Mobile game developer ZeptoLab used Megacool’s GIF-sharing in their successful game C.A.T.S. (Crash Arena Turbo Stars), which led them to more than double the average revenue per user.

The effect: Megacool + ZeptoLab = Success

ZeptoLab switched from their initial gameplay sharing technology to Megacool’s SDK and enabled seamless GIF sharing for their players. This significantly improved organic user acquisition through referrals, and also led to large increases in multiple areas:

  • 1.7X higher conversion rate to paying users compared to organic users
  • 2.3X higher average revenue per user compared to organic users
  • 65% higher 14-day retention rate compared to organic users
  • Over 600,000 GIFs shared monthly by C.A.T.S. players
“C.A.T.S. is a very successful game with more than 130 mln installs worldwide. One of the reasons behind this success is its virality - it's just so much fun to watch and share. With Megacool we were able to push this effect even further, increasing replay shares by more than 80%” – Max Petrov, CPO, ZeptoLab

The game: C.A.T.S. by ZeptoLab

ZeptoLab is a gaming company with more than 1 billion downloads, including the global hits Cut the Rope and King of Thieves. Their latest game, C.A.T.S., is a massive multiplayer mobile title that won Google Play’s Best Game award in 2017. In C.A.T.S., players build customizable battle-bots before unleashing them in multiplayer PVP fights.

The goal: boosting the game’s audience and retention

Shortly after launching C.A.T.S. in 2017, ZeptoLab was looking to grow the game’s player base by allowing players to share their gameplay with each other. As each battle in the game takes just a few seconds to play out, the play sessions are easily digestible and rewatchable – the perfect ingredients for shareable content.

ZeptoLab initially gave players the opportunity to share video clips of their battles using Apple’s ReplayKit, but saw high friction in the user experience which limited its effectiveness in terms of bringing in new players. They wanted a more dynamic solution that leveraged short GIFs over longer video and involved less friction for the players.

The solution: how Megacool’s integration led to success

ZeptoLab integrated Megacool in December 2017 and they continue to see multiple benefits:

Smooth user journey: ZeptoLab used Megacool’s SDK to automatically record full gameplay sessions, without requiring the player to start and stop recording manually. GIF recording takes place in real time so that players can share their gameplay instantly without the need to wait for a video to be generated. ZeptoLab integrated Megacool’s SDK in a way that doesn’t bombard or distract the player too early in their play session. The prompt to share is not pushy or in the player’s face, and sits neatly alongside each battle report.

GIFs outperform video: C.A.T.S. gameplay GIFs are short, engaging, looping and they also autoplay on most channels. This makes them tailor-made for sharing and having the potential to become viral content. Players get a preview of the GIF alongside the battle report for the previous match, and then want to share it. This resulted in an 80% increase in social sharing engagement compared to their initial recording solution.

Incentivized referrals: ZeptoLab leveraged Megacool’s incentivized referral program to provide seamless integration with messaging channels and social networks as well as customizable user journeys via their deep-linking technology. The GIF recording lets potential players see how the game is played and how fun it is before installing. Each player who recruited new friends to the game is rewarded with a highly desirable in-game upgrade. Megacool’s SDK ensured that creating an incentivized referral program within the game was a straightforward process.

The player prompt to inform about the referral program.
The referral program can be accessed from the store and when sharing from the game report scene.
Whenever a players share results in a new install to CATS, the sender receives the prompt above, further incentivizing the player to keep up the good sharing work!

Real-time insight: Megacool gives a deep insight into the user’s journey, including frequency of shares, installs, re-engagement and which channels were used. The analytics gives ZeptoLab actionable insight into what works and where value is created. Megacool’s Kiosk feature allows ZeptoLab to view all the players’ GIFs in real-time, with over 600,000 GIFs shared each month.

Share to multiple channels: Gameplay GIFs can be shared to a wide range of channels, including social media and messaging apps like iMessage and WhatsApp, or even saved onto the device for later viewing at the player’s leisure.

Higher value players: The new Megacool players have 65% higher long-term retention and monetize better than organic users. They have almost doubled the conversion rate to paying user and more than doubled the average revenue per user.

Bespoke integration: Megacool’s SDK is fast and simple for developers to integrate – with the ability to get a proof-of-concept in minutes, not months. It works seamlessly for both Android and iOS. Megacool’s team worked closely with ZeptoLab to guarantee best-in-class implementation that took just two weeks from concept to live.

Conclusion: Megacool boosts organic acquisition, retention and revenue

By letting players refer other players with GIFs, ZeptoLab increased the number of organic invites and monetized better. The GIF sharing led to more engaged players, higher retention and more than doubled the average revenue per user.

Looking to maximize player engagement in your app? Book a demo meeting with our team now and see what Megacool can do for you! Visit megacool.co or reach out at [email protected].