by Chad Mureta

Chad Mureta is author of App Empire and founder of three mobile application businesses that he sold for millions. He has spearheaded the development and marketing of over 60 apps, which have been downloaded over 50 million times worldwide. He’s been featured on 60 Minutes, Tech Crunch, The Four Hour Work Week. App Empire is a proud customer of App Annie for over two years as Chad has worked with indie developers and small companies to position them as forerunners in the mobile app marketplace. 



As with any business, your success will be directly related to your understanding of the marketplace. The app stores are the marketplaces of the app business, so in order to understand the market, we have to become a motivated and consistent student of it. This may seem rather obvious, but you wouldn’t believe how many developers I meet that don’t understand this crucial concept. Unsuccessful devs don’t watch or listen to the market and they end up paying a huge price for it.

In order to become a great app supplier, you must first become an app addict. That means spending at least 2-4 weeks researching the market while downloading and playing with tons of apps (give yourself an app budget of $100 to start). This training period not only should be a lot of fun but is also an investment in your expertise, which will become the lifeblood of your success. The more hours you rack up playing around and studying successful apps, the better you’ll be able to understand their common traits and what users desire.

So, how do you keep pace with the market? The best way is to study Apple’s cheat sheet constantly. App Annie displays the App Store’s top paid, top free, and top-grossing apps, as well as rank history. You can also view the same lists in the individual app categories.

Note: Market research is about understanding and moving with the marketplace, which is true for any app store. We’re using Apple’s App Store as the example, but you can track Google Play, Amazon and Windows Store on App Annie as well.

These charts are golden because they tell us volumes about the market. The best part is this information is freely accessible to anyone, at any moment (unlike the market info for basically every other industry).

Review these charts frequently, and keep a notebook of potential trends you spot. App Annie releases the App Annie Index report monthly, be sure to scan this for app market insights. Doing this repeatedly will educate you on successful app design, marketing, and various pricing models. The research you’re doing is simple, costs nothing, and it’s actually fun!

How to Study the Market

When first researching the market, I do an initial run-through of the top charts. I circle apps that interest me and common trends that recur. Once you gain more app experience you will be able to do this relatively fast, but if you’re new at market research, take your time to properly assess what you’re looking at. Look for apps with these characteristics:

Popular: This type of app shows up multiple times on the top charts.

Inexpensive: The design and functionality of this app can be made inexpensively. You might be surprised by how cheaply some apps can be made. Brainstorm with your team on ways you can save costs. Are certain features really needed for the first version? Is there existing code you can use? If the app still proves too costly, move on.

Scaleable: Can I create more apps from this code AKA can I “skin” this app? Download a couple apps from one company and you may notice some apps look similar. This is because they took code from one app and revamped it to create a different app. You want to be able to use your code for more than just one app, even if it’s just parts of a code for the highest ROI.

Two very similar games by the same company. Ruzzle has been on the top charts for a couple weeks now.

Value: This might take a little more digging than just an initial run-through of the charts. Some you may already know that you can’t add more value (such as apps Apple no longer accepts), but others you need to play with the app yourself and look through reviews to see what can be improved.

Note: There is no definitive list of apps that Apple no longer accepts, but in the Apple Developer Guidelines (which you should always review thoroughly before submitting an app), they state that they won’t accept apps that have many duplicates in the App Store, and mention “flashlight, kama sutra, fart apps, etc.” Most recently, Apple stopped accepting more Emoji apps. Another good resource is online developer forums. Ask around to see what’s being rejected.

Here are some examples of eye catching apps:

(App Store charts from February 2013) 

Red = Quiz apps.

Popular? These are actually newer in popularity on the charts and they’re hot right now. However, note the difference: quiz apps are not new, they’re a new trend because they’re popular right now. App Annie conveniently provides data on an app’s increase or decrease in rankings. Things like this can only be noticed from watching the charts weekly.

Cost? Quiz apps would not be expensive to develop. They can be made with a simpler UI. There’s no need for backend, 3D graphics, or advanced features that would bring up costs.

Scaleable? You can create multiple themed quizzes as an example of skinning this code.

Value? There are many types of quizzes people would enjoy. Research to find what could create the best user experience. Currently, photo and icon quizzes seem to be the most valued.

Yellow = Camera apps.

