Author: JT

Apple losing ground in prominent markets

| January 29, 2013

Apple losing ground in AsiaConsumer fatigue threatens Apple in Asia

The iPhone continues to be a rampaging success in the U.S. and European markets, but fatigue may be setting in for those in the Asian market. Some of Asia’s most influential cities are beginning to show signs of iPhone fatigue, especially as a new generation of consumers, who have grown up steeped in technology, begin to show less interest in the popular mobile device. Consumers in both Singapore and Hong Kong are beginning to look for alternatives to Apple, which may have a dramatic impact on the company’s future.

Apple continues focus on mobile world

Apple has seen remarkable success in its mobile ventures and has adopted a very strict focus on the mobile world in general. The introduction of the iPhone solidified the company’s hold on the mobile space. As the years have gone by, the company has introduced several new iterations of the iPhone, each featuring new technology and services that Apple believed to be ideal for consumers. The company has also entered into the tablet market with the iPad, a venture that has also proven to be rampantly successful.

Market share dropping quickly in Singapore

While Apple has enjoyed the worldwide success of its various mobile products, its grasp on the Asian market is beginning to loosen. This is due to a number of factors, including iPhone fatigue, and the desire that many consumers are showing for other brands, particularly those from Samsung. According to StatCounter, a traffic measuring service that collects data from more than 3 million websites, Apple’s share of mobile devices in Singapore dropped significantly in 2012. StatCounter shows that in this month alone, Apple’s market share dropped by 50%.

Consumers in Hong Kong and elsewhere show favor for Android

Similar results are being seen in Hong Kong. Approximately 30% of all mobile devices therein come from Apple. In both markets, the Android platform is picking up much of the slack. This may be due to the fact that some of the latest Android devices include NFC technology, which allows for a wide range of new services, including mobile commerce, that are absent from t he iOS platform.

Storm8 surpasses 10 million daily users for its games

| January 25, 2013

Storm8 mobile gaming surpasses 10 million usersStorm8 reaches major milestone in mobile gaming

Mobile gaming is quickly becoming a field that cannot be ignored. While much of the game industry continues to hold a strong focus on traditional platforms, some developers are adopting an exclusive focus on the mobile space, producing games that are designed specifically for mobile devices, such as smart phones and tablets. Storm8 is one such company. The developer was founded by former Facebook engineers who had a strong passion for games and the company has recently been making waves in the mobile gaming space.

Developer catching up to the dethroned Zynga

Zynga, the former champion of mobile gaming, recently announced that it saw 33 million daily active users in July of 2012. While this is somewhat lower than what the developer had seen in previous years, it shows that Zynga still holds a strong grip on mobile gaming, even amidst its downfall. Storm8, however, is catching up very quickly. The developer recently announced that it has reached the 10 million daily active users milestone.

Social games mark success for developer

Storm8, which was founded in 2009, has developed a variety of mobile games that have garnered a massive fan base. Like other companies involved in mobile gaming, Storm8 tends to design games to be addictive and provide instant, or near-instant, gratification. These games are generally easy to get involved in and require a modest time investment to see any reward. While gamers do not have to spend hours playing Storm8 titles, they typically do because these games have strong ties to social networks, encouraging community more so than solitude.

Developer finds success despite lack of funding

Storm8 is somewhat unique in the game industry, especially in the mobile sector, in the fact that it has not yet taken any funding from investors. With the poor performance of Zynga in public markets and the rapidly evolving nature of the funding landscape, investors are showing more caution in regards to the ventures they support. Storm8 has little to worry about, however, as the developer has managed to etch out significant success without having to rely on the investments of outside parties.