How Did "Monopoly Go" Maintain a Top 10 Revenue Spot Despite a 47% Drop in Monthly Earnings?

Monopoly Go! is undoubtedly a high-income casual mobile game that many people have been keeping an eye on.

Despite being launched just 18 months ago, it has become a hugely successful app. In its first year, the game generated over $3 billion in revenue.

Have you noticed that Monopoly Go! is expected to have revenue significantly below its monthly average for three consecutive months?

However, according to FoxData, even though player spending on the app in November decreased by 47% compared to its all-time high in March, it still remains firmly in the Top 10 on the global revenue charts.

💡 Read More: Top Mobile Games by Worldwide Revenue for November 2024

According to Market Segment-Top Publishers, Scopely, the publisher of Monopoly Go, has become the top casual games publisher of 2024, with over $1.6 billion in revenue, outshining Playrix, King, and others.

In just the second half of 2024, Scopely generated $5.29 billion from the App Store, placing it in the Top 5 of global app market publishers, just behind world-leading companies like Google and TikTok.

How did Scopely create the phenomenon that is the game app "Monopoly Go," which, even though it's challenging to maintain high revenue levels, still consistently ranks in the Top 10 for global game revenue every month?

Is it solely relying on the Monopoly IP? Why is it significantly more profitable than other mobile games that also use the Monopoly IP?

Let's explore the answers together!

Gameplay

Core Gameplay

Monopoly GO effectively combines elements from multiple genres, including casual, casino, and board games. 

However, the main target audience for Monopoly GO is casual players.

Therefore, its core gameplay primarily focuses on casual play.

The aim of casual gameplay is to be simple enough for everyone to enjoy, and Monopoly GO is indeed a game where players can just click to play directly.

This game cleverly combines simple, casual mechanics with core casino elements, along with additional features and a progression system.

The core gameplay loop in Monopoly GO involves rolling the dice to move around the board, earning cash, and building monuments to complete the map.

Deep Gameplay

To prevent players from getting bored, the game uses deeper gameplay to retain users after they have initially engaged.

What adds depth to this casual game is the additional content and progression systems inspired by mid-core games.

The two main progression systems in the game are building and upgrading. To complete a level or map, players must purchase and upgrade various buildings and monuments. Each map represents a different city and serves as one level.

This progression system provides players with a sense of accomplishment and purpose for the casual core mechanics.

In addition to unlocking new maps (levels), players can also unlock a variety of items and upgrades by leveling up.

Paid Ads

Games advertising remains a growth area for marketers.

Monopoly GO regularly innovates new Meta Ads creatives to continuously attract new customers and drive more revenue conversion.

According to FoxData-Meta Ad Creatives, Monopoly GO's ad creatives primarily focus on gameplay involving clicking dice or banknotes, followed by KOL (Key Opinion Leader) voiceovers, live-action short videos, and more.


In late November, Scopely hired a star-studded lineup of four talented actors to participate in new ad creatives.

The playful creative features the iconic Mr. Monopoly, hilariously voiced by comedy legend Will Ferrell, accompanied by a talented cast including Jason Momoa, Keke Palmer, and Chris Pratt.

This cross-platform promotional campaign includes over 20 original videos.




👉 Click here to quickly discover more Monopoly GO ad creatives.

Monetization

Unlike many other successful casual games that adopt a hybrid monetization strategy, Scopely chose to focus entirely on in-app purchases.

Currencies

In terms of the game's economy, there are two main currencies, both of which can be purchased with real-world money.

In Monopoly GO, you need to roll dice to move on the board and earn money. Money is required to purchase and upgrade buildings, complete maps, and progress to the next level.

The in-game store offers different deals based on dice rolls and money.

1. Rolls (moving on the board costs rolls) - Six packages available ranging from 1.99 USD to 99.99 USD (for 30 to 3,200 rolls, with extra rolls offered for the first purchase). Rolls are also generously given to players for various actions in the game, such as completing the construction of the city or simply by time passing.
   
   

2. Money (building cities or getting out of jail costs money) - Again, six packages available offered at exactly the same price points as Rolls (for 1.95 million to 208 million). Again, there are many ways to earn money while playing the game.

 

Rewarded Video Ads

Monopoly GO seamlessly integrates rewarded video ads into the gameplay to boost in-app revenue.

Monopoly Go gamers can increase daily treats, get more rolls, and get more money by watching ads.

 

Specific Implementation Methods Include:

• Reward Mechanism: Players can earn extra dice, game coins, or other in-game resources after watching video ads. This instant reward encourages players to voluntarily watch ads.

• Game Progress Acceleration: By watching ads, players can speed up building upgrades or map completion times, helping them progress to the next level faster.

• Special Events or Offers: During certain events, watching ads might unlock unique game content or limited-time offers, increasing player engagement.

• Daily Rewards: Watching an ad for the first time each day can grant additional rewards, encouraging players to log in and participate in the game daily.

👉Read more Game Market Insigts&Trends.

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