The new version of App Store may have a severe blow to the ranking business, but there is still hope

On September 20, Apple officially pushed the iOS 11 update to Chinese users, and the new version of the App Store also came along. Previously, Mobile Game Matters had reported in detail some important changes in the new version of the App Store, among which the biggest impact on game manufacturers is the change in the rankings. The changes made to the game rankings in the new version of the App Store further weakened the influence of the rankings and also affected the ranking manipulation business. So, what specific impact does the new version of App Store have on chart manipulation? The following is the interpretation brought by Mobile Gaming Matters.

1. The ranking list is no longer an independent category, and the entrance to the game list has become shallower

Compared with the old version of App Store which classified games into "categories", iOS11 separates games into a separate category, on par with "applications", showing that Apple attaches great importance to the gaming community. At the same time, as a separate category, the opportunities for game developers are magnified. In the old version of App Store, if users want to view the game rankings, they need to enter the "Game" category from the upper left corner of the "Rankings" to view the free list , paid list and best-selling list of the game category. In the new version of App Store, users only need to scroll down in the "Games" category to view the game list.

(New version of App Store "Game" interface)

(Old App Store interface)

However, at the top of the "Game" page is the editor's recommendation section, and the free and paid lists receive less traffic , weakening the influence of the lists.

In general, this change has both advantages and disadvantages for ranking manipulation.

2. The cost of swiping the rankings for the TOP3 positions will increase, while the cost of swiping the rankings for the TO4 and later positions may decrease.

The new version of App Store not only cancelled the "Rankings" category in the bottom navigation bar, but also made changes to the display of rankings, further weakening the influence of the rankings. In the old version of App Store, users only need to scroll down the page to view all the TOP200 games. The new version of App Store has greatly reduced the number of displays. If users do not click "View All", they will only be able to see the TOP3 games.

This means that a game can only be seen by the most users if it is in the TOP3 position. Therefore, the cost of getting to the TOP3 will be greatly increased. Game manufacturers need to consider the cost-effectiveness and necessity of getting to the TOP3 more carefully. However, the TOP4-TOP200 game rankings are only "hidden" but not cancelled, so there is still a chance to brush the rankings. Compared with the increased cost of bloating the rankings for the TOP3, the cost of bloating the rankings after the TOP3 may also decrease accordingly due to the decreased exposure chances.

In addition, the new version of App Store has cancelled the best-selling list, so the necessity of self-charging will be greatly reduced, and the cost will be reduced accordingly.

3. The number of steps to check game categories has been reduced, and category ranking may be a trend

In the old version of the App Store, if users want to view the game rankings by category, they need to enter the category page of all apps from the "Category" in the upper left corner, and then click "Game" to enter the game category page (ie Category>Game>Game Category Details) to view the ranking of each type of game. In other words, users need to go through at least three steps to view the game category list. The new version of App Store simplifies this process. Users only need to pull down the "Game" category to see the game type classification. Click on the game type they want to view to see the free and paid lists of that game type.

(The new version of the App Store’s category rankings also only show the TOP3)

This change in the new version of the App Store makes it easier for users to find games based on the type of games they want to play, which also has a positive impact on ranking manipulation. For game manufacturers, chart manipulation does not necessarily have to be limited to the TOP3 or lower positions in the overall game rankings. They can also manipulate the charts based on the product type and focus on the charts of that game type. In addition, users who view the game rankings by game type generally have a demand for games of this type or are loyal users of games of this type. By focusing on the rankings of a certain type of game, there is also a great possibility of directly reaching core users with the product.

Conclusion:

Although the new version of the App Store has further weakened the influence of the charts, it has not completely "killed" the chart manipulation. The role of ranking manipulation still exists, but game manufacturers need to consider the effects and costs more carefully. In addition, the weakening of the rankings will make search more important. Optimizing the product's own performance to obtain editor recommendations and basic optimization will also become more important. Similar to category rankings, category ASO optimization may be a trend. ASO100 predicts that the iOS 11 update rate may reach 70% in the first month. Game developers need to familiarize themselves with the recommendation rules and regulations of the new version of the App Store as soon as possible, and there may not be much time left for learning.