the increasing importance and impact of marketing efforts in the gaming industry, particularly for mobile games aiming for rapid growth and a wide-reaching audience.
Scopely’s approach to marketing Monopoly Go was both strategic and localized, ensuring that promotional materials were tailored to reflect the linguistic and cultural nuances of each target market. This hyperlocal marketing strategy, as outlined by Scopely co-CEO Javier Ferreira, played a crucial role in the game’s swift recoupment of its marketing investments. Unlike the traditional timeline for recouping such expenses, which can span months or years, Monopoly Go managed to recover its marketing outlay in weeks. This strategy not only signifies a departure from conventional marketing campaigns but also illustrates the efficacy of adaptive and localized marketing tactics in driving game adoption and revenue generation.
Monopoly Go’s story is indicative of the broader trend in the mobile gaming market, where marketing budgets are becoming as significant, if not more so, than development costs. This trend highlights the critical role of marketing in achieving commercial success and the need for game developers to adopt innovative, targeted marketing strategies to stand out in the increasingly competitive mobile gaming landscape. The game’s ability to generate revenue far exceeding that of many blockbuster AAA titles further emphasizes the potential of mobile games as a dominant force in the entertainment industry, propelled by strategic marketing and user acquisition efforts.
