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Q2 2019 performance
04
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Top performing titles: Fortnite pushed out by Homescapes and Coin Master,
with 7 new titles in the most-downloaded
Title Publisher Net revenue Q2 2019 Title Publisher Downloads Q2 2019
Candy Crush Saga* King (and Tencent) $233m Run Race 3D Good Job Games 111m
Clash of Clans Supercell $182m Garena Free Fire Garena International 78m
PUBG Mobile* Tencent (and various) $154m Traffic Run! Geisha Tokyo 62m
Fate/Grand Order* Aniplex/Sony (and various) $127m Tiles Hop – EDM Rush Amanotes 59m
Puzzle & Dragons GungHo Online Entertainment $98m Crowd City Voodoo 47m
Notes: Note: Data is combined view of Apple App Store and Google Play net revenues and downloads - does not include third-party Android
Source: Priori Data © 2019 IHS Markit
app stores
*Includes all versions including third-party published
Top publisher performance: Tencent extends its lead via PUBG Mobile and
Perfect World, whilst King suffers Candy Crush decline
Tencent’soverallnetrevenueforQ2grewbymorethan18%versusQ1 –an increase of $106m. Publisher Net revenue Q1 2019 Publisher Net revenue Q2 2019
Some of this growth can be attributed to the on-going success of the international version of
PUBG Mobile, which saw quarter-over-quarter gains of $53.4m, representing a 64% surge. Tencent $588m Tencent $694m
Further growth emerged from Game for Peace, which launched in May as a state-friendly version King $410m NetEase $330m
of PUBG Mobile forChineseaudiences,generatingover$50minnetrevenueinQ2.China’s NetEase $384m Supercell $300m
Perfect World Mobile, an MMORPG based on the PC IP, was released in early March and
contributed its first full quarter of revenue for Tencent. Bandai Namco $302m King $268m
BandaiNamco’sDragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle saw decline in both domestic and international Note: Data is combined view of Apple App Store and Google Play net revenues and downloads - does not include third-party
Android app stores
markets, with a 51% net revenue loss versus Q1. This suggests that the title has perhaps peaked.
Source: Priori Data © 2019 IHS Markit
Some users may also have been cannibalised by newcomer Dragon Ball Legends which only
launched in May, and so cannot make up for a full quarter of decline for Dokkan Battle.
New top 10 entrant Netmarble was boosted by the June release of Japan-only title Seven Deadly
Sins, which generated over $15m in the last few weeks of Q2 alone, suggesting further growth
moving into Q3. Square Enix is similarly buoyed by domestic RPGs Dragon Quest of the Stars
and Romancing SaGa Re: Universe.
Battle royale genre generates upwards of $1.7b in net revenue since 2017
Battle royale market main contributors - total net revenue and downloads, Apple App Battle royale genre total net revenue by country - top 10, Apple App Store and Google
Store and Google Play combined Play combined*
400 Japan
500
350 China
Downloads (m)
Thailand
250
300
Saudi Arabia
200
Canada
200 150
Turkey
100
100
United Kingdom
50
Indonesia
0 0
Fortnite* Knives Out PUBG Mobile Garena Free Rules of Game for 0 100 200 300 400 500 600
Fire Survival Peace
Net revenue ($m)
Notes: Fortnite net revenue is Apple App Store only Notes: *China is IOS only
Source: Priori Data © 2019 IHS Markit Source: Priori Data © 2019 IHS Markit
The mobile battle royale scene has had its strongest quarter yet, with huge growth of 158% year- Top battle royale titles – net revenue by quarter, Apple App Store and Google
on-year. USA, Japan and China are leading the way for battle royale spending, but other Play combined
territories driving revenue range from South America to the Middle East, demonstrating the global
appeal of the gameplay.
180
Lack of between-Season activity leaves Fortnite flat
Fortnite’sAppleAppStorenetrevenuehasfurtherdecayedinQ2,despitealucrativeSeason9in 160
May where upon its release, upwards of $2.8m was generated daily.
140
96% of Knives Out net revenue is generated in Japan, and 86% of this is derived from the Apple 20
App Store alone. Despite seeing negative growth across all other versions - Chinese, Taiwanese,
and global Android – a 21.6% increase for the global iOS version represents an improved
0
performance overall.
Fortnite* PUBG Mobile Knives Out
Thetitle’sremarkableconsistencyisperhapstestamenttoit’slargelyJapaneseplayer-base.
Q2 2018 Q3 2018 Q4 2018 Q1 2019 Q2 2019
Titles such as Monster Strike and Puzzle & Dragons have maintained strong performances for
several years, despite being virtually confined to Japan.
