The best video game ad platforms for brands are typically those that offer a large target audience, robust targeting options, and high engagement rates.
This is the third article in our series on why video game advertising is a huge opportunity for brands in 2023.
Roblox
Roblox is an online platform and storefront where users go to play games. Roblox itself is not a game, but rather the platform developers use to host their games. All of the games on Roblox are made by their users and part of the appeal is getting the opportunity to play games made by users, not large corporations. According to some sources, there are about 20 million games on the platform.
Some developers have reportedly made about $1 million in a single year by monetizing their games. Many games on Roblox are freely available, users can spend virtual currency called Robux to purchase aesthetic items. Developers can keep a portion of the Robux and then transfer it to real currency once they collect enough. Roblox is incredibly popular, drawing in about 43 million daily users, and players for some games can range from a few thousand to over 1.6 million. The platform is free and the games are free to download.
In 2021 Anzu teamed up with Roblox to offer in-game advertising options. Anzu says they hope to open up significant revenue streams for Roblox creators by offering additional ad options. Roblox will take about half the revenue for the players spending on the platform, so additional revenue streams are an incentive to developers.
Anzu’s technology allows for adding dynamic banner ads to virtual objects including buildings and billboards. Their advanced technology has already led to signing partnerships with some of Roblox’s top creators with the hopes of delivering real-world in-game ads to Roxlox’s lineup – without disrupting the user experience.
Discord
Discord is a communications app but was originally designed for gamers. As the app became more popular, it has expanded into other uses such as for fan groups and productivity. Discord offers features like voice chat, server creation, and text channels, which make it an essential tool for gaming communities.
Discord also supports integration with many popular games, allowing users to see what their friends are playing, share game-related content, and connect with other players. The platform’s user-friendly interface, robust feature set, and strong community make it a go-to destination for gamers looking to connect with each other.
Apple Arcade
Apple Arcade is a video game subscription service from Apple. There are hundreds of games, most of which have been hand-picked by Apple and sit across multiple genres, including family, puzzle, sports, RPG and strategy. There is even a category that suggests games for “beginners.”
It’s not a cloud gaming platform, such as Google Stadia or Microsoft’s Cloud Gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, but is more like the main Xbox Game Pass service. You download games entirely to your device and can play them as often as you like.
Apple Arcade is $4.99 a month and renews automatically. Unfortunately there are no in-app purchases or ads, so we won’t spend too much time digging into this platform.
Twitch
Amazon Twitch is a live platform that streams gamers playing video games. 91% of all video game streaming is hosted on twitch and it’s become one of the most popular platforms on the internet, hosting more than 2 million viewers a day.
Much of Twitch’s success comes from the pandemic, which made it a go-to entertainment hub among those stuck at home. Now the platform has over 7 million streamers broadcasting per month.
Twitch’s viewership and engagement skyrocketed in late 2020 as many consumers were bored at home and looking for things to do. Professional sports were off the air, so users looked to fill that void with games. US game sales rose 37% in August 2121, up from 2019. Mobile games even rose as much as 50% in some countries during that same period.
Twitch is often considered the “central hub” for staying up to date with streamers, the latest developments in games, and engaging in the community. According to Twitch Tracker, there are over 3 million viewers, 91,500 channels broadcasting, 1.2 million unique streamers, and 2,900 games live right now (at the time of this publication). Those are huge numbers for brands to consider.
Options for brands looking to advertise on Twitch are robust. The platform offers high-impact displays as well as unskippable ads that integrate into broadcasts.
- Homepage carousel ads show on the center of the homepage in a rotating carousel slot.
- Homepage headliner ads surround premium inventory and can scale with varied screen resolutions and sizes without risking the quality of the ad.
- Medium rectangle ads are placed within the content section of each page.
- Streamable ads amplify viewership to a stream and drive higher views.
- Super leaderboard ads keep viewers engaged while they search for content by displaying a large banner at the top of the page.
- Premium video ads are incorporated into live broadcasts across desktop, mobile, tablet, and connected TV.
- First impression takeover ads let viewers see your ad as soon as they enter Twitch
If your brand is interested in advertising with Twitch, visit the help documentation and schedule a consultation with a strategist, producer, or gaming expert.
According to Facebook, 40% of the top 500 apps are integrated with the audience network. They also claim that over 1 billion people see an Audience Network ad each month. Additionally, 80% of Audience Network ads are native, which helps drive a much higher revenue than the more common banner ad formats.
Advertising on the Facebook platform isn’t new for most advertisers. But if your brand is new to in-game ads, it may be the easiest place to start. The Audience Network is an off-Facebook, in-app ad network designed for mobile apps. Advertisers can have their ads shown to customers who are using mobile sites and apps other than Facebook. This includes games on iOS and Android.
Brands have many options for ad placements within the Audience Network including:
- Banner and medium rectangle ads are the easiest to create, most common, and are generally non-intrusive
- Interstitial ads are full screen and use natural breaks in the user flow, or pauses in the game
- Native ads are customizable and fit the overall look and feel of the app design
- Native banner ads are customizable banners that fit the overall look and feel of the app
- Rewarded video ads take the user through an immersive ad experience with an incentive in exchange for a completed view such as power-ups or aesthetic items
- Rewarded interstitial ads are skippable, non-intrusive ads that offer rewards for watching during natural pauses or breaks
To utilize the Facebook Audience Network and create an in-game ad campaign, you can visit the help documents here.