Return Entertainment, a Finland-based company specializing in cloud-native smart TV gaming, has launched its debut game, Rivals Arena, on Amazon Fire TV in the United Kingdom. This new release makes gaming accessible on smart TVs without the need for specialized hardware.
Innovative Gaming Experience with Smartphones as Controllers
One of the standout features of Rivals Arena is that it allows players to use their smartphones as controllers. Players can simply scan a QR code to begin, creating a more interactive and fun gaming experience directly from their living rooms. Vesa Jutila, CEO of Return Entertainment, emphasized how this partnership with Amazon leverages their technological ecosystem, including AWS GPUs and Amazon’s services, to offer premium gaming experiences.
Expanding to New Markets
Return Entertainment is initially testing the game’s popularity among Fire TV users in the UK. The company is also evaluating the effectiveness of in-game ads as part of its monetization strategy. Rivals Arena supports both non-skippable video ads and optional rewarded ads, which have performed well, especially on Samsung Smart TVs, where almost half of the users opt for rewarded ads in exchange for in-game rewards.
Jutila mentioned that the goal is to expand into more Fire TV markets in the near future.
Rivals Arena’s Popularity and Growth
Rivals Arena is a fast-paced card battler that has been well-received, particularly in the US, where it was first launched on Samsung Smart TVs. The game has shown impressive user adoption rates, with 85% of players finding the mobile controller easy to use and 88% starting the game quickly. Additionally, 44% of users are experiencing gaming on their TVs for the first time, which highlights Return Entertainment’s ability to bridge the gap between traditional TV viewing and interactive gaming.
New Monetization Model for Smart TV Gaming
Return Entertainment is introducing a fresh approach to smart TV gaming monetization. Rivals Arena features integrated in-game video ads, which include unskippable video interstitials and optional rewarded ads. This new model targets higher CPM (Cost Per Mille) potential by going beyond traditional brand ads and offering more engaging, performance-driven advertising options.
With over 50% of players opting to watch rewarded ads, the platform’s monetization strategy is proving successful, with an average of 10 ad views per hour of gameplay.
Making Cloud Technology Affordable
Rivals Arena uses AWS spot instances, a cost-effective cloud technology that enables Return Entertainment to cut down on cloud GPU costs. Spot instances, which are priced up to 90% lower than regular on-demand instances, are typically difficult to use for real-time cloud gaming. However, Return Entertainment’s unique platform architecture allows the game to run smoothly without compromising visual quality.
Looking Ahead: Expanding Smart TV Gaming
Shayan Sanyal, the Global Games Industry BD Lead at Amazon Web Services, praised Return Entertainment for pushing the limits of cloud-based solutions. The success of Rivals Arena shows that cloud gaming can be both cost-efficient and scalable on a global level. Return Entertainment’s innovative approach to cloud technology is setting new standards for smart TV gaming.
