Among Us Is Officially the Most Popular Digital Game EVER and Were Not Surprised
Among Us has surpassed five hundred million monthly players. Here is why that makes sense, and how InnerSloth can make sure the game stays popular.

InnerSloth, the developer of Among Us, has one of the greatest success stories this industry has ever seen. Similar to titles like Fortnite before it, Among Us found itself in the right place at the right time, exploding in popularity as a result. Launched initially in 2018, the intergalactic social deduction game always had a genius gameplay hook, but 2020 rightfully sent it into the stratosphere. The game has gone mainstream, with everyone, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, playing and enjoy its multiplayer action. Its success is so ubiquitous that, according to SuperData, it is the most popular digital game of all time in terms of monthly players, with about five hundred million players active in November.
While that number is absolutely shocking, the game's success doesn't come as much of a surprise. After all, InnerSloth has made the right moves internally to help the developer capitalize on the wave of free PR it is riding. Like Phasmophobia, Fall Guys and other viral games, Twitch and YouTube have turned all eyes to Among Us, catapulting it to the front of viewers' minds. The choice to release it for free on mobile and at the five dollar price point on PC made the barrier to entry low enough that anyone could transition from passively enjoying Among Us content to actively playing the game.

At the same time, InnerSloth is working to sustain interest through smart marketing and post-launch content. By canceling Among Us 2, the team could pivot all its resources to building Among Us into a persistent platform, which was certainly the right move. At the same time, the company is smartly rolling out new announcements at the right junctures to generate excitement, including at The Game Awards 2020. Along with winning best mobile game of the year, the team unveiled a new map. This was a tangible sign of the team's commitment to deepening the game. New content like this will be essential to cultivating an ecosystem where players don't get bored and leave by the millions.
Of course, this level of support isn't possible without revenue. This is the biggest caveat to Among Us' success, as SuperData notes. Since the game is free on mobile, that is where the overwhelming majority of players are, with revenue primarily being generated by the PC version as of the time SuperData collected its information. However, the premium price tag on PC means that it accounts for a tiny percentage of that five hundred million players.

However, this is a problem that InnerSloth is working to address. At the end of the most recent Indie World Showcase, Among Us was announced and subsequently released on Nintendo Switch for five dollars. The game has also been added to Game Pass for PC, with an Xbox console release planned for 2021. Considering that the game shot up to number one on the US Nintendo eShop and holds that position, bringing Among Us to more platforms has and will continue to inject the revenue that InnerSloth needs.
Now, all there is to do is wait for this popularity and newfound money to manifest in consistent content updates. This post-launch support will dictate whether or not InnerSloth can make Among Us more than just a passing craze. Only time will tell, but there is reason to be confident.
Comments
Post a Comment