Reward Videos – An Expert Guide To Using These Ads In Your Mobile Game

One of the biggest challenges for mobile game developers is how to maintain player engagement alongside effective monetisation. One of the solutions is Reward Videos (RVs). These are video ads that are almost miraculous because players actually want to watch them! In this article, we’ll dive deep into Reward Videos, walk you through designing your game around them, and their many benefits.

What is a Reward Video?

Unlike more intrusive ad formats, RVs empower players by offering valuable in-game rewards in exchange for their time spent watching ads. This can range from currency and power-ups to exclusive content. RVs lead to a unique win-win situation that boosts player engagement and provides a reliable revenue stream for developers.

Image

What are the Benefits of Using Reward Videos?

There are three main reasons you should use reward videos in your mobile games.

The first is to boost your player engagement. They offer a sense of accomplishment and a feel-good emotional response. Players feel rewarded for their time, so they are more likely to remain invested. They also feel more in control of their experience and less frustrated than they would be if they couldn’t control the timing of many of the ads they see.

Secondly, reward videos boost the core game loop experience. You offer players desirable things like extra lives, power-ups or more game time and as well as getting revenue, you extend the length of their player sessions and retain them for longer. The only cost to these is their time, not their valuable money.

Thirdly, you benefit through a reliable revenue stream as part of your monetisation strategy. Reward videos involve high player engagement and a non-intrusive ad format, which leads to increased ad views.

What Rewards Should You Offer?

When it comes to rewards, developers must provide engaging and valuable incentives. A common and effective RV is the multiplication of in-game soft currency. However, the game’s economy must be carefully balanced to prevent players from circumventing content. If the costs of accelerating through the game are too low, then a reward video might unbalance the game and make it less satisfying.

An alternative strategy would be to boost in-game earnings for a set period. Rather than give them a valuable item, they still have to work towards it, but the reward helps them get closer with a welcome boost. This encourages players to consistently engage with the RV, they’ll soon feel that the ‘boosted’ gameplay is the more enjoyable version of the game.

Of course, if the rewards aren’t very desirable for the player, then the ads Of course, if the rewards aren’t very desirable for the player, then you won’t see many RV impressions in your game.

Integrating Reward Videos Into Your Game

Reward Videos should be integrated smoothly into the gameplay loop with a large variety of possible locations. They can be featured in the in-game shop to make it easier to gather additional resources or incorporated in the meta-game to eliminate wait times or unlock valuable rewards.

But there’s more to RVs than meets the eye. Their brilliance lies in the balance they strike between player satisfaction and monetisation. When players feel that the RVs offer a solid transaction for the time they spent watching the video, they are more likely to engage with it again.

Image

Why Choose Reward Videos Instead of Interstitial Videos?

Reward Videos encourage players to voluntarily participate in the game’s monetisation process, inducing a positive emotional response and a sense of accomplishment. One of the main alternatives is interstitial ads – these full-screen ads that pop out without being prompted can be irritating and lead to player churn. 

RVs keep the player experience at the forefront while driving consistent ad impressions from the most dedicated players, thus generating revenue. They should be seen as a fundamental part of game design, rather than interstitial videos which can still be strategically placed at key points in the game but are still ultimately a one size fits all monetisation technique.  

Moreover, RVs act as a bridge between user engagement and a custom post-click landing page, facilitating further engagement and maybe even more purchases.

Well-designed RVs can be a non-intrusive monetisation tool but also make the game better. Because they perform best with your best retaining players, you can draw a parallel between how fun or sticky your game is in the long run with how well it is monetising. Reward Videos undoubtedly offer a compelling solution for developers looking to excel.

If you would like to know more about monetisation strategies for mobile game development, read or recent article on Kwalee’s Games Industry Blog.

We have many publishing opportunities available for game developers, including remote collaborations! Head over to our Kwalee Publishing Portal to discover how you can partner with Kwalee for a successful game launch. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to our publishing team.  Follow us on social media (TikTok | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook) to get the latest Kwalee news.