本文原作者：Johannes Heineze 译者：ciel chen

在免费增值模式成为手机游戏的主流的情况下，手游开发者为了把游戏做成功，他们必须掌握盈利的艺术与科学。其中一种典型模式的就是将广告和App内购（IAPs）相结合。我们和非常多的游戏开发者有过合作盈利经历，所以我们也知道了哪些方法行得通，哪些是行不通的。以下，我将就此提出手机游戏的五个最佳盈利实践方案。

mobile game monetization（from develop online）

1：在游戏设计阶段就开始谋划盈利策略

先做游戏，再想如何盈利也是能赚到钱的，不过如果你能在构建游戏之前就认真考虑好软件内付费内容是哪些，那这样的游戏会更成功的。这里一定要把用户体验放在第一位：认真考虑广告投放处是否会影响到游戏体验或者让玩家感到不满（还是说广告本身就是整个游戏机制的一部分了）？如果你有提前做好这种策略性的规划，那你的游戏就有可能让玩家愿意为付费内容买单来进行更深入的游戏探索；还有广告投放的位置也能有鼓舞玩家继续体验游戏的效果。尽管成功的虚拟经济是需要不断进行测试的，但在整个对手游设计的观察过程中——提前做好计划，一开始就构想出健全的方案——这里可是大有说道的。

2：用广告收入延长游戏的用户生命周期（LTV）

很多情况都是——游戏开发者只在算用户生命周期的时候才把注意力集中在IAP上。然而，若是把广告收入同用户生命周期考虑在一起，你就会更有自信地为每个新用户花更多的钱。不过这比你想的要更难就是了——但是如果把广告收入平均到每个用户身上，这是完全足够的——这更像是通过广告来增加盈利收入。你必须记住的这点：低CPIs(每安装成本)往往意味着低质量的用户保留和低质量的用户App内消费，所以把广告收入化为对用户生命周期的延长很重要。广告商给我们用在LTV上的CPIs常常只有他们真正广告收入的20-30%——这样造成的结果就是他们获取的用户在IAP表现上质量不高。所以你得从一开始就把广告收入转化为LTV来弥补这方面的不足。

3：让用户清楚你的IAP价值

要知道，玩家都希望能知道IAPs的价值和优势所在。在价格方面，如果你要批量卖，你得让玩家清楚他们单买1.99镑和批量买9.99镑是省在了哪里。最好把折扣写清楚省的他们自己计算。相似的，在不同物品的购买上，确保玩家清楚地知道这件物品能对游戏性起到怎样的强化效果。这件物品能不能让玩家有所优势或者让游戏更加好玩呢？然后就是把这些答案都写在说明栏里。这里的要点在于：你希望尽可能地减少用户对付费内容的理解偏差，让沟通交流尽可能地简单明了。不要让用户对买的东西还得费力气去想很多，你要把他们会想到的问题都清清楚楚写出来。

4：如果你还有没有投放奖励性视频，可以试试看

如果你的游戏合适投放奖励性视频，但你居然不用这个当下手游最火的广告模式，那你肯定是个笨蛋。奖励性视屏能这么火也是有道理的——这个模式的一大好处就在于基本上你可以通过这个模式两方面赚钱：广告和IAPs。但是有些手游开发者会担心了：这种奖励性视频有可能减少玩家对物品和货币的购买行为（如果能免费那你还花钱干嘛？），不过事实上恰恰相反：当你让非付费玩家接触了那些需要花钱的东西，这反倒增加了他们转为付费玩家的可能性。不过，就像之前提到的，你可不能随意地在任意时间和位置投放这些视频，然后还指望这能有完美的见效——你应该在构建游戏的时候就计划好哪里可以设置奖励性视频，时间要早，频率要高，还要去测试看看它运转的如何（包括测试奖励玩家的货币多少合适）。

5：游戏内活动和促销活动的举办

游戏内活动可以包括限时比赛、主题人物获取和限时名人挑战这些内容。几乎所有以限时参与形式的新活动都能鼓励玩家更加投入你的游戏。我们就见过排名第一的游戏滑到了20名或者更低，但他们通过游戏内活动，重新冲回了排行榜前十或者更高。普遍说来，办活动的游戏开发者在活动期间，基本上都能看到日活跃用户平均收益的大幅度升高。不过呢，对于游戏内活动来说，创意是很重要的，开发者得确保办的活动能让玩家产生参与的欲望以及利用假期来玩的想法。

当然限时促销活动和特殊礼包也是让玩家投入更多金钱的好方法。

最后，确保你有合适的架构来处理大部分的服务端事项。你不用一直在整个流程中全程死守，你可以很灵活地做到及时反应（比如想一个合时宜的活动来呼应当下流行文化中正在发生的事）以及适时叫停活动。不然要是你的玩家里有一半人一直到1月15号才安装游戏，那你的圣诞主题更新还有什么玩头？

