Apps
App Store Records $240 Million in Customer Purchases on New Year’s Day
Apple has today announced that the App Store welcomed 2017 with its busiest single day ever on New Year’s Day. The company claimed that in 2016, developers earned over $20 billion, up over 40 percent from 2015. Since the App Store launched in 2008, developers have earned over $60 billion, creating amazing app experiences for App Store customers across iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Mac.
Those efforts helped kick off 2017 with a remarkable start, making New Year’s Day the highest single day ever for the App Store with nearly $240 million in purchases. “2016 was a record-shattering year for the App Store, generating $20 billion for developers, and 2017 is off to a great start with Jan. 1 as the single biggest day ever on the App Store,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “We want to thank our entire developer community for the many innovative apps they have created — which together with our products — help to truly enrich people’s lives.”
Customers broke all-time records this holiday season with purchases from the App Store topping $3 billion in December. In the same month, Nintendo’s Super Mario Run made history with more than 40 million downloads in just four days after its release, and was the most downloaded app globally on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Super Mario Run is also among last year’s top 10 most downloaded apps worldwide, with Pokémon Go taking the top spot. Pokémon Go, a beloved game from Niantic, quickly became a cultural phenomenon in mid-2016. Prisma, Reigns, Procreate, Lumino City, Sweat With Kayla and djay Pro, from some of Apple’s independent developers, were among the most successful apps for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch and Mac, respectively. The App Store offers 2.2 million apps in total, up over 20 percent from last year.
With the App Store available in 155 countries, Apple’s customers have access to millions of apps to make their lives easier, enrich their passions and connect with people from all around the world. The App Store’s top-grossing markets include the US, China, Japan and the UK, with China experiencing record year-over-year growth at an incredible 90 percent.
The global impact of the App Store was captured this past year with two campaigns — Apps for Earth and Games for (RED). In partnership with the World Wildlife Fund and (RED), customers were empowered to make a difference, helping to protect life on our planet and join the fight against AIDS. The custom content created by each campaign’s participating developers helped raise over $17 million in total for the two organizations.
With the introduction of iMessage apps and SiriKit in iOS 10, developers created exciting new types of app experiences. iPhone and iPad customers now have access to over 21,000 iMessage apps to send stickers and easily collaborate with friends, and for the first time ever, users can ask Siri to book rides, make payments, return a call and more.
Apps
Saudi Pro League Partners with TikTok
The Saudi Pro League (SPL) announced TikTok as its ‘Digital Partner’ for the 2024-25 season. In this official partnership, TikTok will introduce a dedicated SPL Exclusive Hub, a central space where fans can access content from the league’s clubs and partners. This hub offers an immersive experience, bringing fans closer to their favourite teams and players in innovative and interactive ways. This collaboration sets new standards for sports entertainment by leveraging TikTok’s creative community and dynamic platform to bring the SPL closer to its expanding fanbase.
Through this partnership, TikTok will elevate the excitement of Roshn Saudi League (RSL) matches like never before. SPL will offer exclusive content available only on TikTok, giving fans unique insights into the league, its clubs, and players. From behind-the-scenes footage to in-depth player interviews, the content will create an engaging and immersive experience for fans.
Additionally, the SPL will provide TikTok creators with exclusive opportunities to explore and showcase new facets of the league, such as access to training sessions, match-day experiences, and interactions with top players. These opportunities will not only enhance engagement but also drive creative storytelling that resonates with a global audience. With SPL’s innovative experiences and thrilling football content, TikTok football fans can look forward to a diverse range of content and engagement opportunities, all exclusively on TikTok. With more than of 44.2 million likes and a follower count of 2.5 million, the SPL’s presence on TikTok has created a centralized digital space for fans to engage with the league like never before.
Omar Mugharbel, CEO of the Saudi Pro League, said, “The partnership between the Saudi Pro League and TikTok is a groundbreaking development for our sector in the region and represents a strategic leap into the future of sports entertainment. This is more than a partnership, it’s a digital revolution. We are harnessing TikTok’s power to transcend traditional engagement and offer our fans a canvas for creative expression and a suite of experiences tailored to their passion for football. We’re creating a realm where each fan has a front-row seat to the spectacle of the Roshn Saudi League, powered by the boundless creativity that TikTok embodies. The SPL Exclusive Hub on TikTok provides an immersive and interactive digital home for our passionate football fans. We are shaping the future of fan engagement and setting a global benchmark right here in the Saudi Pro League.”
