Singapore, May 16 – PubMatic, an independent technology company delivering digital advertising’s supply chain of the future, has released the findings of its report on the mobile game advertising sector in Southeast Asia, titled Game On! The Key to Successful Mobile Game Advertising in Southeast Asia. Developed in partnership with ReneVerse, the Web3-enabled immersive in-game product placement and advertising solutions provider, the study surveyed gamers across Southeast Asia to discover their perception and attitudes towards mobile game advertising.
High-Income Gamers Show Greater Openness to In-Game Advertising
For app developers looking to balance revenue with player satisfaction, and advertisers aiming to optimize their in-game advertising strategies, the report casts light on what players truly feel about ads. It found that the majority of mobile gamers (51%) said they felt neutral about in-game ads, while 38% reported a positive response. Notably, nearly half (49%) of high-income earners felt positive about ads – compared to just 24% of low income earners – demonstrating the potential ROI of tapping into this premium audience.
Affluent Mobile Gamers Are Highly Engaged and Accessible Throughout the Day
The research found that the vast majority of mobile game players form positive emotional connections while playing. High-income respondents showed the strongest sentiments, with 98% feeling happy when playing mobile games. People in this income bracket are frequent players, with 43% spending two or more hours daily playing mobile games as they integrate gaming into their mobile lifestyles. The data shows they play across multiple locations – from morning commutes on transportation (28%), lunch breaks at restaurants (22%), cafes (23%), to evening downtime at home (91%). This underscores the opportunity for advertisers to target this valuable audience segment at scale at a time they are both highly engaged and in a positive mindset.
Mobile Games are More Effective than TV for Driving Product Recommendations
The report also highlights the impact that in-game advertising can have for not only driving purchase actions and brand recall, but in creating an amplification effect too. Mobile game ads significantly outperformed TV in driving product recommendations, at 51% vs 27%, and ranked a close second to TV in terms of purchase influence (22% vs 24%).
Speaking about these cross-platform insights, Genelle Hung, Country Manager, Southeast Asia at PubMatic, said: “There’s clearly significant potential for app developers and advertisers to create seamless, in-game advertising experiences that tap into the positive sentiments felt by the majority of mobile gamers – especially those in the higher income brackets. Targeting high-value audience segments at scale through programmatic auction packages should be a priority for advertisers. And with 60% of gamers also watching TV or using social media at the same time, they should also develop omnichannel strategies where contextually relevant ads can be shown to players on both platforms at the right time.”
But advertisers need to think carefully about strategy before increasing ad use:
Players Understand the Value Exchange, but can Find Ads Disruptive
More than four in 10 respondents (41%) said that they understood the value exchange in mobile game advertising, with ads necessary for the games to be free to play. However, more than a third (36%) said that they found ads disruptive to the playing experience. This shows that brands can leverage positive sentiment and ad receptiveness to their mobile game ads, but must prioritise seamless ad experiences that fit with the environment.
The Most Popular Mobile Game Ad Formats are Under-Utilized
In terms of the ad formats that gamers feel most comfortable with, 85% said they were positive towards in-game product placements; 83% felt positive about native ads that match the game’s visual style; 81% liked branded game areas; and 73% were favourable towards intrinsic in-game ads that blend into gameplay mechanics. However, these types of ads were seen the least by respondents – only 21% said they had seen a native ad in their gameplay in the past two weeks; 23% had seen in-game product placement and branded game areas; and 27% had seen intrinsic in-game ads. The fact that these formats remain under-utilized but have high sentiment scores highlights a huge opportunity for app developers and advertisers.
“Our joint research with PubMatic highlights the powerful opportunity that exists at the intersection of mobile gaming and digital advertising” said Anik Dang, CEO and co-founder of ReneVerse. “This partnership demonstrates how combining deep industry expertise with robust audience insights can help advertisers more effectively engage high-value gaming audiences across Southeast Asia.”
Methodology
This report is based on findings from a custom study commissioned by PubMatic and conducted by Reneverse, with fieldwork taking place from 13th December 2024 and 6th January 2025.
The report surveyed a total of 1,000 people in Thailand and The Philippines aged 18 or above who play three or more game types on their smartphone or mobile device.
About PubMatic
PubMatic (Nasdaq: PUBM) is an independent technology company maximizing customer value by delivering digital advertising’s supply chain of the future. PubMatic’s sell-side platform empowers the world’s leading digital content creators across the open internet to control access to their inventory and increase monetization by enabling marketers to drive return on investment and reach addressable audiences across ad formats and devices. Since 2006, our infrastructure-driven approach has allowed for the efficient processing and utilization of data in real time. By delivering scalable and flexible programmatic innovation, we improve outcomes for our customers while championing a vibrant and transparent digital advertising supply chain.
About ReneVerse
ReneVerse is an immersive advertising platform powering next-generation brand experiences inside video games. Through context-aware placements—like branded 3D objects and in-world signage—ReneVerse helps advertisers reach players in ways that feel seamless, native, and performance-driven. With support for both direct and programmatic buying, and real-time targeting based on in-game context, ReneVerse enables brands to connect with audiences meaningfully—without disrupting gameplay. In partnership with developers across the gaming ecosystem, ReneVerse is shaping the future of ad-supported gaming. Learn more at reneverse.io.