Here’s another possible solution to the F2P problem. The InMobi Monetization Solution for Games promises to be…well, the monetization solution for games. Because we all know monetization is a problem for games, right? Okay, not exactly. To be precise, what is needed is a monetization solution for bad games, and that’s what most F2Ps are, bad games.
So does InMobi have a winner here? Check out the video:
InMobi Monetization Solution for Games from InMobi on Vimeo.
The idea is that the ads attempts to act according to the mood of the gamer. As a kid, you don’t ask dad for $20 when his team just lost the big game. When your manager is beaming after a promotion, that’s the time to request that cool project you want on your resume. Timing is everything, and The InMobi Monetization Solution for Games (MSG) says it knows timing.
The b2b video begins with, “Gamers are people, and people have feelings”. Very profound. No sarcasm here. Really. I’m sure many developers and marketers don’t realize that gamers have feelings. Like we hate it when a game sucks, for example. Anyway, the idea of MSG is that smart ads will target our emotions and sneak in appropriate ads. Again, timing is everything and catch us in the right mood, and we’ll spend the time and moolah. If we’re up after a win, then there’s an appropriate ad for that. If we’re upset after a loss, then there’s an appropriate ad for that, including pay-to-win in-app purchase ads.
That’s the problem for me with MSG. If I’m losing, the last thing I need is someone trying to sell me something. My iPhone might fly out the window if I just lost ten times in a row, and some ad tells me to spend money. I don’t need that kind of interference.
Ultimately, the F2P solution involves a better integration. In other words, there’s got to be a balance between what gamers’ tolerance and ad intrusion. Some kind of product placement, perhaps. Giftgaming might be the solution as well.
But then who knows? MSG might be the healthy solution everyone’s been waiting for.