How is the web contributing to the gaming world and driving it forward?
Our mission is to bring games to everyone, everywhere, and perhaps that’s exactly why we chose to work with the web in the first place.
The web is influencing and expanding the gaming world in many ways, but three areas stand out the most.
Turning non-gamers into gamers
We’ve already reached 45 million players a month, with an average of 55 minutes of daily playtime per user. Many of these players might never have tried gaming otherwise — whether because they think it’s too complicated, too demanding, or hold outdated stereotypes.
The web offers a unique opportunity — a first touch that is instant and effortless — allowing newbies to jump in and out of the gaming world in seconds. And once they do, they often stay, exploring deeper and deeper.
At the same time, the web also attracts games that provide hundreds of hours of gameplay for more experienced players.
These projects not only keep players engaged but also encourage them to return daily, form communities and often make the platform their go-to place for the specific game. A prime example of this on Playhop is the tactical strategy State of Survival.
Giving opportunities to developers of any level
Steam and mobile stores are raising commissions and tightening their requirements, making risk increasingly expensive. On the web, you can launch a bold conceptual idea or test out a hypothesis without high costs — A/B testing included.
We offer opportunities not only for experienced developers but also for young indie teams without marketing budgets.
For indie teams, making that first attempt a success is much more achievable on the web. And if it doesn’t work out, the time and resource loss is minimal — but the experience gained is invaluable.
At first, Playhop started as an open platform for any game that didn’t violate the law. Now we have 5,500 developers with active games and a total of 28,000 games, even after tightening our requirements and removing many games that no longer meet the platform’s standards.
When it comes to money, some partners with large mobile projects already see the web contributing 25-30% of their total revenue, with zero acquisition costs.
Offering a unique and safe trial-and-error experience
There are three paths:
- Indie: developing a new game from scratch. A perfect starting point for creators who want to test ideas quickly and without high costs.
- Midcore: porting a finished game from other platforms. With traffic becoming more expensive everywhere else, the web offers a cost-effective alternative. Porting is simple, onboarding is fast — and your game starts to attract players.
- Top mobile games with in-app purchases perform strongly on the web. In-app monetization works almost the same as on mobile. With access to targeted traffic, A/B testing, and lower acquisition costs, the potential for high revenue is there.
We already have over 1,000 games with in-app purchases, including top titles like Battle Arena, Traffic Tour and Ludus. Players love these games so much that they choose them repeatedly from a huge catalog and are willing to spend money on them.
Of course, Steam and mobile platforms will continue to evolve, and app stores will keep developing — there’s no doubt about that. We’re not here to replace them, but to assist developers.
The web is making a strong return to the industry as an excellent source of revenue and traffic. Developers are facing challenges, and the web is proving to be a valuable helper in overcoming them.
