Newzoo: IP & Brand Collaborations in Games in 2023
The number of brand/IP collaborations has decreased since 2021, but the positive effect on engagement is obvious.
The company examined 477 integrations from January 2021 to June 2023 as part of its research.
The number of collaborations and joint projects has been decreasing since 2021, attributed to the deteriorating situation in the gaming market.
158 out of 477 integrations were between gaming IPs. In second place were anime (manga) with 71 cases, followed by movies with 55 cases.
Battle Royale is the most popular genre for collaborations, accounting for 135 out of the 477 cases studied. Sandbox games rank second with 72 collaborations, and RPGs are third with 53.
The average growth in Daily Active Users (DAU) during the first 7 days after collaboration is 11%, peaking on the 4th or 5th day after release. However, Newzoo does not assess the monetization results.
The effect is more noticeable for games distributed under the buy-to-play model, with a 19% increase in DAU. Free-to-play projects experience an 8% growth.
Case Study: Dead by Daylight
The game developer successfully collaborates with various popular horror franchises.
The most successful collaboration was with the movie "The Ring." DAU and average time in the game increased by 31% in the first week.
In second place was the collaboration with Resident Evil. DAU increased by 29%, and game time increased by 18% in the first week.
The average growth in DAU for all collaborations is 11%, and the growth in time spent is 7%.
Case Study: Top Gun Maverick
Two collaborations with games were announced for the movie release - with Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown and Microsoft Flight Simulator.
In the case of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, a paid DLC priced at $19.99 was released. It added 6 new combat vehicles, emblems, music, and other in-game items. DAU of the game increased by 120% in the week after the release.
In the case of Microsoft Flight Simulator, a free add-on was released, including an aircraft, cosmetic items, new trials, and missions. The DAU growth in the week after the release was 81%.
❗️ It is important to note that Newzoo looks at collaborations in terms of audience growth. However, in reality, the goal of collaborations is not only to expand the potential audience but also to maximize the conversion of the existing audience into payments. Key success markers for collaborations should include a combination of engagement and monetization metrics.