Google's Rewarded Products helps developers monetize their user base
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Google on Thursday introduced a new feature in Google Play that will make it easier for Android developers to monetize their user base. With Rewarded Products, developers can reward users with benefits like in-game currency in exchange for taking monetizable actions -- like watching a video.
The first rewarded product offering will produce video ads that users can watch to earn virtual goods and in-game currency. It's powered by AdMob technology, giving developers access to a broad range of content from advertisers currently working with Google.
Developers can add rewarded products to their apps with just a few additional API calls. There's no extra SDK integration required. Rewarded Products is now available in open beta in the Play Console.
In the third quarter of 2018, apps in Google Play generated around $6.2 billion in revenue worldwide, according to data from Sensor Tower. While that's a significant amount, Apple's App Store brings in far more -- revenues totaled $12 billion in Q3 2018. Sensor Tower's data shows that subscriptions were growing revenues in both marketplaces, but developers are increasingly using multiple methods to monetize their apps and games, as Google notes.