It’s not just gamers who are on a quest. As a game publisher, you’re leaving no stone unturned in your mission to grow reach and revenue, and our latest research on HTML5 (H5) gamers aims to help you score. It has the insights you need on players to unlock the potential of a billion-dollar industry.
The global market value of H5 games is set to triple from $1.03 billion in 2021 to $3.09 billion by 2028 because of their wide appeal. Anyone can play these bite-sized, browser-based games, such as “Daily Solitaire” and “Jewel Blocks” from any device, at any time, without downloading anything.
Indeed, our study shows that players find H5 games to be as attractive as PC or console games.
Yet while H5 games offer players entertainment and relaxation, they demand acumen from game publishers to grow reach and revenue. So to help publishers level up, Kantar, commissioned by Google, conducted new research on H5 gamers across three of the biggest export markets for APAC game developers: the U.S., Brazil, and India.
The findings, shared here, provide a comprehensive view of who H5 gamers are, how they play, what they value, and the ways you can engage them to optimise for revenue.
Who, actually, are H5 gamers?
Contrary to popular belief that H5 players are simply gamers on the go, 89% of them are actually serious and light gamers who make up the core player base of any game publisher.
They’re committed gamers. Serious and light gamers mostly spend upwards of four hours a week playing.They enjoy various games, including app and console titles, with over half of them playing H5 games at least once a day.
Serious gamers, who clock beyond seven hours of play a week, are in fact the dominant type of H5 players, making up 49% of all respondents. Afterall, even the most dedicated gamers need to take breaks, and what better way to do so than play bite-sized games.
They include those new to gaming. While H5 games appeal to serious and light gamers, they also attract those new to gaming. Of those surveyed, 11% are pure H5 gamers who didn’t play any other type of game in the last month.
And they’re not all young. The pure H5 gamer segment is dominated by players aged 55 and above, although the majority of players overall are aged 16 to 24.
What you should do: Invest in H5 games. They let you connect with your core player base of serious and light gamers. They also let you grow your audience and engage pure H5 gamers, a group of players you’d not be able to reach with any other type of games.
When creating audience segments for your marketing and game monetisation strategies, make sure to account for how diverse H5 gamers are.
How, actually, do H5 gamers play?
The majority, or 65% of H5 gamers, play on mobile, but they also enjoy playing on other devices and platforms.
They play across multiple devices. Of those surveyed, 42% play on their laptops, and 33% on desktops. This mirrors how people seamlessly switch between digital devices in everyday life to meet the need at hand. For instance, H5 gamers prefer laptops and desktops when playing games that require precision and control.
They’ll even play on an app if they enjoy an H5 game. Seventy-one percent of players are likely to download an app game after a positive experience with H5 games. For developers of mobile game apps, this means that having an H5 version of your game lets you continually nurture potential players for your app.
They play on non-gaming sites too. They’re open to playing H5 games wherever they come across them, and of those surveyed, 35% play H5 games on non-gaming sites while 33% play on both gaming and non-gaming sites.
What you should do: Optimise your H5 games for various devices and platforms, including the web. This lets you reach gamers wherever they are, regardless of the device in their hands and whether they’re browsing their smartphones on the go, or taking a break from work on their laptops.
Expand your revenue stream by allowing third-party sites to publish your H5 games for a fee. You can share your game content with both gaming platforms and non-gaming ones, such as news websites and social media apps that are keen to have games on their sites. To optimise distribution, consider using H5 Games Ads. It seamlessly integrates with AdSense for Platforms and lets you earn a share of the ad revenue collected when your game is integrated into a site.
What, actually, do H5 gamers value?
In the online world where risks may lurk behind clicks, H5 gamers won't even start playing a game if they don’t trust that it’s safe.
They prioritise safety and privacy. They don’t want to worry about getting a virus attack, or their personal data being compromised or misused by playing a free game. Not only must a game be safe for play, it also needs to feel that way to gamers when they play it.
They’re particular about ads. They’re cautious toward ads but they’ll engage with those they find helpful. Sixty-two percent of H5 players say they’d click on an ad if it features a product or service they find relevant.
Rewarded ads are also the most valued: 7 in 10 H5 gamers say they’d click on ads that offer rewards like power-ups or puzzle hints. And they welcome ads the most at the start or end of a game, when their play isn't disrupted.
What you should do: Design a game experience that matches what players want so you gain their trust, attention, and loyalty.
For instance, prioritise content over ads on your site and allow players to experience your game before they see ads. Do not allow ads to disrupt play with false loading bars, or force gamers to click on ads before they can scroll.
When creating rewarded ads, the reward should match the game and the player’s need at that moment, whether it’s a hint or more time on the clock. To optimise the ad’s placement and monetisation, use H5 Games Ads.
Understanding what makes H5 players tick is half the game won. Now it’s time to turn those gaming trends into action, and grow your reach and revenue.