Kinda Ibrahim, TikTok’s GM for Operations in the Middle East, Turkey, Africa, Pakistan and South Asia, said, “Saudi Arabia’s passion for football runs deep in its history. By partnering with the Saudi Pro League, we are tapping into this strong affection for the sport and aligning with the league’s strategic vision to become one of the top football leagues globally. Through modernising the fan experience with a dedicated space for league content, clubs, and partners, we aim to strengthen the community of sports enthusiasts by providing them with more ways to connect and engage with exclusive content online.”
Apps
Age of Empires Mobile to Release Around the World on October 17, 2024
Mobile gaming fans around the world can prepare for a brand-new take on a strategy classic as Age of Empires Mobile will officially launch on the Apple App Store and Google Play on October 17. Co-developed by TiMi Studio Group (Call of Duty: Mobile, Pokémon Unite) and World’s Edge, an Xbox Games Studio, Age of Empires Mobile is a fresh and innovative experience for the beloved series, bringing familiar elements from the iconic Age of Empires games with brand-new and mobile-specific gameplay to mobile players.
On the road to global launch, players will have the opportunity to participate in on-site events at the Xbox booth, and the stage event with fun engagement activities at the Level Infinite booth, during Gamescom in Cologne, Germany. Media and creators will be invited to preview the game in the business area. Players can pre-register now for the official launch on the App Store and Google Play, join the game’s official Discord or head to the game’s website for more information.
“We expect players to mystify, mislead and surprise their enemies through the realistic, immersive, medieval gameplay featured in Age of Empires Mobile,” said TiMi Studios team leader and studio general manager Brayden Fan. “We’ve already seen alliances form and alliances crumble through our multi-month playtesting. Through it all, players have shown strategic wit, savvy teamwork and a passion for an entirely new Age of Empires experience.”
Built from the ground up for mobile and social play, Age of Empires Mobile includes a variety of game features:
- Multiple single-player modes built on the Age of Empires lineage and featuring iconic elements from the original series
- Build your empire in a lively, realistic medieval world featuring stunning civilizations, imperial cities and historical figures
- Immersive battlefields offer one-of-a-kind original gameplay with large-scale castle sieges featuring realistic weapons taking on multi-dimensional defences in a fight with thousands of players worldwide
- Be strategic as you encounter realistic and interactive terrain and weather and manage multiple troops with real-time micro-control
Built to expand on the series’ lineage, Age of Empires Mobile offers players the opportunity to select from some of the world’s most legendary historical figures to lead their armies. Players choose from dozens of these leaders, such as Barbarossa, Darius the Great, Hammurabi, Joan of Arc and Leonidas I, each featuring unique individual talents and synergies with each other to unleash on your foes.
“Our goal at World’s Edge is to bring the magic of Age of Empires to as many different types of players around the world as possible. Partnering with TiMi Studio Group means we can combine their expertise in mobile gaming with the strength of our franchise and history – to bring a brand-new take on Age of Empires to even more gamers, in even more places,” said Michael Mann, Studio Head at World’s Edge.
Apps
WhatsApp to Intro Real-Time Voice Conversations with Meta AI
WhatsApp is set to revolutionize user interaction with the introduction of real-time voice conversations powered by Meta AI. This new feature, currently in development, will allow users to engage in natural, spoken dialogue with the AI chatbot.
Key Features:
- Personalized Experience: Users can select from various voice options for Meta AI, tailoring the interaction to their preference.
- User Control: The voice chat mode will be optional, ensuring users have complete control over their conversations.
- Privacy Focus: WhatsApp is implementing a privacy indicator to inform users when their microphone is active, safeguarding user data.
- Accessibility: Captions and transcripts will be available, enhancing accessibility and providing a visual record of conversations.
- Customizable Responses: Users can choose between brief or full responses from Meta AI, adapting the AI’s output to their needs.
This exciting development promises to make AI interactions more engaging, accessible, and personalized for WhatsApp users.