Players who receive rewards for playing or downloading a game tend to feel more positively towards the game and are more likely to recommend it, according to a study conducted by user acquisition company Almedia. This is especially true, according to the study’s findings, if the reward in question has tangible value outside of the game, such as cash or gift cards. Users are 76% more likely to recommend a game from which the player has received such a reward.

The study defines “real-world rewards” as items with tangible value outside of the game, such as cash or gift cards. “In-game rewards” are virtual items with value in the game’s economy. Almedia’s study — the second part of one on rewards — was conducted by Atomik Research using 2,003 mobile gamers in the US and UK. 50% had received real-world rewards for playing games, while the other 50% had received in-game rewards. It’s worth noting that the study didn’t offer any data on gamers who’d received no rewards for playing.

Out of the players who received real-world rewards, 71% reported that they played more of the game after receiving them, and 85% say they continue to play even if no further rewards are apparently forthcoming. 72% also added that they take rewards into account when trying out new games.

Of the players that received in-game rewards, 58% said they’re likely to play a game differently if they received tangible rewards, while 65% said they’re more likely to try a new game if it offered such benefits. 75% of all gamers surveyed said they would feel more positive about games offering such rewards, and 42% said they’d be more likely to play mobile games for rewards or incentives.

User acquisition and user benefits

Now, the findings themselves are not particularly surprising — of course gamers would find an activity appealing if it offered them some form of real-world reward. However, it’s indicative of evolving player attitudes towards forms of mobile monetization. Players are now more likely to prefer rewarded gameplay, particularly if they’ve experienced it in other games. Almedia itself operates the Freecash platform, which offers users a way to earn rewards for gameplay.

Almedia’s study discusses the effects of these elevated expectations on both gamers and developers. 95% of devs who have run reward-based user acquisition campaigns said they feel it gives them a competitive advantage, and 82% said those campaigns outperformed other UA campaigns.

Moritz Holländer, Almedia CEO, said in the statement, ”Our deep study of gamers clearly shows that there’s a voracious appetite for rewards across the mobile games industry. Never before in gaming have we witnessed the mass adoption of real-world rewards by players. What we are currently seeing is real-time transformation in how gamers choose what they play based on rewards – and also rewards’ ability to foster valuable long-term relationships between players and games. It’s a total rewrite of how and why users engage with gaming content, and a much-needed one at a time where game studios face barriers to acquiring and retaining players in a highly competitive market.”