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Game plan for growth: How developers and publishers use HTML5 games to drive revenue

Chengbin Yang, Tina Lo

July 2022

HTML5 (H5) games are on the up and up, and for both game developers and non-gaming publishers, the rise of these web-based, click-to-play casual games is an opportunity to grow bottom lines.

The beauty of H5 games is that they’re easily accessible anywhere and on any device. Anyone can play these games via an app or a web browser, and on mobile or desktop. Coupled with the casual gaming trend that’s on the rise, you’ve likely seen people immersed in H5 games such as “Daily Solitaire” and “Jewel Blocks.”

The ascent of H5 games has also been fueled by recent advancements in H5 gaming technology, which have made these games easier to create and integrate across platforms, and its gameplay as immersive as that of gaming apps. Third-party game engines like Cocos have further enabled game developers to effortlessly create rich, 3D web-based games that are playable across platforms.

With the global H5 games market forecasted to expand from $832.21 million in 2022 to $2.69 billion by 2027,1 there’s an opportunity for game developers and non-gaming publishers, including websites and apps, to ride the popularity of H5 gaming. The game plan for growth: acquire new users, increase user engagement, and generate new revenue streams.

Marketing Strategies

Overview

App & Mobile

Data & Measurement

Industries

YouTube

ASIA PACIFIC

Game plan for growth: How developers and publishers use HTML5 games to drive revenue

Chengbin Yang, Tina Lo

July 2022

HTML5 (H5) games are on the up and up, and for both game developers and non-gaming publishers, the rise of these web-based, click-to-play casual games is an opportunity to grow bottom lines.

The global H5 games market is expected to reach $2.69 billion by 2027.

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Source: QYResearch, Global and Japan H5 Games Market Size, Status and Forecast 2021–2027, 2021.

Game developers can use H5 games to grow bottom lines

In today’s competitive gaming market, where 65% of all in-app purchase revenue goes to the top 100 games, H5 games provide developers a new way to grow revenue without high development costs, and through game monetization.

H5 games are more cost-efficient to create than traditional games. Unlike dedicated gaming apps, which tend to be feature-heavy, H5 games are bite-sized and require less engineering resources and development lead time. Typically, an H5 game can be built and published in less than a week, and because these games are web-based, there’s no need for app publishing tools, which further reduces development cost.

The shortened build time also means developers can more quickly unlock new revenue streams from the game through game monetization. One way to do this is with H5 Games Ads (beta), which mobile gaming app developer Kingame used to overcome low retention rates and revenue.

By incorporating the H5 game Ad Placement API into its H5 games, Kingame was able to show interstitial ads during natural game breaks, such as when a screen loads. The in-game advertising allowed players to interact with the playable ad, get in-game rewards, and keep playing. This game monetization solution significantly improved game retention for Kingame, with user session times increasing 50% and its revenue growing by 3X.