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A new report from App Annie showcases that mobile game purchases vastly outweigh apps on Google Play.
This isn’t just for Google Play, mind you, as App Annie also covers iOS data. That said, there appears to be a much bigger margin between apps and games on Google Play than on iOS, based on App Annie’s graph.
It’s also worth noting that this is based on data for in-game and in-app purchases as well as the money spent on paid games and apps. And, only for the third quarter of 2019.
Google Play consumers spent 10-percent more on mobile games in Q3
Compared to the previous quarter, consumers on Google Play spent 10-percent more on mobile games and mobile game micro transactions in Q3 of this year. On iOS, consumer spend saw a growth of 20-percent.
Overall, when it come to dollars, consumers spent a total of $16 billion on games between both platforms. This is a record amount, and shows that mobile gaming only continues to get bigger and bigger. Outpacing the growth of money spent on apps.
Games like Pokémon GO are a big contributor here. It’s not number one on App Annie’s ranking list, but it is number three, and that’s a six-point increase compared to its spot in Q2. It’s also rank six on the monthly active users, which is up two points from Q2.
One game that isn’t on the list for consumer spend this quarter is Mario Kart Tour. The game did just release, and it is free, but there are a number of available optional purchases that users can make.
In fact, it’s the method of the micro transactions and users’ distaste for it that may have kept users from spending money on the game. It’s still a wildly popular game, though.
Mario Kart Tour was recently ranked number one for downloads
When it comes to money spent Mario Kart Tour is not impressing anyone. Downloads and overall popularity though are another story entirely.
App Annie’s report states that the game was recently ranked as the number one game download in 57 global markets on Google Play (in 80 markets on iOS). Keep in mind this is after the backlash over Nintendo’s introduction of the $4.99 monthly Gold Pass.
Despite the user-hatred over this feature, the game hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. It’s no longer ranked number one for downloads. Based on App Annie’s data, it is still highly ranked though, and climbing.
It’s currently sitting at number three and is highlighted as still having growing download numbers. This showcases that users may not like the monetization model, but they’re still downloading the game. And, who knows. In the Q4 report it may just climb up the list for consumer spend.
Expect Call of Duty Mobile to be on the list next time
Another absent game is Call of Duty Mobile. Activision and Tencent’s popular mobile adaption of the hit franchise released globally back on October 1, and within four days it reached 35 million downloads. At least according to Activision.
With download numbers like these it’s highly unlikely that it won’t make the Q4 ranking list. What’s more is that it has a really good chance of making the ranking list for consumer spend, too. Though there’s no way to tell right now where it will sit exactly in either of those categories, it will no doubt fall somewhere.