iOS Game Revenue
There are over 800,000 games in the App Store, and in 2017, only the top 50 of them took 76 percent of all the revenue, leaving 24 percent of revenues to be shared by the remaining 99.993 percent of games. And if you’re thinking of chasing one of those top spots, it’s worth noting that over the several years of Apptopia’s study, only 14 games hit the No. 1 spot, only 142 hit number 10 or better, and only 525 hit number 25 or better. Moreover, six games — Clash of Clans, Candy Crush Saga, Game of War — Fire Age, and three casino titles — have held top 50 spots for the entire duration of the study.
The study’s numbers explain why relatively few top-flight game developers are devoting significant resources to making iOS games, despite Apple’s promises of billions in overall developer revenue.
Monument Valley 2 creators Ustwo Games today posted a new story on Medium (via The Verge) that highlights the first-year numbers and growth of the popular mobile sequel. Although there are numerous points of data to look at, one notable standout is that Monument Valley 2 earned $10.4 million in the one year period that began on June 5, 2017 (the game’s launch day) through June 4, 2018.
Previously: iOS App Sales Data, The iOS Gaming Business, Super Mario Run’s Disappointing Profit.
Update (2018-06-26): Rani Molla:
Fortnite: Battle Royale has brought in more revenue in a single month than any other game of its kind. The free-to-play game hit a new revenue record of $318 million in May, according to SuperData Research.
That puts Fornite well ahead of other breakout games like Pokémon Go and Clash of Clans, and it’s all the more spectacular when you realize the multi-platform game launched on consoles just eight months ago and on iOS just three months ago.
Since then, Fortnite has brought in more than $1.2 billion in revenue, all of which comes from nonessential in-app purchases, for stuff like clothing and dance moves.
