This document discusses in-game offer strategies for mobile games. It describes how the mobile game developer Pixonic tested different offer types, including starter packs, direct offers, and time-limited events. Their experiments showed that starter packs that provided large discounts increased payment conversion and retention. Meanwhile, direct offers were less effective unless they avoided pay-to-win mechanics and unrealistic expectations. Pixonic then found that free-to-play events involving chests, roulette, and progress bars were more engaging for players and led to higher participation and revenue than direct offers. The document concludes by emphasizing the importance of designing seasonal events that create atmosphere and avoid a sense of fraud.

1. Igor Klyukin
COO, Pixonic
In-Game Offers:
Pitfalls and Solutions
2017

2. • Founded in 2009
• 3 offices: Moscow, Belgorod, Berlin
• 130 employees
• Included in App Annie’s Top-3 Fastest-
Growing Publishers in Russia and the CIS
PIXONIC

3. • PvP 6 vs 6 MMO-shooter
• Release date: April 2014
• Total installs: 37 mln
• DAU: 1.4 mln
• Regions: US, Japan, South Korea, UK, Germany, Australia,
Canada, Russia
WAR ROBOTS

4. PICK THE RIGHT APPROACH
WINWIN

5. STARTER PACK
•Player gets
HUGE discount
•We get first
payment and next
30 days retention

6. STARTER PACK OUTCOME
increased payment
conversion for the
first 14 daysx1.8
times users returned to
collect bonus for the
next 30 days~26
New payers conversion
day-1 day-7 day-14
2,0
1,8
1,6
1,4
1,2
1,0
0,8
0,6
0,4
0,2
0,0
0,5
1,1
0,9
1,6
1,8
1,0
BEFORE AFTER

7. DIRECT OFFERS
«Premium»
content with
30% discount
«Basic»
content with
90% discount
OR

8. ONE TIME OFFERS
Revenue
New payers conversion
30% discount
90% discount
30% discount
90% discount
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
2,5
2,0
1,5
1,0
0,5
0

9. DIRECT OFFERS FOLLOW-UP
Useless content (game issue) Game quality first
Wrong offer (targeting issue) Personal offers
Unbalanced content / “Pay-to-play” All content achievable
Offers expectation There is no pattern to get used to
We don`t offer currency directly
WINWIN

10. Offers Events
YOU COULD DO BETTER!
Offers vs Events

11. MAKE A FREE2PLAY EVENT!
• Free to participate
• Entertaining process
• Contains rewards
• Time/efforts/money

12. CHESTS WITH RANDOM PRIZES

13. FEW POINTS ABOUT OUR EVENTS
*Oоps, we made a mistake at first
CHEST
•Make
entertaining
atmosphere
•Give your players
rewards
RОULETTE *
•Add emotions to the
process!
•Promote high-value
prizes available

14. ALSO SHOULD BE NOTED
EVENT
COINS
• Involve more players: give free
coins at the start and make them
easy to earn
• Provide paying users with the
opportunity to spend money on
them
PRIZE
LOG
• Let players overview
and share lists of their
rewards
• Promote the event:
show the best prizes at
the top of the list

15. WHAT WE ADDED IN OUR NEXT EVENTS
GLOBAL
NOTIFICATIONS*
• Promote event, involve more
players
• Show that prizes and winners
are real
PROGRESS
BAR* AND DIFFERENT
VALUE CHESTS
• Give player a way to «control»
randomness
• Provide users with the
opportunity to pick their own way
to play and spend money
*Oоps, we made a mistake with that, too

16. •+45% ARPDAU at Halloween event
•+110% ARPDAU at New Year event
Days
Halloween New Year
IT`S PART OF YOUR GAME. DEVELOP IT.
Days

17. SCREW-UPS
RОULETTE
GLOBAL
NOTIFICATIONS PROGRESS BAR

18. SEASONAL EVENT FOLLOW-UP
• Involve everyone
• Create a seasonal atmosphere
• Design it for all players
• Avoid the sense of fraud
• Negative feedback is imminent - be ready
Think
Win-Win!

19. THANK YOU
Igor Klyukin
COO, Pixonic
igor@pixonic.com