The Problem with Mobile Gaming Industry and how RUNOGAMES intends to solve it
Our main focus is and always shall be on finding which needs and wants of users are not fulfilled, or which pains and problems they have with current offerings on the market, so we can develop better solutions for them at reasonable and affordable prices.
Secondary to that, we want to focus on solving the problem in the industry. It is important to note that we shall do so via focusing only on delivering value to users, and one of the positive effects of that activity will be an improvement in the standards in the industry.
The mobile gaming industry is huge, but behind the scenes it suffers from structural issues that prevent real innovation and long-term trust. These problems are rarely talked about openly, yet they shape the experience for developers, investors, and ultimately players.
At RUNOGAMES, we believe acknowledging these industry flaws—and solving them—is the only way to build a sustainable future for gaming.
1. Misleading Ads
Starting with the main culprit, misleading ads are everywhere. We’ve all seen it—games promoted with cinematic cutscenes or fake gameplay that has nothing to do with the product. Players download, feel cheated, and uninstall within minutes.
It does not make sense why such campaigns are run in the first place because it is highly unlikely that the user will continue to play the game for more than a day, however, this practice is all too common. Worse, this erodes trust not just in the company behind the ad, but in the industry as a whole.
Luckily, we won’t be integrating false gameplay advertisements about our releases, so we are good on this front. Transparency is the first step to loyalty.
2. Over-Reliance on Paid User Acquisition
This is a huge problem because a lot of companies burn through cash like there is no tomorrow in order to acquire users. If you have an unlimited money supply, then this is not a big deal, however for most companies, they can’t afford to do this. Yet, most often, it comes down to spending a lot of money on advertisement to attract users, only a small percentage of which stick around to play the game for a little longer. And we have not even mentioned them purchasing anything in the game.
Honestly, we are confused by this. We think that the problem does not lie in sizes of the marketing budgets or optimisation techniques in ad campaigns. It’s much simpler than that.
The problem lies with the wrong approach taken by studios and developers. Instead of focusing on product quality and organic growth, the budgets are essentially wasted on performance marketing. This creates a treadmill effect where only the biggest publishers survive, and smaller teams are squeezed out.
This is also not to say that marketing is not needed or is irrelevant, because that is a false statement as well. Our point is that over reliance on paid user acquisition does not work, it must be used as a complementary strategy to promote an excellent product, but if the product is not good, then you are just wasting money.
What concerns regarding our activities, we will employ all marketing strategies that we deem to be relevant. But we see a future where product quality and word of mouth drive growth—not endless ad budgets.
3. Lack of direct relationship building
Many developers rely too heavily on large publishers or platforms (Apple, Google, ad networks) for distribution and revenue. This leads to a lack of control and shrinking margins. In edge cases, it also restricts creativity of developers, but this is a smaller issue because in most cases, you can create a unique product and publish it on the big channels. The largest issue with publishing on these platforms is that there is lack of direct relationship building with customers.
We will obviously publish all of our products to google and play stores for convenient use by our customers. Simultaneously, we shall be building our own website, so mobile players can access all product directly through the web browser and still get the same experience.
Our approach: build direct relationships with players through communities and ethical monetisation, reducing dependency on gatekeepers.
4. Talent Burnout
The industry has a reputation for crunch culture—overwork, poor conditions, and unstable contracts. Talented developers leave or burn out, weakening the industry’s creative potential.
We are building a work culture where sustainable pace + high standards co-exist. Extraordinary output is possible without destroying people.
By the way, if you are looking for a job, feel free to check out our careers page.
5. Data Without Meaning
Many studios obsess over metrics—installs, retention curves, monetisation funnels—without translating them into meaningful player experiences. The industry risks becoming a numbers game instead of a creativity game.
We believe data is essential, but data should serve design, not replace it.
Our Approach
RUNOGAMES exists to solve these industry-level problems. By focusing on transparent advertising, organic growth, independence, sustainable work culture, and meaningful use of data, we are creating a company that does things differently.
This isn’t just about fixing games—it’s about fixing the way the gaming industry itself operates.