Best practice to show rewarded video ads?

When players die in my game, I want to give them an option to watch a rewarded video and continue playing. What is the correct way to do this?

Do I need to preload the rewarded video in advance? If yes, when is the best time to preload - at the moment the player dies, or earlier? Maybe even at the beginning of the level?

If I choose to always preload rewarded videos on every level, but my players rarely agree to watch them - can it cause problems with AdMob or other ad networks?

If I don't preload them, will there be a long delay before the video starts playing?

Hello, based on my experience so far best practice to show rewarded video ads for me are:

1. I always preload one rewarded video ads when the game is start (main menu screen).

2. Using preload rewarded video ads every time players die might can cause game performance issue (fps drop / spike lag).

3. If possible create checkpoint system, offer the players to watch rewarded video ads to use checkpoint. If the player agree to watch the rewarded video ads then show the rewarded video ads after rewarded video ads finished or dismissed then preload new rewarded video ads.

If not possible to create checkpoint system, always preload new ads after the last one closed or dismissed, so you no need to preload every at the beginning of the level.

4. Do not use preload new ad from onRewardedAdFailedToLoad, make sure internet connection is connected before preload or you can create preload limit retries after ad failed to load.

5. "If I don't preload them, will there be a long delay before the video starts playing?", you need to preload them.

6. Always check your ad request (preload) versus ad impressions in you AdMob or other ad networks account, if possible try to make balance ad request vs ad impressions.

Hope this helps.

From Google AdMob:

Warning: Attempting to load a new ad from the onRewardedAdFailedToLoad() method is strongly discouraged. If you must load an ad from onRewardedAdFailedToLoad(), limit ad load retries to avoid continuous failed ad requests in situations such as limited network connectivity.

RewardedAd is a one-time-use object. This means that once a rewarded ad is shown, the object can't be used to load another ad. To request another rewarded ad, you'll need to create a new RewardedAd object.

A best practice is to load another rewarded ad in the onRewardedAdClosed() method on RewardedAdCallback so that the next rewarded ad starts loading as soon as the previous one is dismissed.

https://developers.google.com/admob/android/rewarded-ads

dop2000 You're welcome :)

Video cache (preloaded video ads) expiration depend on policy ad networks publisher it self.

Example for Mopub non-mediated interstitial, rewarded, and native ad placer ads will expire within 4 hours.

For AdMob there is no expiration time except the player exit the game. You can read on this article: groups.google.com/forum

Always use check ads isReady before you want to show the ads, this can help validation on ads valid or invalid (expired). If isReady return value is false then preload the new one, you can use ads isReady at the beginning level (after preload one in main menu for example) or create a timer to automatic check the ads status instead using automatic preload.

Based on my experience I am not recommended offering player watching rewarded video ads every time players lose or die, the best solution for this is using interstitial ads, example every time player die 3 times then show the interstitial ads.

I also never use banner ads for my games, I use Interstitial ads combo with rewarded video ads and for example every time player lose 3 times showing a interstitial ads, when player found checkpoint then offer the player to watch a rewarded video ads.

Video ad to cache it usually takes 10-60 seconds to cache, depending on the internet connection and ad networks publisher it self and interstitial ads usually takes 2-10 seconds to cache.

I have another question - what does a test Admob ad look like?

I have enabled "Test mode" on the plugin, and the interstitial/rewarded ads are shown with a small "Test ad" caption on top. But otherwise they look very much like live ads! One was a playable game ad and when I clicked it, I was redirected to Google Play to that game listing. Another ad was for medical training courses..

Should I be worried? I don't want to be banned by Admob for clicking on live ads.

As long as it has "test ad" on top it is ok.

I surely hope so..

I was also testing IAPs today, made a closed track release and registered a tester account, but still got charged real money. You never know with google :)