Author | Gameviewcn | Cindy
Translator | Gameviewcn | Jenny, Jacky
There has been more and more Chinese game titles getting Featured by App Store editors. Some of the developers behind these titles has even been regarded as “App Store Features Specialists”. And among them exists Good Games. Over the past two years, Good Games has released six mobile games. And all six of them have been Featured in the “New Games We Love” section. With so many applications being released each and every day, if you don’t make an approach to contact App Store, your games may never have a chance to get Featured. Therefore, we invited Luo Wei, one of the co-founders of Good Games, to share the “secrets” behind App Store editor’s Features with us.
1. What does it mean to get App Store editor’s Features?
App Store editor’s Features are a way for App Store’s editors to provide their users with high-quality Apps. Currently, Features consists of eight categories:
a. home page main banner feature
b. games categories main banner feature
c. new games we love feature
d. related events feature
e. best new updates feature
f. related themes feature
g. what’s hot feature
h. games categories feature
According to Luo Wei, a “New Games We Love” Feature that lasts a week often brings more than 100,000 new users to the game. If the Featured title has got an outstanding icon and gameplay, the number of new users might go up to 300,000. Undoubtedly, this is a quite high value in iOS ecosystem.
A “Home Page Main Banner” Feature, which hypothetically lasts a week, brings 300,000 to 1,000,000 new users, which is a quite considerable figure to small and mid-size companies. Well, the “New Games We Love” Feature is a one-time thing. You are going to need a big-scale up update or cooperate with themed events to get Featured again.
Getting an Apple editor’s Feature not only means more users acquisition on iOS platform, but also benefits to the brand of the developer, marketing effectiveness, and in turn better resources on Android platforms.
2. Three App Store teams associated with game developers
The App Store stuff group, which consists of more than 20 teams, now covers 155 countries/regions, working in more than 60 different languages. There are three App Store teams associated with game developers, namely the editor team, the developer management team and the technology marketing team.
The editor team is responsible for the decision of Featured game title, gaming reviews and maintaining the Feature resources, etc. The editors’ job is a quite private one, as they need to be in a internal environment to review games and pick the best out of them. Hence why Apple editors are “mysterious”.
Developer management team is responsible for keeping track of developers, as to their plans in the current year and the next year, their products and their basic circumstances, etc.
Technology marketing team is responsible for the promotion of Apple technology features, and keeping track of whether developers can apply their games with Apple technology features, etc.
Enough with the introduction of the App Store teams, Luo Wei hereby noted several things that developers should pay attention to when communicating with Apple.
Instead of actually asking for Features, all we are going to do is talk about the release plan and introduction of the product. Please keep in mind that Apple would LOVE to promote your game, as long as it’s attractive enough. However, it’s not Apple’s duty to help you promote, and they never make promises.
It is natural that developers want to get Featured. Well, if you simply go and contact App Store asking for Feature, it’s pretty much like asking a new friend to pay for your dinner, which is outrageously rude and disrespectful.
Just pay more efforts into producing good games, and make it conform to the demands and standard of Apple. Once contact is build up, there will be a chance to get Featured naturally.
3. Communication via Email is strongly recommended for higher efficiency
Luo Wei strongly recommended developers to approach and communicate with Apple via email, whether you have a Feature history or not. The contact email address of App Store editors, app_store_promotion@apple.com, specificly for promotion administration. After receiving an email from some developer to approach for their new game, the App Store editors in the region would make contact with the developer, hypothetcially they are interested. In addition, writing the email in English is a must.
4. Make contact at least a month before the new game’s planned release date
In order to have a better chance to get Featured, approach App Store editors at least a month before the new game’s planned release date. If possible, make contact two months before release, since the communication might take a long period of time, especially for developers who don’t have Feature history. Apple knows very little of these developers’ products, which demands more time for communication and mutual understanding.
As mentioned above, after receiving an email from some developer to approach for their new game, the App Store editors in the region would reply to the developer, hypothetcially they are interested or the product is special enough. However, how soon will the editors reply varies. It could be a day or two, or even a few weeks. Assumingly, the reply comes from the United States (they usually reply at midnight, Beijing time, of course). Shortly after reply, they will arrange some editor to contact and colaborate with the developer. In this process, the editor is likely to inquire your maketing plan, planned releast date, etc. It would be wise that the developer make preparations in advance.
According to Luo Wei, in order to avoid unnecessary trouble and time delay, developers need to state the release plan. More often than not, the release date should be set on a Thursday. If possible, provide the editor with all the optional Thursdays for a bigger chance to get Featured. Why? Whether there is a chance to get Featured or not gravely depends on the numbers of potential competitors at that time. Simply put, if there are lots of excellent titles launching around your release date, the probability the editors Features your title is slimmer. In order to avoid this sort of predicament, provide with as many optional Thursday as you can.
Anyway, take actions early for flexibility in case of uncontrollable events. To approach Apple hoping for a Feature only a few days before release is a totally bad idea.
