Industry News
What App Developers Should Pay Attention to for the Second Half of 2021
Seven months into the year and the app industry has never been stronger – global app spending climbed nearly 25% to reach upward of $64.9 billion, and mobile habits picked up over the past year are set to stay.
In terms of performance, Gaming remains the undisputed leader in both consumer spend and downloads but among the non-gaming apps, a number of categories are enjoying their fair share in the spotlight.
While categories such as Business, Health, Social and Entertainment continue to enjoy the momentum generated last year, we are also beginning to see renewed interest in sectors like Travel and Navigation, Dating, and Productivity as vaccination rollouts in different countries pick up tractions.
However, the mobile landscape has always been as dynamic as they come – the dust has yet to settle on the pandemic front and consumer behaviour will shift with every passing month. So while the first half of the year had the industry by the edge of our seat for the habits and trends that will form part of the new industry normal, there are now clear signals of what is to come and developers looking to stay competitive will need to start acting on them.
Alternative is the name of the game
Mobile, and apps in particular, are now a cornerstone of consumers’ daily lives and businesses who do not have a presence on a platform will be the ones who will struggle the most, regardless of vertical. Furthermore, users are becoming increasingly discerning about the products and services they use, and are more likely to explore competitor apps to satisfy needs for services that best suit them. This means that developers need to look at participation in alternative platforms – such as various app marketplaces – is becoming critical for discoverability of smaller companies in particular. Bringing their brands to different app storefronts means high chances of building additional touch points with new and existing customers to their businesses.
In light of this, developers will need to identify tools and processes that can streamline their approach to the maintainability of their multi-platform presence. Between delivering their own app brand and participating in multiple app storefronts, the different processes add up to a maintenance headache. The more a developer can re-use their infrastructure and processes across multiple platforms to deliver a common feature-set, the easier they will be able to scale and the more resilient their business will become.
Connectivity set to take centre stage
The popularity and adoption of connected devices have surged over the years and consumers’ expectations are shifting in tandem with this trend. Mobile users are now looking towards a new level of seamless connectivity between their devices and favour apps that are compatible with their ecosystem of choice. This bias is particularly prevalent within the Health vertical where apps belonging to connected devices such as Peloton and Fitbit lead their competitors in terms of consumer spend.
The potential for developers integrated into an ecosystem is almost limitless – the compatibility means that the app is able to fully leverage the hardware capabilities to unlock more extensive features that their competitors would not have access to.
Furthermore, the rollout of 5G technology can further propel the popularity of apps integrated within the ecosystem through its vastly enhanced latency and bandwidth. These capabilities empower greater and better connectivity between devices and apps integrated with the ecosystem are able to contribute to a significantly smarter and more seamless environment. This advantage will then help these apps pull ahead of their competitors in the long run.
Navigating the future with symbiotic collaboration
Given the growing need to maintain presence across alternative channels, publishers need to look towards platforms that can offer them not only a quality and sizable user base, but also strategic growth opportunities. This means focusing on the big picture and prioritise setting up shop at alternative app marketplaces.
With the growing distrust between developers and traditional app distribution platforms, the industry should expect to see an increasing number of bigger gaming companies attempting to set up their own storefronts. However, these channels are likely to be equally problematic as there may be some trust and fairness implications due to the same entity being both the distributor and the developer. Therefore, developers should instead consider existing app distribution platforms such as Huawei’s AppGallery which can offer not only extensive technical and operational support, but also a well-established ecosystem and userbase of over 540 million active users globally.
AppGallery offers developers a wide suite of tools, capabilities, and resources, empowering them to achieve the best return on investment in the shortest period possible. To achieve this, the platform offers every developer a full spectrum of developer support from technical integration to overseas market expansion, facilitating exponential growth and app innovation.
Furthermore, developers onboarding the platform will gain access to the powerful HMS (Huawei Mobile Service) Core, a rich array of open device and cloud capabilities. It allows developers to introduce unique ground-breaking technology to their apps and integrate them into the all-encompassing HMS ecosystem at the same time.
Between the comprehensive level of developer support and unwavering commitment to partner success, AppGallery is the ideal platform for businesses looking to navigate the dynamic second half of 2021 and the future.
If you are interested in learning more about Huawei and its solution, visit the Huawei developer website here: https://developer.huawei.com/consumer/en/
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Industry News
New KSA Campaign: Get Your Life Back on Track, Take a Gambling Break
The Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA) launched a new awareness campaign to draw attention to the gambling stop. With the campaign “Pick up your life again, take a gambling stop,” KSA is aiming to increase attention to the risks of gambling and make the Cruks register more well-known.
Insights
The campaign is a follow-up to the pilot campaign from 2023. This pilot yielded many valuable insights, for example that more people are attracted to the word gambling stop. This name is therefore used in the new campaign.
