Deconstructor of Fun Game Analytics 03 - Monetizing
Nov 17, 2025
Teis Mikkelsen, a Senior Director of Revenue with 20 years in the games industry, shares his insights on player retention and monetization strategies. He reveals that retention issues stem from mismatched expectations rather than flawed features. Teis emphasizes the importance of early planning for monetization and warns against short-sighted tactics. He discusses the significance of segmentation, balancing ad and IAP models, and the surprising relationship between engagement and spending. His advice? Players value rewarding purchases and thoughtful monetization enhances their experience.
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Beware Diminishing Ad Value
- Ad revenue per user diminishes the more ads they see, creating diminishing returns. Balance ad rewards with economy pacing so ads don't erode long-term value.
Tailor Hybrid Monetization By Genre
- Use a hybrid monetization mix tailored by genre: casuals skew ad-heavy, mid-core skew IAP-heavy. Adjust ratios because player tolerance for ads differs by game type.
Segmentation Copycat Failure And Geo Win
- Teis recalls teams copying large publishers' segmentation and failing due to unmanageable complexity. He highlights a case where geo-based pricing promotions revealed mispriced markets and led to price raises.