Popular? Camera apps have always been popular and will continue to be. However, note the importance of the social aspect with camera apps in today’s marketplace.

Cost? Relatively cheap depending on functionalities included. Filters and effect apps can be made anywhere from $3 – 10K depending on features. There’s a huge range when it comes to app development. The market is so fresh, there are no standard business prices yet.

Scaleable? There are many types of camera apps you can create. Themes, filters, frames, etc.

Value? Dig through the reviews. Since camera apps have been popular for a longer time, it will require a little more research to find what added value you can bring.

Blue = Running and racing games.

Popular? Hot in gaming right now. Addictive to play.

Cost? These can be expensive, but they can also be designed cheaply as well. You just need to do your research and look around for buying code or cheaper developers. Previously, games were really expensive to develop compared to utility or productivity apps. When I originally began developing, I aimed to keep my budget under $10K per app, and games would always cost double, triple, or quadruple that budget. I still aim to develop under $15K, but more available code, an increased appetite for games, and a growing network of new developers has made games easily fit this budget.

Scaleable? Definitely. Multiple types of games can be created from this code.

Value? Read the reviews. Customers are pretty critical of games, so there will definitely be reviews wishing for certain features or functionalities.

Here are some questions to ask while you’re researching successful apps in the market:

1. Why is this app successful?

2. What is its rank and has it been consistent? (Use AppAnnie to research its history.)

3. Why do people want this app? (Look at the reviews.)

4. Has this app made the customer a raving fan?

5. Does this app provoke an impulse buy?

6. Does this app meet any of my needs?

7. Did I become a raving fan after trying it?

8. Will the customer use it again?

9. How are they marketing to their customers? (Check out the screenshots, icon design, and descriptions.)

10.What is the competitive advantage of this app?

11. What does this app cost? (Research the web, get quotes.) Are there in-app purchases? Advertisements?

For example, I circled 4 Pics 1 Word. Let’s examine that app:

1. Why is this app successful?

Relatively easy to play. “Quiz” is a commonly understood game-play. Therefore, wide audience. Has that “addicting” quality of continual game-play and rewards. Visually stimulating since it revolves around pictures.

2. What is its rank and has it been consistent? (Research its history)

3. Why do people want this app? (Look at the reviews.)

4. Has this app made the customer a raving fan?

Raving fans will share with more people. Viral-appeal is important for apps.

5. Does this app provoke an impulse buy?

Yes, because it’s free. Easily accessible. IAPs are the revenue-generating impulse buy. Some pictures are really hard. Unless you have the points, you have to buy coins from the store for hints. Due to the app’s addictive nature (confirmed by reviews), users are willing to buy IAPs to progress in the game.

6. Does this app meet any of my needs?

Competitiveness. Reward system. Fun, mindless way to pass time, which is a common use for apps. Commuters, waiting in line, watching TV – all popular times for using apps.

7. Did I become a raving fan after trying it?

Very enjoyable game. I’ll be honest, I’m not that much of an app gamer, I just like creating them, Therefore, I ask people on my team, my family, and my friends for their opinion on how much they like certain games and why. It’s important to treat app research as collaborative. It’s easy to get tunnel vision when deciphering information.

8. Will the customer use it again?

Levels, coin rewards – reasons to return more than once.

9. How are they marketing to their customers? (Check out the screenshots, icon design, and descriptions.)

Good icon. Screenshots could be more exciting, but they are still visually appealing because of the quality UI.

10. What is the competitive advantage of this app?

Sleek, simple UI. Wide demographic.

11. What does this app cost? (Research the web, get quotes.) Are there in-app purchases? Advertisements?

I got a quote from my developer for two quiz apps of this style for $6K (so $3K per app). Yes, IAPs and Ads are where the money is for these apps.

Most developers will build an app and expect tons of people to find and download it right away. That rarely happens. You have to figure out what people are interested in and the kinds of apps they’re downloading first, then you build your app based on that insight. A well-research app idea will continue to generate revenue for years.

Once you’ve put in the necessary 2-4 weeks of research and feel you have a decent grasp on the market, it will be time to look back on the trends you discovered and explore some ideas for potential apps you can develop. Remember to add additional value to an app idea, not just a replica of the apps you researched. This provides the competitive edge you’ll need to beat the competition.