5. Favorable form and content of the approach letter
We utilize a form/standard when communicating with Apple by email. In general, it consists of several parts:
a. self-introduce your company or identity, and indicate the purpose of the approach
b. list your previous Featured games (name, type, region, App ID)
c. demonstrate the general information of the new game
d. demonstrate what Apple technology features the new game applies
e. illustrate teaser/trailer videos of the new game that show Apple technology features
f. demonstrate the name, App ID, type, pricing, planned release date and so on of the new game in details
Below is a letter we sent as example.
Letter we sent to approach Apple as to our new game Galaxy Reavers
As is seen in the letter, Good Games’d already had four Apple-Featured titles before Galaxy Reavers. Still, we approached Apple in such standard.
Deveolpers need to be careful about the writing of the letter. Choose relevant game screenshots and trailer videos with vital concern. Further more, be attentive to even the smallest details that weigh with Apple. For example, the correct abbreviation of iPhone Operating System is iOS (the “i” is always lowercase).
6. First impression, graphics and control design
In order to successfully get Featured, during the communication, developers need to make sure the submitted game version is a rather complete one. Also, most of the time, App Store editors review titles according to the IP, basic gameplay, control design, graphics, music and Apple technology features application of the games. More often than not, the review will take about 3 to 4 hours, hypothetically the game is quite to the editor’s taste. Hence the importance of a good first impression.
Luo Wei noted that there were quite a few developers who were confident about the numerial and microtransaction setup of the game, yet wondered why App Store editors chose not to Feature their game. Well, not getting Featured doesn’t necessarily mean the game is lame. The thing is, numerial setup in a game is often designed in a long-term fashion, making it hard for the editors to notice the significance of the setup (is there any). Besides, whether the product is expert in monetizing or not is not the key factor from where Apple editors are standing. The infamous numerial setup of Chinese games and how many Chinese publishers allure players into microtransaction pitfalls are not helping to get the game Featured.
Moreover, the submitted title needs to stand out among others. App Store editors prefer unique games, whether it’s unique in gameplay or style of graphics. Being educational is also a bonus.
In addition, developers need to make sure the submitted game is a complete one, or else the game is very unlikely to be reviewed successfully, which will ruin the efforts trying to get a Feature.
7. Important bonus point: applying Apple technology features
Naturally, Apple would love developers to apply their technology features into games. By doing so, developers would get a bigger chance to gain more attention and supports from App Store editors, in turns a bigger chance for the submitted game to get Featured. Availbale Apple technology features include, but not limited to, 3D Touch, ReplayKit which involves gameplay recording, Metal which improves 3D graphics performance, Game Center, iCloud storage application and Apple-authentic controller support.
When reviewing products, apart from the gameplay and uniqueness of the game, whether the game is equipped with current policy and novel technology features weighs gravely with Apple. Don’t forget to mention in details all the Apple technology features that your game has applied, in order to impress the editors.
Future War: Reborn from Good Games and Wings of Wrath from Youzu were shown as examplary products at the WWDC forum, due to the outstanding application of Metal feature.
8. Not sure about if there is whitelist, but be cautious of blacklist
As we have seen, the games from several certain developers get Featured by Apple quite frequently, hence the rumors about a so called “whitelist”, consisting of the developers which App Store editors prefer. Luo Wei clearly didn’t buy the story. He said, “Not sure about whether there is a whitelist or not. But I’m quite certain there is a blacklist among App Store editors.” As for Good Games, getting Featured frequently comes from the quality and uniqueness of the games, along with the effective cooperations with Apple. Good Games chose to satisfy as many Apple’s demands as possible. By doing so, Good Games even got invited when there were certain related Feature events. The developers getting Featured by Apple all the time are the ones who knows the “favour” of the editors.
Of course, Apple values reputation. For the developers who made mistakes and had been put into the blacklist, it’s very unlikely to get back and reearn Apple’s trust. For the developers who never got a chance to get Featured, certainly, the first step is not easy to make. However, with friendly communication and effective cooperation, there is a nice chance to stand out and build up reputation among Apple editors.
Therefore, never carry out something like spam ranking, spam rating or releasing a prison-break version of your games, or else your reputation is doomed.
9. Is iOS-exclusive period an option?
Just like any other platform, Apple values exclusive titles. When communicating with Apple, developers are oftened inquired whether the submitted game employs an iOS-exclusive period or not. Well, it’s a decision worth much considerations, such as the general situation of your company, the target regions and audience of the submitted title, and the respective market share of Google Play and App Store in the target markets if the title is going global. More often than not, an iOS-exclusive period lasts a month. Well, it’s just an inquiry rather than any compulsion, so there’s no need to force anything if taking an iOS-exclusive period doesn’t meet the circumstances of your marketing strategies.
文 | 手游那点事 | 欣欣
编译 | 手游那点事 | Jacky, Jenny
