Uncover new game revenue streams with AppsFlyer’s PC & console measurement solution

Game studios are like runners in runner games. Fast moving, always looking to stay ahead and outrun the competition. Particularly when it comes to driving revenue.  

And when cash is king, and an economic downturn puts pressure on studios, numerous mobile game studios are looking beyond and have decided to take on the brave new world of PC and console platforms.

The opportunity is massive.  

According to Newzoo, there are over 1 billion PC players and 611 million console players. In fact, both platforms experienced a 15% surge in player numbers between 2020 and 2022. And although mobile is still at the top in terms of revenue, PC & console are responsible for nearly half of the global gaming revenue in 2022.  

What’s holding marketers back?

The growth is there. The hype is there. So what’s the problem?? You guessed it – measurement.

Game marketers have always dominated the mobile industry as early adopters of new technologies and methodologies. They are the kings of data and positive ROAS campaigns. But without proper measurement, they cannot prove their worth. 

The reality is that the higher ups have already decided to launch on PC/console (and rightfully so!), and are now tasking marketers with, well, marketing on these platforms. 

But marketers feel like they were sent to battle without their formidable weapons and are facing three main challenges:

1. Limited measurable inventory: Most gaming platforms are walled gardens, lacking advertising inventory or connectivity to external networks.
   
2. Lack of cross-platform attribution: Cross-platform campaign measurement is not possible due to a lack of unique identifiers and attribution infrastructure.
   
3. Siloed reporting & analytics: Getting the complete marketing picture while running campaigns across platforms is challenging due to data fragmentation.

The bottom line is that the absence of a real-time, comprehensive, and unified view of campaign performance across mobile, PC, and console is preventing  mobile gaming studios from fully capitalizing on PC & console.

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Introducing AppsFlyer’s revolutionary PC & console game measurement solution

To help marketers overcome these challenges AppsFlyer is broadening its cross-platform and multi-platform measurement offering to support both PC & console platforms. This new solution empowers gaming marketers with three main capabilities:

• PC & console real-time measurement and analytics: Marketers can now access the familiar robust set of reports and actionable insights they are used to getting for iOS and Android – now supporting Steam, Epic, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and Meta Quest!

• Cross-platform attribution: User acquisition teams can now drive growth by reaching potential players wherever they are – whether they’re browsing the web, using their mobile devices, watching content on Connected TV (CTV), or engaging with their owned media channels while measuring the impact on PC & console growth.

• Multi-platform measurement: Gaming studios can gain a complete picture of their ad media budget distribution and performance across mobile, PC, console and web in one place.

Thanks to the combination of these three capabilities, game marketers can make the most of their unique mobile marketing experience to enhance the PC & console space, driving profitable growth and showcasing their impact.

Interested in driving growth on PC & console and don’t know where to start?

Learn about the next steps & best practices in this guide

Use cases

Cross-platform attribution unlocks several user acquisition and reengagement flows by allowing game marketers to meet players wherever they are (web, mobile, connected TV, and out-of-home) and measure the impact on both PC & console conversions. The following are only a few examples: 

• Web-to-desktop: This is a strong flow because it often starts with high-intent players searching for a particular game. In this case, a player clicks on a search result (organic or paid) and arrives at a landing page. The user clicks on a link to the relevant PC store, downloads the game, and then launches it.  

• CTV-to-console: Since CTV emerged as a viable performance channel, several gaming studios like Kabam, Playtika, and Mistplay have been taking full advantage of the level of user engagement that the big screen brings to the table.  In this flow, the player sees an ad on their TV, heads to the console store, downloads the game, and starts playing. 

• Mobile-to-desktop: Leveraging mobile ad networks for growth is the most natural first step for a mobile-first marketer. In this flow, a gamer sees an ad for a game on a social media app and then heads to the PC store where he downloads and starts playing the game. 

• Out-of-home-to-desktop: Game ads at bus stops and subway stations are strategically placed to reach people who are often looking for something to do while waiting for transportation. It’s a smart way for gaming marketers to convert audiences into players. In this case, users capture a QR code at a bus stop or station, which brings them to a mobile landing page. They can purchase or download the app through the PC stores’ mobile app or website and later play the game on their PC. 

These are only a few examples, if you want to learn more, check out our brand-new guide and discover several new use cases.  

What’s next?

Now that you have a good idea of what you can do with PC & console measurement, it’s time to contact us to explore the next steps. If you’d like more information on how to get started, we’ve put together this help center article to get you on your way.