Ask yourself these six questions to develop your idea from your researched trends:

1. Why are people purchasing this?

2. Can I do something to emulate this idea and take it to another level? (Look at negative reviews, they hold a lot of information)

3. What other ideas would this app’s demographic like? (You want to grow an app network around your apps. If your users like your app, they’ll want to see what other apps you’ve created. It’s best when these apps correlate as it will appeal to the same demographic.)

4. How many other similar apps are in the market?

5. How successful and consistent have they been?

6. How does their marketing and pricing model work?

Nothing beats well-researched app ideas to create a successful, passive-income app business.  Remember to be objective when researching and get out of your own way. It’s easy to get caught up in what you and your buddies think would be a great app idea rather than listening to the marketplace.  Once you start generating revenue, then you can look into developing that risky app idea you’ve been hungry to try. Until then, think sustainability first.

There’s a ‘right way’ and ‘wrong way’ to get downloads with apps — and it’s all dependent upon how you build your business (and how you perform market research) — For this reason, I’ve created a free appreneur startup guide that shows you how to get your app business up and running in just 8 days.

Download The 8 Day App Business Plan 
and begin building your very own profitable app business.

The post How to Leverage Your Market Data to Create Hit Apps appeared first on App Annie Blog.

App Annie Index badges for publishers and apps that have been featured in the App Annie Index

Since its launch in November 2012, the App Annie Index has been featured in countless media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Bloomberg and TechCrunch. Sourcing its data from App Annie Intelligence, the industry’s most accurate market estimate data, the Index has quickly become the standard of measurement for app store success.

The App Annie Index highlights each month’s top apps and publishers based on downloads and revenues for Google Play and iOS. Simply put, if you’re an app publisher and you’re featured in the App Annie Index – you’ve made it. You are part of the global app industry elite and you can be proud of that.

To celebrate these publishers and apps, we have introduced the ‘App Annie Index Badge’, which are now featured all over Store Stats. They allow App Annie users to quickly identify whether an app or publisher they are looking at is among the app publishing elite measured by commercial metrics. And they should be worn as a badge of pride for any app publisher successful enough to receive one. Here’s how they work.

The App Annie Index Badge represents those developers who are part of the app publishing elite.

Badges for publishers

Now, whenever someone is checking out a publisher’s Store Stats page, they will see the App Annie Index Badge and know that the publisher was ranked in an App Annie Index report. As an example, say a journalist or investor is exploring MLB’s publisher page on Store Stats. After clicking MLB’s Index badge, they’ll be sent to the App Annie Apps Index for March 2013, where they’ll learn that MLB jumped 46 spots to become the 10th largest publisher by monthly revenues on Google Play.

Badges for individual apps

With the millions of apps out there, getting ranked in the App Annie Index is no small feat. In order to give your app credit where credit is due, we’ll place a badge in the Store Stats page of all apps that have been featured in the App Annie Index. Now anyone browsing Store Stats will be able to see apps like Puzzles and Dragons, and get direct access to the App Annie Index they were featured in.

We understand that receiving an App Annie Index Badge does not yet match the glamor of an Oscar. However, we at App Annie eat, sleep and breath apps, and believe that any industry operates much better if people know which players in that industry are being successful. As your trusted data provider, we want to provide that recognition and credit to those that are making brilliant apps that people love to download. If you are an app publisher, feel free to wear this badge on your website as a symbol of pride.

If you have any suggestions or comments, leave them below or tweet us (@appannie)

The post When You Know You’ve Made It In Apps: The App Annie Index Badge appeared first on App Annie Blog.

Catch App Annie VP of Global Corporate Communications at CTIA (USA) and CEO Bertrand Schmitt at Infinity Ventures Summit (Japan)

Conference season is upon us! Last week we witnessed a slew of Android updates at Google I/O and this week we’re headed to a couple of the major mobile and web events in the US and Japan.

Beginning on May 21st, App Annie goes to Las Vegas Nevada for CTIA 2013. With 35,000+ industry leaders from around the world in attendance, CTIA is a must attend event for those at the forefront of mobile and wireless technology.

Next on May 23rd we’ll be at Infinity Ventures Summit (IVS 2013) in Sapporo, Japan. This “invite only” event organized by the Japanese VC firm, Infinity Venture Partners, brings together 600 of the leading minds and management in the web and mobile industry.

