"Monopoly Go: The Marketing Budget That Rivals AAA Game Development Costs"

The free-to-play mobile game Monopoly Go has generated over $2 billion in revenue within its first 10 months, with developer Scopely spending a staggering $500 million on marketing and user acquisition. This marketing budget surpasses the development costs of major AAA titles like The Last of Us Part 2 and Horizon Forbidden West. The game's hyperlocal marketing approach, tailored to each region, contributed to rapid recoupment of spending within days or weeks, a feat uncommon in the gaming industry. Monopoly Go's success highlights the immense scale and revenue potential of some mobile games.