The ranking companies are crying. The App Store has been overhauled and will definitely subvert the way iOS games are played.

The companies that manipulated the rankings (self-inflation) cried, while ASO was secretly laughing behind their backs.

At the two-hour 2017 WWDC conference, Apple launched a number of new software and hardware products, making it the Apple conference with the most "dry goods" in the past two years. Similarly, the news about the App Store revamp is also very exciting. It is not just a revamp, but will also make more information transparent, abolish the rankings, direct traffic to editor recommendations, and so on. Obviously, a change regarding "content" is quietly taking place in the App Store, and Apple is beginning to take back its control.

Let’s first take a look at the main content of this App Store revision, which is closely related to the gaming industry:

1. The bottom column has changed from the original "Featured Recommendations", "Categories" and "Rankings" to "Today's Recommendations", "Games" and "Apps", with editorial recommendations updated daily, and games have been separated into a special area;

2. The APP page content has been upgraded, and its interface is more media-rich. Users can quickly view video demonstrations of games and applications, product rankings, player reviews, developer stories, etc., and the information is more transparent;

3. There are no rankings in the first-level entrance, the best-selling list has been completely cancelled, and the paid list and free list only show the top 3 in the first-level page;

4. The search function has been enhanced. There are only 7 hot search terms left. In addition to searching for apps, you can also search for articles, special topics, etc.

5. The APP review cycle is further shortened to 24 hours.

This is a thorough revision, and also a comprehensive rectification of current problems. It not only reveals Apple’s attitude and plan for the future development of the App Store ecosystem, but will also bring tangible and even subversive impacts to the gaming industry.

Apple also realizes how important “games” are to make money.

In this revision, the most obvious change is the change in the bottom column of the App Store. The first three of the five pages of the App Store have changed from the original "Featured Recommendations", "Categories" and "Rankings" to "Daily Recommendations", "Games" and "Apps".

In addition to deleting categories and rankings on the first-level interface, the biggest difference may be that Apple separated "games" from "apps", making games an independent column to highlight game content.

It is not difficult to see that Apple has begun to realize the importance of games and has taken adequate measures. With the rapid development of mobile games in recent years, both user coverage and revenue capacity have achieved a qualitative leap. At a time when mobile games are booming, Apple has separated "games" into a separate category, giving the gaming industry greater confidence. Apple is optimistic about the development of mobile games and has taken the lead in allocating resources. This statement is obvious enough.

The weight of "manual recommendation" has been infinitely raised, and Apple wants to take back the initiative

The "Featured Recommendations" on the App Store homepage has become "Daily Recommendations", and in this column, the focus will be on pushing content selected by the Apple editorial team, including global first releases, guide articles and usage tips, behind-the-scenes footage, various game and app theme lists, etc. The recommendation criteria given by Apple are: a themed list of games and apps that are most worth downloading, selected by App Store editors. In other words, there are no standards.

In the new column, editors' recommendations have been updated daily instead of weekly. The overall traffic is more concentrated on editors' recommendations, and the editors' voice and influence on users have also been greatly enhanced. During the recommendation process, Apple editors undoubtedly pay more attention to the game itself, and the product must have sufficient quality and highlights.

On the other hand, the brands that some game companies have accumulated before can play a greater role at present. Companies such as NetEase Games, Zhongyou Mobile Games, and Goode Games, which have frequently been recommended by Apple before, will have greater advantages in acquiring App Store traffic in the future. At the same time, the strengthening of editorial recommendations is undoubtedly good news for independent game developers who lack funds for promotion.

Of course, in addition to finding ways to gain the favor of Apple editors, it is also necessary to optimize the game display materials as much as possible, which is very critical to improving download conversion rates.

The transparency of information will intensify the polarization of iOS platform games

Not only has the traffic entrance changed, but the specific presentation form of the game has also changed. The APP page has been upgraded with more detailed information about each game than before. On this page, users can quickly view the game’s video demonstration, product rankings, game introduction, player ratings and reviews, in-app purchase items and prices, developer stories, etc., providing users with more information about the product.

In addition, the number of video demonstrations on each App page has tripled, and the developer's answer to a question can be seen by everyone.

In other words, the new version of the App Store displays more information for each game and has a stronger visual impact, which can help users understand the product as much as possible before downloading the game. Knowing in advance whether a game is fun, whether the art is attractive enough, whether the gameplay suits your preferences, etc., the increasing transparency of information will result in a more serious polarization on the App Store platform. Excellent products will be loved by more users, while products that want to get away with it will find it difficult to get users to download them due to the advance inspection and exposure of various information.

At the same time, in terms of presentation form, the new version is more inclined to "information flow" and has a stronger sense of design. It is no longer the rigid arrangement of the past, but more like a magazine, more like media, and more like a community.

The charts were ruined by ranking manipulation companies, so Apple decided not to use them anymore

The most shocking thing about this revision is that Apple has greatly weakened the list effect. The best-selling list has completely disappeared, and the paid and free lists only show the top three on the first-level page. This has undoubtedly had a subversive impact on the companies that manipulate the list and self-charge.

The existence of ranking manipulation companies has always been a headache for Apple. There are too many articles in China surrounding the rankings, and no matter how they are managed or cleaned up, they will be ruined within two days and will ultimately be of no avail. So in this revision, we saw Apple’s determination. It uprooted the best-selling list, eliminated the direct entrance to traffic, cut off the way for self-charging, and left it nowhere to hide.

The paid and free lists were also hit hard. In the "Game" column, there are these two lists, but both lists only show the TOP3. The rest can only be displayed by clicking "All". This of course dealt a fatal blow to the companies that manipulate the rankings. Although the ranking companies can still manipulate these two lists, only the top three have the traffic advantage. The hidden list not only greatly increases the cost of manipulating the list, but also reduces the list's ability to attract traffic. It seems that Apple has made up its mind this time and is determined to put an end to the phenomenon of manipulating the list and self-charging.

By strengthening the search function, will ASM become the next popular business?

While greatly weakening the rankings, Apple is strengthening the search function of the App Store. Although the number of hot search terms has dropped from 10 to 7, during the search process, in addition to searching for apps, you can also search for articles, special topics, etc. After the rankings were weakened, the only way for users to obtain games on the App Store, besides relying on editor recommendations, is to search. In other words, the weight and status of search have been improved.

On the one hand, Apple is cracking down on the practice of manipulating rankings, and on the other hand, it is promoting its own bidding search advertising business (ASM). This revision of Apple's version is undoubtedly intended to give a helping hand to its ASM. Apple's official data shows that more than 65% of App downloads come from App searches. In October 2016, Apple's bidding ads were officially launched in North America. Many people speculate that domestic ASM will follow suit.

Now, by strengthening the search function and retaining trending searches, aren’t we just paving the way for Apple’s bidding ads?

Finally, I would like to say that the App Store is indeed facing earth-shaking changes, but all changes are friendly to developers who focus on product quality. From another perspective, doesn’t every major rewrite of the rules bring with it both opportunities and challenges?

Mobile application product promotion service: APP promotion service Qinggua Media advertising

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