Discover the latest iOS App Market trends at CTIA 2013

Get an inside glimpse into the global mobile apps market from Marcos Sanchez, VP of Global Corporate Communications at App Annie. Marcos will be giving an update on how iOS holding up against its mobile platform competition and what are the dynamics behind some of the best monetization strategies. You can also expect some insights into why some developers are leading in this space and how they are able to stay on top.

Where: iZone Innovation Stage

When: Tuesday May 21st – 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm

Catch App Annie CEO, Bertrand Schmitt at IVS 2013

In addition to some of the other top tech influencers, App Annie CEO, Bertrand Schmitt, will be participating on a panel of experts to discuss some of the current and future trends in the web and mobile apps space.

Where: Sheraton Sapporo Japan

When: Thursday May 23rd – 2:30pm

If you’d like to meet up at any of these events, be sure to tweet us (@appannie).

The post App Annie is Headed to CTIA 2013 and Infinity Ventures Summit 2013! appeared first on App Annie Blog.

As dedicated handheld games spending declines, iOS games consumer spending overtakes it, while Google Play games reach near parity

In partnership with International Data Corporation (IDC), today we are announcing the release of the second edition of the ongoing quarterly App Annie & IDC Portable Gaming Report. In this Q1 report, we offer insights into the shift of consumer spending from gaming-optimized handhelds to mobile devices. We’ve charted the changes seen in smartphone market share as well as the overall performance of downloads and consumer spending on mobile devices. Also included is an overview of the status of portable gaming packaged software sales and a regional breakdown of consumer spending across mobile and  dedicated gaming handhelds.

For the Portable Gaming Report Q1 2013, there are three important takeways:

• iOS and Google Play both saw growth in game downloads and consumer spending.

• iOS is now the leader in consumer spending on games, with Google Play likely to surpass gaming-optimized handhelds in 2Q13.
• Gaming-optimized handhelds experienced significant decreases in consumer spending and packaged game shipments due to seasonality.

To gain more insights into Q1 2013 trends for the global app marketplace and portable gaming handheld devices, download and view the full report.

Download the Portable Gaming Report Here

The post App Annie & IDC Portable Gaming Report Q1 2013: Consumers Spending More On iOS Games Than On Dedicated Handheld Games appeared first on App Annie Blog.

Today was the opening day at the Google I/O conference in San Francisco, and with it came a host of new announcements that are sure to rock the world of app developers worldwide. With the Google Play Store being one of the most popular platforms for our Analytics users, we thought we’d give you the rundown of how these announcements affect your Google Developer Console, what does it mean for you the interested app developer, and how you can leverage these new features through your App Annie Analytics dashboard now and in the future.

The overarching theme is that Google is positioning the Google Play Developer Console as a key hub of data and tools for your Google Play apps, allowing developers to pull in other important sources of data from Google Analytics and Google Wallet into your Google Play Developer Console dashboard.

In-App Usage Metrics Now Available from Google Analytics

Some in-app usage metrics from your Google Analytics dashboard will this summer be made available in your Google Play Developer Console.

Revenue Metrics Now Available from Google Wallet

Google has introduced a new app revenues tab in the Developer Console that summarizes your global app revenue over time, broken down by app and by country. It’s not too dissimilar from the App Annie Analytics revenue dashboard that you folks have been enjoying the last twelve months. Obviously in terms of analytics dashboards, great minds think alike.

Range of Developer Services Now Integrated Into Google Developer Console

In addition, Google is piloting a range of services integrated into your Developer Console including an app translation service, alpha and beta testing rollouts and app optimization tips.

How this makes your App Annie Analytics dashboard even more awesome

App Annie Analytics connects to your data through the Google Play Developer Console, so this is great news for App Annie users. As we work to integrate all of this extra data into your dashboard, it will mean that you can access even more Google Play data and visualize that side-by-side with your data from your iOS, Mac and Amazon Appstore apps. A cross-platform dashboard delivered to your inbox everyday that you can share with your colleagues, and that you can also access through the App Annie Analytics API.

We’ll have updates for you as soon as this is all integrated, and yes, Annie will be working overtime to make sure you have all of your freshly-baked data delivered to your developer doorstep.

The post Google Pulls In More Google Play App Data Into Your Google Developer Console appeared first on App Annie Blog.

