This week’s blog section has features on Hearthstone, user acquisition and game marketing. Read on to find out about in-app purchases, parse alternatives and the popularity of lite apps. You can’t miss it!
Marshmallow, decreased deal opportunities and the first Nintendo game for mobile dominate this week’s news section!
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Blogs
Hearthstone’s drastic changes will kill hundreds of cards — but might save its future
Blizzard are looking to change things up in one of their premier mobile games to encourage user acquisition. After a few years of release, advanced players have reached a level that makes the game somewhat difficult for newcomers. They plan to do this by introducing a new game mode that allows all players to only use standards decks. This is a pivotal time for the free-to-play game as they’re potentially restricting the play of current users, which have taken advantage of in-app purchases to buy powerful decks, in order to continuing attracting new players.
Making the most of free UA opportunities
Torulf Jernström has noticed a trend when speaking to successful indie game developers. Besides making great games, they’re all really good at user acquisition. In his experience, they all make the most of free opportunities and make sure that their games are app store optimized and cross-promoted in their other releases. They also take advantage of press coverage when they can.
Marketing 101: What to Know When Marketing Your Mobile Game
Marketing mightn’t be one of the major strengths of most game developers but it’s crucial nowadays to have some kind of strategy. The competition is too high at the moment not to have a plan and it’s also a lot easier to do than you think. This 6 step guide will tell you where to start planning and implement a solid marketing strategy for your mobile game. Find out how to pick the right tools, have the right materials and where to market your game.
IAP Strategies Most Mobile Gamers Don’t Hate — And Most AAA Publishers Should Try
Monetizing your game can be tricky and whether you choose a premium or free-to-play model for your game, you can still take advantage of in-app purchases. Find out what tricks to take advantage of to monetize your game with in-app purchases and which players are most likely to make in-app purchases. This post takes a look at some classic in-app purchase strategies and how they worked for massive franchises, like the classic Doom games.
Top 10 Parse Alternatives For Your Game Backend
With the recent announcement that Parse will be discontinued, many developers will be in need of a replacement service. Check out this guide to pick the best solution for your app or game. Whether it’s cloud storage, push notifications or file sharing, this list has a replacement for every need.
Why Lite Apps Were Spurring Growth for Android App Categories in 2015
With mobile devices being adopted all around the world at a faster pace than ever, a new trend in app downloads has emerged in the end of 2015. More and more users are looking for Lite versions of their favourite apps in order to save on memory space. Taking advantage of this trend is a great way to promote the full version of your apps while building brand loyalty.
News
Android Marshmallow finally passes 1% adoption after 4 months
Although it’s still very low, Google was happy to announce this week that Marshmallow adoption rates have passed the 1% threshold. The low adoption rates have been attributed to the shipping delays of the Nexus 5X and 6P even if Marshmallow also came to more devices since. Kitkat is still the most prevalent Android OS.
Game industry deals dropped 81% in value in 2015
2015 was the worst year for making deals in mobile gaming since 2007, according to Digi-Capital. The tech advisor reported this week that there was an 81% drop in investment, mergers and initial public offerings, which totaled at $5 billion. 2014 saw $25 billion worth of deals, although 2015’s figures maybe lowered by the fact that King’s acquisition by Activision hasn’t been officially finalized.
Nintendo Reveals Launch Plans for Miitomo on Mobile
Pre-registration for Nintendo’s first mobile app has begun, with Miitomo sent to launch this March. The app will be a social network that allows users to interact using their Mii avatars. New users will have to sign up for a Nintendo account which will enable them to ask their friends questions and share photos. The app launch alongside Nintendo’s new reward program, “My Nintendo”.
This Week in Mobile Development!
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