Mobile App Trends from 2013

AppAnnie is one of the leading analytical services that track the performance of mobile games and apps. At the end of January, the company published a report on mobile trends in 2013, and Xsolla is pleased to share the most interesting findings of AppAnnie with you.

AppAnnie experts are determined that 2013 was a strategically important year for mobile apps industry. Freemium model demonstrated a particular increase in popularity, and growth rate of mobile apps in general was immense in developing regions. Japan proved to be the most successful market in terms of revenue, as it tripled and exceeded the revenue generated from mobile apps in the USA.

Based on the growth dynamics demonstrated by BRIC countries, including Brazil, Russia, India and China, AppAnnie experts believe that these countries will show stable growth in 2014. Other emerging markets that are worth investing into are Hong Kong, Indonesia, Mexico, Taiwan and Thailand.

According to AppAnnie report, mobile banking and mobile payments have grown by 55%, and so did Xsolla. In 2013, mobile payments ranked #1, replacing cash payments from its leading position:

Another important trend of 2013 is the rise of messengers. These apps initially designed for chats turned into totally independent media platforms. Among them are LINE, WeChat and KakaoTalk, all of which feature game stores and item stores. Messenger users — especially those in Asia — are used to making in-messenger purchases (like animated stickers), so adding games and other items to stores is a smart strategy.

And, finally, one of the most interesting parts of the AppAnnie report was the list of Top Apps and Publishers. It did not come as a surprise that Candy Crush Saga, Subway Surfers and Temple Run 2 ranked #1, #2 and #3. Electronic Arts was named the best publisher, bypassing Gameloft, Rovio и King.

More on our blog: http://blog.xsolla.com/2014/02/06/mobile-trends-2013-overview/