From May 15th to 17th, in San Francisco, over 5,000 of the worlds leading developers gather for the Android event of the year. Generally we can expect lots of Google releases across their product line, but with over one million new android activations every day, all eyes are on Android.

This year, new Android boss Sundar Pichai has announced the conference will be more developer focused. Developers will be waiting on bated breath to find out what’s new for Android. So if you’re one of the lucky few at Google I/O or just in the San Francisco area be sure to meet up with App Annie!

Catch up with App Annie at Google I/O

Our very own Luis Guitierrez, Director of Business Development (USA) will be in attendance. He’s excited to meet our App Annie users or anyone who just wants to talk about what’s new with Android. Tweet Luis directly (@L_A_Gutierrez) to meet up.

Find Annie for some great App Annie schwag!

First GMIC and now Google I/O, the real life Annie is racking up the flight mileage this year! Find Annie (look for the bright orange dress) and pick up a set of our App Annie Index playing cards with the Top 52 publishers of 2012. Be sure to snap a picture with Annie and tweet us (@appannie).

Walk a few blocks and come meet the team at App Annie

In the spirit of being more “developer focused,” App Annie wants to get to know its customers better. If you’d like to stop by our new office, shoot the breeze or talk shop, tweet us (@appannie) to set up an appointment. We can’t promise that everyone will be able to come, after all…it’s still a Wednesday and some work should get done, but we’ll try.

The post Look for App Annie at Google I/O 2013! appeared first on App Annie Blog.

App Annie Store Stats expands its international reach for Amazon and Google Play

2013 is shaping up to be a big year for the global expansion of app stores. A few weeks ago Amazon announced they would support nearly 200 countries in the coming months and it looks like Amazon has begun this expansion of the Appstore in China.

So, we’re looking forward to keeping pace, and today we’ve just added China to our Store Stats rankings for Amazon, as well as a few more countries for our Google Play charts.

Track Top Amazon Apps in China

On Amazon, you can now get the top ranked free and paid apps for China! Amazon’s entry into the Chinese market, also provides a first look into the paid apps space for China.

Google Play App Rankings for 48 Countries

For Google Play we’ve added Greece, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Slovakia.

We expect more and more app stores to roll out to new countries in the coming months and you can expect to see them on Store Stats. To see which apps are leading the Amazon Appstore in China, check out the rankings here.

We’re constantly adding to Store Stats in order to make it one of the most comprehensive tools for app market research.

Cheers!

Nick McIntosh
Product Manager – Analytics & Store Stats

We love your feedback – any comments, questions or suggestions, just leave your reply below or tweet us (@appannie).

The post Amazon China Comes to Store Stats! appeared first on App Annie Blog.

Join App Annie at Global Mobile Internet Conference (GMIC) 2013 on May 7th and 8th in Beijing!

GMIC is a leading independent mobile conference and expo held in Beijing and Silicon Valley. Over 10,000 of the top mobile industry professionals from executives to engineers, designers to developers, come together to exchange ideas and shape the future of mobile.

Check out our CEO, Bertrand Schmitt, reveal new mobile game trends!

Our CEO Bertrand Schmitt will be making a presentation titled ‘Popular Game Trends in the International Market.’ Mobile apps have certainly changed the face of the gaming industry, with mobile-first companies like Supercell, King.com and GungHo Online really leading the industry on monetizing mobile app users. Bertrand will be giving away insights into some of the latest trends in Asia and the international market.

May 8th 10:00 – 10:20 1st Floor, Hall-C

Drop by the App Annie Booth at GMIC

Stop by the brightly-colored App Annie booth and meet the team! We’ll be discussing all things mobile and handing out our popular App Annie Index playing cards.

Find us just near the entrance on the left side of the exhibit hall on floor #1. Look for the real life Annie!

The post App Annie is at Global Mobile Internet Conference – Beijing 2013! appeared first on App Annie Blog.

API for Analytics Customers

For the last few months we’ve been working on our Analytics API, which has been available to a few select customers as a private BETA. Over this time we’ve been testing and tweaking, optimising our systems, getting crucial feedback and today I’m very happy to announce that it’s time to take the covers off and share it with the world!

The App Annie Analytics API is now available to all customers, providing more access to your app data and reports. You can get your downloads, revenues, reviews, ratings, features, and… rank history!

