Tag: mobile apps

Mobile app development proves lucrative in China

| January 24, 2014

Developer raises $80 million in series C funding

Linekong, a developer of mobile games based in China, has announced that it has raised $80 million in series C funding. China is quickly becoming a prominent market when it comes to mobile app development, especially when these apps have to do with gaming in some way. Mobile apps are quite popular among consumers throughout the country and the demand for more engaging and entertaining applications has been on the rise for some time. The funding that Linekong has managed to acquire may help it compete with the multitude of developers that are already active in China.china - mobile app development and mobile games

Market continues to prove accommodating of mobile games

China’s mobile app development market is saturated. There are numerous organizations that are working to engage consumers with their applications and many of these groups are copying one another in an attempt to find success. It can be difficult for any one company to stand out amongst the crowded market, but Linekong has managed to attract a great deal of attention with its games. The funding that the developer has received will be used to further its growth in the gaming sector through the development of games that have already proven quite popular among consumers.

Linekong intends to release 15 new games this year

Linekong specializes in online role-playing and action games, two genres that are quite popular throughout China. Notably, Action RPGs are the most popular types of games among Chinese gamers, with 64% of consumers spending money on these types of games every month. Linekong intends to release 15 new mobile games this year, the majority of which will adhere to the developer’s genre preferences. Two of the games that the developer plans to release are to be classified as “leisure” games.

China establishes itself as prominent market for mobile games and gaming in general

China’s online games are expected to generate approximately $16 billion in revenue throughout 2014. This makes China one of the most attractive markets in the gaming world. The country is still relatively closed to foreign developers, but the Chinese government recently lifted a ban that had been imposed on foreign console platforms.

O2 to shut down mobile wallet service and continue work on mobile commerce platform

| January 21, 2014

O2 Wallet is shutting down in March

O2, a prominent communications company in Europe, has announced that its mobile wallet service will be shut down at the end of March this year. Mobile wallets have been growing in popularity, but the market is currently saturated with a wide variety of these mobile applications, making it difficult for any one service to stand out. Continued focus on a mobile wallet platform that is, essentially, identical to others is becoming an increasing dangerous trap for companies are heavily investing themselves int he world of mobile commerce.

Wallet applications are becoming more plentiful

While O2 is shutting down its mobile wallet service, the company is not expected to pull out of mobile commerce entirely. The O2 Wallet was launched approximately 18 months ago and was considered one of the first wallet applications from a large company. The app was meant to provide consumers with a way to manage their money and other financial information and received a strong following. Over the past year, however, much about the mobile commerce market has changed, leading O2 to believe that its wallet is no longer viable for consumers.

O2 begins focusing more heavily on Weve platform

O2 shut down mobile commerce platformO2 is now looking for ways to help people manage their money more effectively. Currently, O2 is involved in a joint venture with mobile network operators EE and Vodafone. Through this venture, the companies are working to develop a new mobile commerce platform called Weve. The platform is set to launch in spring of this year and promises to provide consumers with a variety of features that makes managing their financial information and shopping online with a mobile device easier.

Weve attracts strong support

Weve has already won the support of several major banks in the United Kingdom, including Barclays, HSBC, and Lloyds. The mobile commerce platform has also managed to overcome some legal issues concerning Europe’s competition laws. Whether or not O2 will devote the majority of its focus to the mobile commerce platform or decide to develop a new mobile wallet has yet to be seen.