Where to place advertising in mobile games?
You may recently have noticed that mobile games are starting to advertise on TV. This is a sure sign that the makers of these games are raking in some serious money, as it’s definitely not cheap to get an ad on television, especially if you are using a big name celebrity to endorse it. You might be wondering where all of that money comes from. Some of it will be from in-game purchases, but a large portion of it will also be from ads that run in the free version of these games. If you have a mobile game app of your own, or you want to advertise on one, you may be wondering where the best place to put ads is within the app. Here are a few suggestions:
Before game starts
If you are looking for the least intrusive place to place ads within a mobile app, then having them before the game begins is the way to go. Users will forgive an ad or two at the start if it means that they can then play for an extended period of time without any type of interruption. If you asked the average app user where they would rather see ads, this might very well be where they would choose.
Between games or lives
There may be nothing more frustrating to a game player than having an ad pop up right in the middle of a game. If you really need to have the ads show up at that point, have them do so in a spot where there is a natural break. This is usually between games, episodes, or right after the player has lost a life in game and is restarting a new one. You may even consider mixing ads with incentives for extra lives or other critical game items.
Below the game screen
There are definite positive and negative to this placement, at least in the eyes of the average game player. The positive here is that the ads are displayed without the game ever being interrupted at any time. On the downside, there are sure to be players who will complain that the ads are taking up valuable space that would be better served by being used by the game itself. Ads that automatically refresh will additionally cause the gamers unwanted distraction.
Inside the game
This is a little tougher to pull off, and it may be tough to find an adserver that supports it because it requires in-depth customizations. A good example of this type of advertising can be found within the field sport games like football, soccer, basketball, etc. The advertising around the field during games is actually clickable. Clicking on one of the ads will open the target page in a new window, whilst still leaving gameplay active.
Things to consider
No matter which type of advertising you use, there are going to be players who consider them a nuisance. That said, these people unlikely complain too loudly, as they are aware that the ads help keep the app free and they have the option to remove ads or buy a premium version of the app. If you do place ads in a mobile app, make sure that they are as unobtrusive as possible, and that they do not direct the player out of the game.
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