总之呢，手机游戏要想赚钱是要需要有各种谋略的，其中大部分都要求开发者要对用户体验有强烈重视感以及具备“深谋远虑”的才识。所以开发者应该做到以下五件事：在构建游戏的开始就应该做好盈利规划；让用户清楚地了解IAPs价值所在；让大部分的奖励性视频都能在IAPs和广告方面获取收入；在计算LTV时把广告收入也算入在内；最后，经常定期地举办一些活动——真的没什么比灵巧好玩的游戏活动更能吸引玩家的了。

本文由游戏邦编译，转载请注明来源，或咨询微信zhengjintiao

The five best practices for mobile game monetisation

By Johannes Heinze, AppLovin

Given that freemium is now the dominant model for mobile gaming, mobile game developers must master the art and science of monetisation in order to be successful. Typically this requires some combination of running ads and offering in-app purchases (IAPs). At AppLovin, we’ve worked closely with thousands of game developers to monetise their games and have seen what works and what doesn’t up close. Here are five best practices for getting your players to make purchases in your games.

1: Plan your monetisation strategy during game design

It is possible to make good money by building your game first and then thinking about how to monetise it, but you’re going to be more successful if you carefully think through where to place in-app purchases and ads even before you build. Always keep user experience top-of-mind: are the ads placed in such a way that they don’t disrupt game play and alienate players (or are they part of the game mechanics themselves)? If you plan early and strategically, you’re more likely to devise IAPs that encourage players to go deeper into your game and place ads in ways that encourage them to continue to play. While successful virtual economies do require testing and constant, thorough attention, there’s a tremendous amount to be said for planning early and building sound approaches from beginning.

2: Factor ad revenue into your life time value (LTV)

All too often, game developers focus on IAP only when calculating life time value. But accounting for ad revenue within LTV allows you to more confidently pay more per new user. This is more difficult than you expect – but it’s totally sufficient to work with averaged out ad revenue numbers per users – more like a revenue uplift through advertising. You have to remember that low CPIs often mean lower user quality in terms of retention and IAPs, so it’s important to factor in ad revenue. Too often advertisers give us CPIs that are 20-30 percent of their true ad-revenue adjust LTVs. The result is that the users they acquire aren’t high quality in terms of IAPs. So you serve yourself well by factoring in ad revenue to your LTV from the get-go.

3: Make the value of In-App purchases clear

Players like knowing both the value and the advantages of IAPs. With currency, if you’re offering it in bulk, make it clear what the savings are if a player spends £9.99 rather than £1.99. Show them the percentage savings so they don’t have to do the calculation themselves. Similarly, with items, make sure it’s clear to the player exactly how the item will enhance gameplay. Will it give the player an advantage or make the game more fun? Then say so in the description of the item. The point is you want to lessen the friction as much as possible and make conversion as easy as possible. Don’t make the user have to think too much about what they get for the IAP. Spell it out.

4. Check out rewarded video, if you haven’t already

If rewarded video ads are appropriate for your game, you’d be a fool not to take advantage of one of the hottest format in mobile advertising. The hype surrounding rewarded video is well-deserved. One of the great things about the format is that you basically make money off it in two ways: the placement of the ad and IAPs that result from the rewards. While some mobile game developers worry that rewarded video will deter players from buying items or currency (why pay for something when you can get it for free?), actually the reverse is true: when you introduce non-paying players to what they can get with currency, the chances that they’ll convert and buy it themselves actually increases. But, as noted earlier, you can’t just drop it in anywhere at any time and expect it to work perfectly — you should plan as you build where to incorporate rewarded video, incorporate it early and often, and test it to see what works (including the amount of currency you reward players with).

5. Host in-game events and promotions

In-game events can run the gamut from tournaments to limited-time, themed characters and limited-time challenges to celebrity appearances. Pretty much anything that you build that encourages your players to engage with your game in a new way for a limited period qualifies. At AppLovin, we’ve seen top games slip to down the ranking to the 20th spot or below, but then do an in-game event and rocket back to the top ten or even higher. Almost universally, game developers who do events see a surge in ARPDAU on event days. With in-game events, however, it’s important to be creative, ensure that the players get something that they want for joining the event, and leverage holidays for ideas.

Limited time promotions or special bundles are also a great way to upsell the user to invest more currency.

Finally, make sure you have the proper architecture to do the bulk of your events server-side. Then you don’t get hung up in the approval process, you can be super nimble about responding to something timely (for example creating an event that riffs on something going on in popular culture), and you can remove the events when the time is right. And what good is your Christmas themed update if half your players don’t install it until January 15th?

It takes multiple strategies to be successful monetising a mobile game, many of which require being keenly aware of user experience and “thinking big.” Plan your monetisation strategy as you’re building your game and make the value of your IAPs clear. Make the most of rewarded video in order to make revenues in two different ways, and always factor ad revenue in when you’re calculating LTV. Last of all, host events regularly and often — nothing engages player quite like a smart, fun event.（source：develop online  ）