The API provides some great opportunities to integrate App Annie data with your own tools and systems, and we’ve worked hard to make it robust & straightforward to use.

How to get started

The API has been built specifically for existing App Annie Analytics customers, to access their own data. The API allows complete access to all your data, the sky (and your programming skill) is the limit! To get started visit our API support page and check out the App Annie public API documentation in it’s entirety.

We’re still going to leave the BETA label up for the time being, as we’re still developing additional features and we’re extremely eager to get even more feedback on what features you’d like to see, and where you think we can make improvements.

If you’ve integrated the App Annie API into your system or have any comments on any of the documentation, we’d love to hear more.

Feel free to email us or leave a comment on any of the documentation

Multi-currency

A mate of mine in the UK hates that he can only view his app’s revenue in US Dollars because he can’t stand Yanks. If you’re tired of viewing your app’s revenue in US Dollars we’ve got the perfect solution for you!

App Annie Analytics now supports a new multi-currency feature with 36 currencies. From Swiss Francs to Swedish Kronas, Malaysian Ringgits to Mexican Pesos, there’s currency support for a variety of App Annie users from around the globe.

This makes understanding your app’s revenue a little bit easier when you can view it in your local currency.

You can find the multi-currency setting under your account options. Your preferred currency will be reflected in your dashboard reports, your daily sales email, and any CSV exports you download.

That’s all for this week!

Cheers

Nick McIntosh

Product Manager – Analytics & Store Stats

If you have any feedback write in the comments below or tweet us (@appannie) 

The post API and Multi-Currency – It’s another big product update! appeared first on App Annie Blog.

Puzzle & Dragons remains top-grossing game in iOS App Store and Google Play, while Candy Crush Saga and Temple Run 2 are top-downloaded on iOS and Google Play, respectively
 
 
In this Games Index, we bring you the hottest mobile gaming properties across both the iOS App Store and Google Play in March 2013. To find out what’s happening with apps outside of games, please check out our Apps Index.

Electronic Arts (EA) and King were the two publishers that ranked in the top 10 throughout the March Games Index – by both downloads and revenues, for both iOS App Store and Google Play. EA’s success came from a combination of Real Racing 3 and The Simpsons™: Tapped Out. Meanwhile, King’s success was due to a single app, Candy Crush Saga. This match-3 puzzle game has now made it into the top 5 across the board this month – by downloads and revenue, across the iOS App Store and Google Play. Meanwhile, Puzzle & Dragons extended its reign as the top-grossing game in both iOS App Store and Google Play.
 
 
Top Publishers by Monthly Game DownloadsiOS March 2013

 
In March 2013, Electronic Arts (EA) retained its spot at the top of the charts, due to the success of Real Racing 3. Meanwhile, Rovio moved up 4 places to #2, driven by the strong performances of its classic Angry Birds game and The Croods, a new game based on the upcoming DreamWorks motion picture of the same name. Glu Games also rose up a notable 7 spots to #6.
 
 
Top Publishers by Monthly Game DownloadsGoogle Play March 2013

 
Rovio topped the Google Play publisher download rankings in March 2013. Similar to what we saw in the iOS App Store, Rovio’s downloads growth in Google Play was driven by a combination of Angry Birds and the newly launched game The Croods.

Electronic Arts rose close to 50 spots to #3 this month, driven by Real Racing 3.

Real Racing 3 earns Electronics Arts the #3 spot on Google Play

Fingersoft, the small Finnish startup that published Hill Climb Racing, rose up to #4, thanks to the success of its recently launched game Benji Bananas.

LOTUM came in at #7 on Google Play, as well as #5 in the iOS rankings mentioned earlier. Its word-guessing game, 4 Pics 1 Word, has been popular across both stores.

Future Games of London shot up to number 10 in March. This was driven mostly by its Hungry Shark Evolution game, but also through growth of its three earlier apps in the Hungry Shark series.
 
 
Top Publishers by Monthly Game RevenueiOS March 2013

 
The top five grossing iOS publishers remained the same in March as they were in February, with Supercell and GungHo Online at the very top of the charts. Kabam, Storm8, and DeNA all inched upwards, while Gameloft and Zynga rounded out the Top 10.
 
 
Top Publishers by Monthly Game RevenueGoogle Play March 2013

 
GungHo Online continued to lead the Google Play revenue charts, thanks to its Puzzle & Dragons game.

