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How the Rise of In-App Purchases is Influencing the Mobile Gaming Industry?

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How the Rise of In-App Purchases is Influencing the Mobile Gaming Industry?
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The gaming industry captured the minds of users during 2000s, and now it generates large profits – almost $138 billion in 2018. Developers and operators must be happy about the industry showing growth in revenue of 13.3% compared to 2017.
Following the trend, the mobile gaming market is performing even better. The 25.5% growth means that this sector generates more than a half of a total income (51%). Console and PC segments are nearly equal, having 25% and 24% respectively. There are a number of reasons for mobile games blooming, including in-app purchases.

The freemium spirit
In general, in-app purchases stand for the ability of mobile applications to sell products or services, either virtual or real. Developers invented different approaches to integrating them using various types of apps, features, and interfaces. For instance, there are branded catalogs which sell goods through applications. But in-app purchases are way more typical for free-to-play games.
There is a freemium model of games. Combining features of both free and premium projects, these are completely free downloadable applications with integrated purchases. Owing to this approach, developers earn money with smaller deals inside the app instead of one-time payments. Some of the freemium apps offer simple ads disablement, while others provide unique in-game content. Gambling apps also follow this trend – they offer additional features for money, as well as provide different bonuses for such purchases listed on CasinoBonusCheck.com.

Evolution of mobile games
Now, let’s focus on the influence of freemium games growing in popularity. Experts from Scientific Revenue claim that developers move towards commercial sophistication. This trend is typical for projects that rely on micropayments.
To understand how freemium models affect mobile gaming, remember that they change the focus, moving sales from websites or online retailers like Amazon to games themselves. This way, developers can control the process, providing various offers with flexible prices, sales, and promotions.

Here are some of the current trends of the gaming industry:

  • Multiple points of sale. While premium games are sold on app markets, freemium products can use coins stores, popups with offers, and ubiquitous ads.
  • Various in-game offers. There may be unique daily or weekly sales, additional content, in-game currency, and so on.
  • Annuities. These are unique offers, valid during a certain period.
  • Live Operations. Thanks to in-app purchases, developers can focus on adding new stuff even after the game was launched. They include downloadable content and special promotions dedicated to specific events or major updates.

As small payments are really flexible, developers can easily modify them, trying to reach the maximum engagement. Analysts evaluate the efficiency of in-game content sales and decide whether it’s better to add advertisements or focus on unique offers.

Consequences of the freemium rise
So far as it’s clearer how in-app purchases set trends, we can think about positive and negative consequences. Note that there is no agreement among experts regarding this.

The good side
Ideal freemium games sell cosmetic changes only. Another approach features different types of content but includes an option to unlock them without paying real money. For example, Temple Run offers various enhancements which are available without extra expenses.
Decent freemium projects should focus on improving players’ experience by introducing new content. This is more typical for PC and console games where users can buy new visual styles for characters, unlock extra items and locations.
Free-to-download projects attract way more users who realize that they can easily dive into the game. Also, game providers can focus on improving the single product by implementing Live Operations rather than designing numerous sequels.

The bad side
The modern world is strongly focused on money. That’s why the majority of freemium games turn into pay-to-win or pay-to-play projects:

  • Pay-to-win. Players can buy in-game stuff to become more powerful and beat opponents.
  • Pay-to-play. Players can evade time limits and prolong the game process with in-app purchases.

In pursuit of revenue, developers focus less on improving the game itself. Many freemium projects create nothing new, simply offering benefits for premium players. This leads to users realizing they can simply pay and win instead of improving skills or building strategies, which kills the thrill of gaming.
The majority of mobile projects push pay-to-play or pay-to-win styles because it’s profitable now: Clash of Clans or Fruit Pop, just to name a few. It’s much worse for the industry when well-thought series like Dungeon Hunter follow such trends.

Future of in-app purchases
Freemium model works well for game developers as it allows expanding the audience thanks to free downloads and earning more money thanks to engagement strategies. Gamers are free to try different products and decide whether they deserve further investments.
It seems clear that mobile games will expand, generating more revenues compared to PC and console sectors. In-app purchases will definitely grow in popularity as well. Probably, companies will find new ways of implementing this feature, somehow different from pay-to-win and pay-to-play options. Eventually, it all depends on end users as they create the demand.

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Affiliate Success

ReferOn Shortlisted for “European Corporate Services Supplier” Category at EGR EUROPE Awards 2026

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ReferOn Shortlisted for “European Corporate Services Supplier” Category at EGR EUROPE Awards 2026

ReferOn, the next-gen affiliate management platform, has been named on the EGR Europe Awards 2026 shortlist in the “European Corporate Services Supplier” category, recognising the platform’s solutions that help real operators with their operations and growth.

Continuing 2025’s Momentum

The nomination reflects a busy 2025 for ReferOn, one that was highlighted by significant product updates, rapid growth, and an ascent to becoming one of the most recognised affiliate management platforms in the industry.

