Week 8Facebook, WhatsApp and a staggering $19 billion took the headlines this week. Meanwhile, Android developers were fond to see the Google Play store overtaking the App Store in two key European markets.
- “Game developers can indeed make money on Android” (VentureBeat)According to the January reports from market research firm Newzoo and app store analytics company Distimo, the Google Play store has now surpassed the App Store, in terms of revenue, in European key markets Germany and Spain. This establishes the rapidly increasing monetization potential of Android in Western markets for mobile game publishers. This topic was also covered in our webinar, which, in case you missed it, is available here.
- Should You Publish Your App on the Amazon App store? (MobyAffiliates)The large number of apps in the traditional app stores makes discovery a challenge for many app developers. Therefore, seeking out alternative app stores could turn out to be smart move, writes George Osborn. It turns out that the Amazon Store monetizes well compared to Google Play and App Store and may even have a more accessible ASO system. However, he also point out the lack of smartphones and limited presence outside of the U.S. and Western Europe as turn offs for developers.
- Facebook buys WhatsApp in $19 billion deal (GigaOM)Facebook took the headlines this week by acquiring WhatsApp in a deal worth $19 billion. After Rakuten’s acquisition of Viber last week, the two most dominant messaging apps in Western market have now found new owners. The question remains: will Google and other internet giants look for openings to strike back the market of over-the-top mobile messaging apps (OTTs)?
- King file for U.S. IPO (TechCrunch)After dominating the mobile games market in 2013 with puzzle game Candy Crush, London-based games studio King has filed for a $500 million IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. King currently has 128 million daily active users (of which 73% are mobile) and cites its extensive player network as its main competitive advantage.
- The DeanBeat:“Developers need platforms that aren’t always in flux” (VentureBeat)The last piece this week is from VentureBeat editor Dean Takahashi, who discusses the consequences of platform instability for mobile developers. Dean points at Facebook’s recent ban of Kontagent and HasOffers as worrying examples, and advises developers to refrain from being dependent on one single platform. Finally, he predicts that the developers will eventually leave these platforms if they do not manage to create a stable environment for them to thrive on.