Want to understand one of the most powerful and proven methods to monetize mobile, console, and desktop gaming?

Rewarded video ads are videos that users can watch to earn in-game rewards. 

These rewards might be in-game currency, bonus points, or other items that will help them progress in the game. To be watchable to the average swipe-happy player, they must be short, entertaining, and relevant. Oh, and the rewards have to be valuable enough to incentivize users… but not so much that they disrupt game balance. 

When you get this magic combo right, rewarded video ads can effectively monetize a game without annoying users. You can time the ads just right, meaning they only appear when a player has taken a specific action in choosing to watch the ad. So, you avoid the walking-in-front-of-the-TV moment that no one wants (e.g., disrupting the game flow). 

The power of monetization through rewarded video ads in-game is proven. It’s a tactic that’s had time to mature, making it a safe and widely trusted approach for game developers and publishers.

Web Rewarded Video Ads Pillar

Read the Rewarded Video Ads Guide

Worth doing. Now, how:

How Rewarded Video Ads Work

Here’s a simple outline of how rewarded video ads work:

  1. A user is offered a reward in exchange for watching a video ad. This request is non-intrusive, appearing during a break in gameplay (after a player has ‘died,’ between levels, etc.).
  2. The user taps the icon to accept the offer to watch the ad. An overlay appears over the game content and plays the ad. 
  3. The rewarded video ad is complete and the player is dropped back in the game, where they get that sweet reward.

Setting up the trigger for these in-game rewarded video ads is quick and easy. And (we’ve said it twice now),the opportunity for monetization without alienating players is enormous. As a matter of fact, the rewards they get from watching the ads are welcomed and actually increase satisfaction.

Game Monetization Potential for Rewarded Video Ads

So what kind of “enormous” opportunity are we talking about?

The answer, of course, depends on a number of factors: the type of game, the number of players, the country where the game is being played, total audience size, device, software, and specific information about your audience—interests, behaviors, and background. 

And the best part? Playwire publishers regularly generate 4x the CPMs through rewarded video ads than they would through traditional video ads. 

However, estimates are just that, and actual earnings will vary depending on all of the aforementioned factors. But as a revenue generator, rewarded video ads are the right choice for a lot of game developers or publishers. 

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Potential Rewards for In-Game Video Ads

Rewarded video ads are rewarding for all involved. 

Here are some of the top incentives we’ve seen publishers use to make rewarded video ads a win-win both for you and your players. But, keep in mind that the sky's the limit, and anything you have that your game players value is an opportunity for a rewarded video ad.

Resurrection (Continue Gameplay After Player “Dies”)

Offering more lives through rewarded video ads increases player retention. It gives players a reason to come back from death or defeat. And who doesn’t love that?  Shelling out rewards keeps players engaged and overcomes the frustration of a game being “too hard.”

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Straight-Up Money (In-Game Currency and Rewards)

By offering in-game currency in exchange for watching an ad, players access premium content without spending any real-world money. They are able to progress through the game without hitting a paywall. 

Bonus: rewarded video ads can also be back filled with ads to promote new content or features within the game, making them a sweet tool for game marketing.

Note: Rewards don’t have to have any real-world monetary value. They can be as simple as a cosmetic perk: a new costume for the character or an exclusive color scheme for the game. In the world of online games, people pay for these things with real dollars, yet they cost nothing extra to offer. To plenty of players, the chance for a new view or design is worth a short ad.

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Power Up (Ability to Switch Between Levels or Jump Ahead)

Players can watch an ad in exchange for the ability to switch levels or jump ahead. This means developers can increase revenue while actually improving the gameplay experience. The fact that they give players an advantage by allowing them to bypass difficult sections of the game can reduce the friction that comes from showing users an ad in-game. 

Improve Experience (Offer a Special Feature or In-Game Experience)

Another great use of rewarded video is for customized or special experiences. You can allow your players to watch a video in return for a full screen version of gameplay, or offer a display ad-free experience for the remainder of their session.

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Playwire Rewarded Video Ads

At Playwire, we help you master the strategic use of rewarded video ads. It’s a great way for publishers to earn more while also building value into the gaming experience. 

The Playwire rewarded video ad setup is fully customizable and optimized for maximum revenue — all while ensuring delivery that is never obtrusive for players.

Rewarded Video Ads Resource Center

Visit the Rewarded Video Ad Resource Center

Want to fast-track success? Here are some of the top features of Playwire’s rewarded video ad unit:

Custom Ad Units and Triggers

You define the incentive for ads. These are dynamically inserted based on custom event triggers, also set by you. The right incentives and triggers to make sure rewards aren’t too large or too small and ads don’t disrupt the gaming experience.

Available Across Platforms

Rewarded video ads are available on web, mobile, desktop, and even in custom configurations for unique devices and platforms (like wifi captive portals). Talk to a Playwire expert about using a custom rewarded video ad setup on your platform.

Advanced Reporting & Tracking

Every rewarded video ad unit includes listeners for reporting and tracking the metrics that matter most, giving you the metrics you need to make rewarded video ads more effective over time.

Playwire: Helping You (and Your Players) Win Big

Rewarded video ads create the perfect blend of publisher revenue, advertiser visibility, and user enjoyment. They lead to higher CPMs and ad revenue, all without turning off players or disrupting their experience with forced video ads. Players are never shown an ad unless they actively choose to do so.

If you’re ready to take advantage of Playwire rewarded video ads for your game, let’s talk.

Ready to dig deeper? Go there with The Complete Guide to Using Rewarded Video on Web, App, and More

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