Going into the new year, the ReferOn team has ambitious plans to accelerate this positive momentum by scaling alongside its growing partner base with advancements to its product vision around clarity, transparency, and ease of use. The EGR Europe Awards 2026 marks a pivotal start to 2026, and an award win demonstrates that the platform’s direction truly resonates with operators and affiliate managers worldwide.

Refie’s Human Impact

Refie, the platform’s human layer, transcends a mere surface-level companion. It hops around dashboards and workflows, providing relevant assistance, such as fixing reward logic, identifying anomalies, and making suggestions to the user.

In 2026, ReferOn plans to enhance Refie’s functionality with advanced platform gamification, engaging users and transforming how affiliate managers interact with their day-to-day operations. These developments will pave the way for personalised, smart intelligence on the platform and set an industry standard for affiliate tech.

Alex Bukin, General Manager, commented on the nomination and plans for 2026, “ReferOn made great strides in the past year, with major product developments, key recruitments, and a rapidly growing partner base. With this growth, our expectations have risen, and we want to establish ourselves as a platform that accelerates affiliate tech across the board. Being nominated for the ‘European Corporate Services Supplier’ category solidifies our ambition and is a meaningful start to our new year. With Refie driving more innovation, we look forward to driving our goal of transparency, clarity, and customer-facing features even further.”

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Conferences

Aff.Tech Wraps Strong ICE & iGB Affiliate, Earns AIBC Eurasia Shortlist

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Aff.Tech Wraps Strong ICE & iGB Affiliate, Earns AIBC Eurasia Shortlist

Aff.Tech, the affiliate management platform by GR8 Tech, closed out ICE and iGB Affiliate Barcelona 2026 with over 30 meetings—connecting with new prospects, aligning on growth plans with existing partners, and visiting client booths to celebrate their recent wins firsthand.

Market Signals That Match the Roadmap

Across both events, several themes dominated conversations: AI-driven automation across affiliate operations, heightened focus on compliant and transparent tracking, demand for flexible commission structures, and a clear shift from short-term acquisition toward long-term, value-driven partnerships.

For Aff.Tech, the signals validate recent product direction. Updates showcased at ICE—including new fixed-fee commission plans for tighter budget control, a third-party CRM integration API, and redesigned reporting for real-time performance visibility—speak directly to what operators said they need: infrastructure that supports diversified affiliate ecosystems without the operational drag.

The conversations at ICE confirmed what we’ve been building toward,” said Mariia Shmelova, CEO of Aff.Tech. “The industry is moving away from short-term acquisition thinking. Operators want partnerships they can measure, manage, and grow over time—and they need platforms that make that sustainable at scale. That’s the direction we’re committed to.

Industry Recognition Follows

Shortly after the event, Aff.Tech was shortlisted for Best Affiliate Software at the AIBC Eurasia Awards 2026—recognition that aligns with the momentum the team is carrying into the rest of the year.

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N1 Puzzle Promo by N1 Partners Named Best Advertising and Marketing Campaign at the European iGaming Awards

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N1 Partners is proud to announce that N1 Puzzle Promo has been awarded Best Advertising and Marketing Campaign at the European iGaming Awards, recognizing the campaign as one of the most impactful and innovative marketing initiatives in the iGaming industry.

The European iGaming Awards celebrate excellence across the European iGaming industry, honoring companies and projects that demonstrate outstanding performance, creativity, and contribution to the sector. 

N1 Puzzle Promo stood out as a large-scale global affiliate marketing campaign that became one of the most visible and performance-driven initiatives in iGaming in 2025. Built around a competitive, leaderboard-based mechanic, the campaign featured a total prize pool of €500,000, with a Robinson R22 helicopter as the ultimate reward. This ambitious concept motivated affiliates worldwide to actively scale traffic and compete for top positions across multiple Tier-1 markets.

The campaign was supported by a strong and continuous online presence throughout the year. N1 Puzzle Promo was actively promoted via leading iGaming media, digital advertising, and social media channels. This ensured consistent 360-degree exposure across all key touchpoints, keeping both existing partners and new affiliates highly engaged. The campaign drove sustained activity across Tier-1 and growth markets, with affiliates increasing their monthly FTD volumes by 150% in 2025 compared to the previous year.

The campaign culminated in a grand final party and winner announcement event in Barcelona, where top-performing partners gathered to celebrate the results together. This transparent and public conclusion reinforced trust, credibility, and community within the affiliate network, transforming months of competition into a shared industry milestone.

“Winning Best Advertising and Marketing Campaign at the European iGaming Awards is a powerful validation of our vision for N1 Puzzle Promo,” said Alexa Bond, Head of Affiliates at N1 Partners. “This wasn’t just a promo, it was a global journey that united partners and drove strong, measurable growth. We’re grateful to our partners and proud to set a new benchmark for affiliate marketing in iGaming.”

This award further strengthens the position of N1 Partners as a team that consistently delivers bold, high-impact marketing solutions and continues to set new benchmarks for affiliate campaigns in the iGaming industry.

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