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Game Development vocabulary · Monetization & Live Ops

Monetization

Meaning in game development, with examples

/ˌmɑːnɪtəˈzeɪʃən/nounCore term

In game development, monetization means: The way a game earns money from players, for example by selling the game itself, in-game purchases, subscriptions or ads.

In Turkish: gelir modeli, monetizasyon, para kazanma stratejisi

How it is used

A central topic in mobile and free-to-play studios, where whole teams work on it. People talk about the monetization model, aggressive or fair monetization, and monetization design. The verb is monetize.

Example sentences

  1. Reviewers loved the game but called its monetization too aggressive.

  2. Our monetization relies on cosmetic items only, nothing that affects balance.

Common collocations

  • monetization model
  • aggressive monetization
  • monetization strategy
  • ad monetization
  • fair monetization
  • free-to-playDescribes a game that anyone can download and play for free, which makes money from optional purchases, ads or a battle pass instead of an upfront price.
  • microtransactionA small purchase made inside a game with real money, for example for a character skin, in-game currency or extra lives.
  • battle passA reward track that lasts for one season: players unlock items by playing and earning experience, and a paid premium version gives extra rewards.
  • DLCShort for downloadable content: extra content released for a game after it comes out, such as new levels, characters, story chapters or costumes, often sold separately.
  • live serviceA model in which a game is updated continuously for years after launch with new content, events and seasons, to keep players playing and spending.

More terms: Monetization & Live Ops

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