Notes: * Fortnite net revenue is Apple App Store only
Source: Priori Data © 2019 IHS Markit
This imbalance is primarily a result of cost. Cheaper Android devices from Chinese smartphone
companies such as Xiaomi enjoy widespread popularity, whilst many consumers are inherently 700
priced out of iPhone products. Titles which are unavailable on Google Play are therefore at a
considerable disadvantage in terms of exposure.
The title has a dedicated and widespread following across the territory: Twitch and YouTube are
300
awash with Indian PUBG streamers, and national esports tournaments such as the mobile
Campus Championship offer substantial prize pools.
200
Market potential limited by politics and wealth disparity
Whilst PUBG Mobile performs extremely well in India, the mobile gaming market as a whole 100
remains small. Affluence continues to grow and the country is increasingly urbanised, but as a
games market it is still embryonic.
0
Fearssurroundingthegame’simpactintermsofviolenceandaddictionhaveresultedin 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
widespread bans across Indian cities, an issue which is likely to be on-going, particularly as the
gaming scene evolves and expands. Android iOS
Source: IHS Markit © 2019 IHS Markit
Based on the Harry Potter IP, Wizard’s Unite isNiantic’slatestmobileoffering,providinga Pokémon GO and Wizards Unite net revenue per download comparison* - 2 week
refined, Pokémon GO-inspired AR experience. Initially, the title appears quite complex with some post-launch period
users also reporting an aggressive approach to monetisation, and we believe these factors are
reflected in its early performance. 1.0
Conversely, many of the other big publishers used the stage to share their mobile plans. Ubisoft War of the Visions Final Fantasy Square Enix RPG TBA 2019
announcedTomClancy’sEliteSquad:aF2PRPGbattlerwhichcombinescharactersfromacross Brave Exvius
the Clancy franchises. Bethesda opened its show with Elder Scrolls Blades, and built on its Source: IHS Markit © 2019 IHS Markit
existing mobile catalogue with a new expansion for CCG Elder Scrolls Legends and the porting
of Fallout Shelter to Tesla autos. Old school id Software title Commander Keen also got a
21st century mobile makeover – likely to the disappointment of many of its original PC fans.
Square Enix introduced a global version of the gacha title War of the Visions Final Fantasy Brave
Exvius, and a corresponding partnership with singer-songwriter Katy Perry to use her music and
likeness in-game. This mirrors an earlier strategy involving Ariana Grande. It is no surprise that
the publisher – as a Japanese company with a considerable IP roster - continues to build on its
smartphonetitles,butthismakesNintendo’srelativeinabilitytoestablishasolidmobilepresence
all the more perplexing.
Themobileplatformisnowakeycomponentofmanypublishers’offeringsmovingforward.
However, try as they might to minimize the platform divide, traditional console and PC gamers
remain resistant to the mobile onslaught.
Autobattlers: New trend triggers Valve’s first mobile title and reignites
old rivalry
A sub-genre of the real-time strategy (RTS) category, autobattlers are characterized by units Auto Chess - Net revenue and downloads for June 2019*
being strategically placed around chess board-like map, followed by an automatic battle at the
endofeachround.TheformatwasoriginallypopularizedbyDrodoStudios’ Dota 2 mod, Dota
Auto Chess. 50,000 250000
Much like MOBAs and battle royales, the autobattler genre emerged from the PC mod scene – a 45,000
space which has proven to be indicative of future trends; particularly esports.
40,000 200000
Familiar foes: Valve and Riot battle it out
Downloads
a possible sign that the company is looking to expand its reach following industry pressures 30,000 150000
regarding revenue shares.
25,000
Teamfight Tactics isRiotGames’League of Legends-themed autobattler, released in Beta only
a week after Dota Underlords. It is only available on PC, leaving Valve and Drodo to mobile, but
20,000 100000
Riothavestatedthattheyarenot“rulingout”asmartphoneversion.
Originator Drodo Studios was the first to bring the genre to smartphones through partnerships 10,000 50000
with Imba TV and Long Mobile. Standalone mobile title Auto Chess launched in May. Players of
the original mod can migrate their accounts to the mobile version to receive rewards, which 5,000
partially explains its initial though moderate success.
0 June 2019 0
A separate PC version is set to come exclusively to the Epic Games store later this year.
However, with industry heavyweights Valve and Riot also fighting for a share of the autobattler
market – and without the support of primary storefront Steam on PC - it will be tough for Auto Net revenue Downloads
Chess to maintain its position. Loyal fans of the original mod might stick around, but Dota and
LoL’shugeexistingplayer-bases could prove instrumental. Notes: *Google Play & Apple App Store combined
Source: Priori Data © 2019 IHS Markit
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