NHN moved up 2 spots in March. In April, NHN split its subsidiary NHN Japan, which developed hit messaging app LINE, into NHN Japan Corporation and LINE Corporation in order to make the company more competitive and agile. Now NHN Japan Corporation manages the games division, while LINE Corporation focuses on the LINE and web products.

Notably, this month’s Google Play revenue rankings were not made up solely of Japanese and South Korean publishers, as they were last month. With the success of Real Racing 3, Electronic Arts entered the top 10 by Google Play revenue, as it did with Google Play downloads. In addition, UK-based King rose to #7 as Candy Crush Saga continued to gain momentum. US-based Kabam also made the top 10 this month.

Candy Crush Saga puts King in top 10 by Google Play revenue

 
 
Top Game Apps by Monthly DownloadsiOS March 2013

 
* Icomania was released in March 2013, so it had no ranking in February. Mini Golf MatchUp also did not have a ranking in February, so Rank Change is not available.

In March, many of the top-downloaded games in the iOS App Store continued to be Action or Arcade games.

Candy Crush Saga from King has been growing steadily in downloads since it was released on iOS in September 2012. In March 2013, it reached the #1 spot after hovering within the Top 5 the last few months.

Electronic Arts’ #1 publisher ranking was driven by Real Racing 3. This recently released app had a strong March showing and raced up the charts to #2.

The classic Angry Birds game shot up in the download rankings to #8 in March. Note that the spike in the daily rankings below coincided with broad iTunes home page promotions across nearly 150 countries around the world from March 7 to 13 as well as a price drop from $0.99 to free from March 7 through 18. The app also had smaller iTunes home page promotions in a subset of these countries throughout the rest of the month.
 

Hungry Shark Evolution jumped over 50 spots to take the #9 ranking. Initially released October 2012, the game began an
upward rise in the United States and United Kingdom with its February 16 version update and maintained that throughout the entire month of March.

Outside of Action and Arcade games, a new “guess the images” puzzle game called Icomania debuted at number five. Mini Golf MatchUp was the other new entrant to this month’s top 10 rankings, debuting at number seven. Finally, flight simulator game Flight Unlimited Las Vegas debuted in the top 10 in March. Its rankings spike below coincided with free pricing from February 27 through March 19.
 

Flight Unlimited Las Vegas downloads soared while the app was free

Top Game Apps by Monthly Downloads Google Play March 2013

 
In March, the most downloaded games on Google Play were primarily Arcade & Action games, similar to what we saw in the iOS App Store.

Endless running games Temple Run 2 and Subway Surfers kept their number one and number two rankings from February 2013.

Angry Birds moved up two spots to take the number five ranking. (In contrast to what was done on the iOS App Store, there was no temporary price drop for its Google Play version, as that app already is freemium.)

Yet another running game in the top 10 was Vector from Russian publisher Nekki. This fast-mover gained 29 spots to take the number six spot.

Benji Bananas, an endless swinging game developed by TribeFlame, was the first app that Fingersoft released as a publisher. Released in late February, it shot up the charts to number nine in March, just ahead of Hill Climb Racing, another hit game from Fingersoft. This gave Fingersoft two top 10 games within the month of March.

Benji Bananas swings into the top 10

Outside of Action & Arcade games, highlights included Candy Crush Saga, which continued its steady ascent on Google Play as well as the iOS App Store. The app made its top three debut on Google Play in March, after having reached #8 in February and #10 in January. In addition, image-guessing game 4 Pics 1 Word moved up 33 spots to take the number eight ranking.
 
 
Top Game Apps by Monthly RevenueiOS March 2013

 
The top five grossing iOS games have now remained the same for each month of Q1 2013, which is remarkable given how quickly many games tend to rise and fall in popularity. Real Racing 3 was the fast mover in March, gaining over two hundred spots to claim the number seven ranking after being released in February. It joined Candy Crush Saga as the only other app to make the top 10 iOS games in terms of both downloads and revenue in March. Additionally, now there are three publishers who each have two apps in the top 10: Supercell, Kabam, and EA. Modern War, a social military combat game, moved up seven spots to take the number ten ranking.
 