Positive effect
The campaign focuses primarily on young adults who (possibly) no longer have their gambling under control. That is one of the reasons why the campaign is largely running via social media instead of traditional (mass) media. The focus is on the positive effect that a gambling stop has on the life of a person with gambling problems. The powerful moments of young people who pick up their lives again can be seen in online videos, social ads and social posts (Google, YouTube, Meta and Snapchat).
The post New KSA Campaign: Get Your Life Back on Track, Take a Gambling Break appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Industry News
EGBA: Record Participation As European Safer Gambling Week Expands to 26 Countries
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) announced record-breaking results from its fourth annual European Safer Gambling Week, held 18-24 November. The initiative – which included a social media campaign and events programme – demonstrated the broader European sector’s strengthening commitment to safer gambling through new levels of participation and expanded geographic reach.
The campaign saw record engagement with 195 partners actively participating – a 20% increase from 2023. Eight national gambling authorities participated, more than double the previous year, by either joining the social media campaign or speaking at the various events.
The campaign’s reach also expanded significantly to 26 countries – a 30% increase from 2023 – with partners in Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia and Ukraine joining for the first time, reflecting the growing pan-European dimension of the campaign. This was helped by social media graphics being made available in the local languages of 27 countries.
The social media campaign reached 3.1 million users across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X platforms, generating 1169 social media posts – a 67% increase from the previous year.
A cornerstone of this year’s campaign was its comprehensive events programme, featuring 20 specialised events – an 11% increase from 2023. The events attracted record participation with 4500 registrations and 3000 attendees. Key discussions explored trends in AI, problem gambling prevalence reporting and innovations in safer gambling tools and messaging. The events featured 105 speakers, including senior representatives from gambling authorities in Belgium, Denmark, France and the UK.
The initiative builds on EGBA members’ year-round commitment to safer gambling, which in 2023 resulted in 67 million safety messages sent to their European customers. This dedicated week amplifies these ongoing efforts while encouraging greater collaboration between operators, regulators and harm prevention organisations.
“The success of this year’s edition reflects the sector’s deepening commitment to player protection. The significant increase in participation, especially from health organisations and regulatory authorities, demonstrates the common purpose and growing unity in our approach to safer gambling. Through this collaboration, we’ve reached a record number of Europeans with crucial safety messages during the campaign. Together, we’re making gambling safer and we already look forward to building on this success in next year’s edition,” said Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA.
The post EGBA: Record Participation As European Safer Gambling Week Expands to 26 Countries appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Industry News
CT Gaming to Participate in ICE Barcelona 2025
CT Gaming is going to participate in ICE Barcelona 2025, which will take place from 20 to 22 Jan 2025.
“It is always a pleasure to kick off the year at ICE. This year is particularly special as we explore a new location, which we anticipate will bring fresh connections and exciting opportunities,” said Biser Bozhanov, Director of Business Development and Strategies at CT Gaming.
Positioned at stand #3C56, CT Gaming will present an impressive lineup of its signature products alongside exciting new additions, including the multigame Diamond King 4.
“We are eager to showcase our latest offerings and engage with clients, colleagues, and industry professionals to gather their valuable feedback. This year’s selection is a strong testament to CT Gaming’s enduring legacy and commitment to excellence,” added Bozhanov.
Among the products displayed at stand #3C56 will be the slot cabinet NEXT, known for its ultimate comfort and functionality. This cabinet comes with 27″ or 32″ high-definition screens, an optional premium stand, a USB phone charger, a bill validator with a stacker and an enlarged CMS panel for seamless operation. Other representatives from the slot cabinet family are EZ Modulo 32/32/32 and EZ Tower. Both of these cabinets combine sleek designs with advanced technology set to deliver an unparalleled gaming experience.
Alongside the slot cabinets, the company will showcase its staple multigame titles, such as Diamond King 3, Mermaid’s Quest, Tower Link and the newest addition to the multigame portfolio – Diamond King 4. With 40 exciting games, 20 of which are linked to a progressive jackpot, the multigame takes player engagement to new heights. Unlike previous versions, players can now win any of the three jackpot levels directly from the base game, while the cascading white and pink diamonds promise thrilling rewards at every turn. Designed with the next generation of players in mind, Diamond King 4 features enhanced graphics, modern themes and an immersive experience that’s perfectly in sync with today’s gaming landscape. The newly conceptualized linked progressive jackpot, Diamond Tree Deluxe, presents an elevated reward experience with its upgraded features.
Last but not least, CT Gaming will unveil the latest updates to its Casino Management System – Rhino, designed to enhance operator functionality and player engagement.
The post CT Gaming to Participate in ICE Barcelona 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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