This week’s blog section has tips on the future of hardcore gaming, Lite apps and IoT Trends. Read on to find out about the importance of Silicon Valley, the role of audio in games and the fast decline of iPhone sales. You can’t miss it!
The upcoming growth of mobile games, the loosening of Android permissions and the rise of Google Cardboard dominate this week’s news section!
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Blogs
Vainglory vs Clash Royale, and the future of “hardcore” games on mobile
While traditional game studios have failed to successfully port their PC/Console hardcore games to mobile, Clash Royale seems to have understood the needs of mobile gamers. The game remains in soft launch but early statistics indicate that it’s already attracting a fanbase. The MOBA/Card game crossover seems to have struck a balance that appeals to the new generation of hardcore mobile gamers.
Lite apps grow in popularity on the App Store
As the battle for memory space on mobile devices continues to increase, Lite apps are making in-roads on the app stores. Lite apps, which are usually stripped down versions of paid apps and are less than 1 MB in size are growing in popularity according to IronSource, an app monetization, discovery, and analytics company. These apps provide users with the basic functionality they need, even on 2G networks.
Six key trends in the IoT developer economy for 2016
Whether it’s mobile devices or wearable tech, the IoT still has a lot of room to grow. VisionMobile’s report, IoT MegaTrends 2016, has been able to highlight the areas that developers should exploit in order to take advantage of the demand for IoT in 2016. One of the biggest takeaways of the report is the convergence of consumer and enterprise technology.
Silicon Valley and the geographic distribution of hit mobile games
Despite being synonymous with consumer technology, you might be surprised to hear that Silicon Valley isn’t where to be when it comes to mobile game development. The tech hub didn’t have a single entry in the top 10 mobile game charts for the year. The area is however making serious waves in the app world, generating 20% of worldwide revenue, not including the rest of the United States.
Why You Shouldn’t Skimp on Your Game Audio: A Producer’s Perspective
Were you ever guilty of overlooking the audio in a mobile game you made? Rachel Presser will tell you why it was a big mistake and what a good soundtrack and set of sound effects can bring to a game. Find out when you should be including a sound designer and how to approach them about working on your game.
iPhone Sales Are Slowing Drastically, Analysts Say
With the final months of 2015 seeing more visits to the App Store than ever before, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the iPhone is more popular than ever. And while this may be true, sales of the iPhone 6 have been much slower than anticipated. There are a number of factors at play but the main one seems to be that many users are still happy to buy older iPhone models such as the iPhone 5 and 4. Apple are expected to announce a sales increase of about 1% next week.
News
Report: Games to grow from $90B in 2016 to $115B by 2020
The games industry as a whole is set to continue growing with the mobile sector to have an expected value of $48 billion dollars in 2020. While the big players in the mobile game market are looking to secure their supremacy and enjoy steady growth, it will be left to indie developers to ride the rollercoaster of success and failure over the next four years.
Google changes Android permissions to make game sign-ups easier
Google announced this week that they would make it easier for developers to monetize their games by changing Android permissions and reducing “friction” between players and games. The changes mean that a player will only have to sign into their account once rather than providing login details every time they want to make an in-app purchase or download a premium game. The company, which is formally changing their name to Alphabet, have also announced improved analytics for developers.
Google: Cardboard Apps Surpass 25 Million Installs on Google Play
Google Cardboard remains one of the most accessible forms of virtual reality for most mobile users and now has over 5 million users. These users have made 25 million installs of over a 1,000 cardboard apps with 10 million of these installs happening in the tail end of 2015. Google has opened up the platform to a range of media types with Cardboard users enjoying VR games, taking VR photos and going on VR expeditions all from their own homes.
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