 
Top Game Apps by Monthly RevenueGoogle Play March 2013

 
Similar to the February rankings, the March rankings were made up entirely of Arcade & Action, Brain & Puzzle, and Casual games.

In March, Puzzle & Dragons continued its extraordinary reign as the top-grossing app across both iOS App Store and Google Play. In addition, it surpassed ten million cumulative downloads across platforms in Japan alone. In mid-March, Puzzle & Dragons also worked with Google Play to introduce the Android robot as a character within the game in honor of the app store’s one-year anniversary. This is one example of how Puzzle & Dragons often collaborates with other games and brands for promotional purposes.

The Google Play Android robot appeared in the Puzzle & Dragons dungeon for the app store’s one-year anniversary

Popular Kakao games Windrunner and Everybody Cha Cha Cha remained within the top three. Candy Crush Saga continued its steady ascent on Google Play as well, moving up to #4 in March, up from #6 in February, #10 in January, and #29 in December.

밀리언아서 (Million Arthur), the Korean version of the Japanese hit game by Square Enix, kept its #5 ranking in March. Square Enix has since brought Million Arthur to the Sony PlayStation Vita platform in April 2013. While we traditionally have seen popular console games being ported to smartphone platforms, this an example of how the reverse is starting to happen as well. As another example, it was recently announced that “Puzzle & Dragons Z” would be released on the Nintendo 3DS in the winter.

The biggest mover this month was The Simpsons™: Tapped Out. Introduced on Google Play in February, it made its top 10 debut in the revenue rankings in March with a 19-spot jump, joining Candy Crush Saga as the only other app by a Western publisher.

In March, Anipang for Kakao ranked within the top 10 by revenue on Google Play yet again. This match-3 puzzle game has become a familiar fixture in these rankings, having achieved this for over half a year now based on its strength in South Korea. Publisher SundayToz explained to App Annie why their game has had such staying power:

“Making it into the top 10 apps for Google Play worldwide monthly revenue is not an easy task, and maintaining a position in the top 10 for half a year running is even more challenging,” said Angus Lau, VP of Global Business Development, SundayToz, Inc. “Anipang was the first game on Kakao to take advantage of all the possible social features on the platform. This early mover advantage, as well as its appeal to a wide demographic of users and the ability to keep users engaged with increased challenges, has propelled its successful ranking and revenue growth. Unlike other games that have been incredibly popular only to fall off the radar, SundayToz has focused on keeping users through frequent updates and in-game promotions, as well as effective cross-promotions with our newest game, Anipang Mahjong, and partner brands. We are thrilled to be in the top 10 in the App Annie Games Index again and look forward to continued strong performances in the app stores.”

For those of you who also are looking for an update on apps other than games, please check out the Apps Index.

For an update on the overall app store market in Q1 2013, be sure to see our App Annie Index market report.

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Notes:

• While the Games Index covers games, the Apps Index covers everything but games.  Note that the Top Publishers rankings in the Games Index are based solely on games downloads and revenue, while the Top Publishers rankings in the Apps Index are based on the publishers’ non-games downloads and revenue.

• In the iOS App Store, an app can be categorized under a Primary Category as well as an optional Secondary Category.  If an app has a Primary Category of Games and a Secondary Category of Entertainment, it is a candidate to be included in this Games Index.  If the app’s Primary Category is Entertainment and its Secondary Category is Games, then it will not be included in this Games Index; it is a candidate for the Apps Index.

• Note that the ranking approach used in the App Annie Index differs from that used in the iOS App Store.  In the latter, app rankings for a given category will include all apps whose Primary Category or Secondary Category matches that given category.  So an app can appear in the rankings for more than one category within the iOS App Store or in App Annie Store Stats rankings.

• In Google Play, an app can be categorized under only one category, so there is no double-categorization.

• Occasionally, a publisher may decide to shift an existing app from one category to another category.  In these cases, the App Annie Index will rank that app based on its categorization in the subsequent month.  Given that the App Annie Index now has a Games report and an Apps report, the only scenario where an app’s recategorization could shift it from one Index to another is if its category changes from Games to a category other than Games or vice versa.

• All publishers have been grouped together under their parent publishers, where available.  For example, the publisher Mobage Japan is included under the parent publisher DeNA.

• Any non-App Annie trademarks or images used in this report are the property of their respective owners.  App Annie claims no rights in those trademarks.

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