Here’s a great presentation from Xyo app search on App discovery and App Store optimization. It has a lot of information such as the importance of the App name, icon, keywords and the optimal copy to get an App higher up in the rankings. Anyone launching a iOS, Android, or Windows Mobile app should check this out.

According to Kantar Worldpanel ComTech: iOS was the top selling smartphone platform in the U.S, for the 12 week period ending November 25th, 2012. iPhone 5 helped push the number past 50 percent, the first time iOS has hit that level.

U.S. smartphone sales break down as:

• iOS – 53.3%
• Android -41.9%
• Windows Mobile – 2.7%
• Other – 2.1%

In an article on GamesBeat, information was given as to how GREE values mobile installs when determining what to spend on user acquisition.

*In Japan, GREE’s mobile install Lifetime Value (LTV) is around $15
*In the U.S.A., a mobile install is valued between $2-$5
*GREE says they have a 50 percent organic install rate and they tune the amount they are willing to spend on an install accordingly.
*The average install they are paying is in the $2 range according to the article.

• Digital revenues grew 45 percent over the same quarter in 2011 to $314 million
• Mobile increased 61% to $89 million
• PC Downloads for fiscal Q2 were $144 million – an increase of 45 percent

According to Strategy Analytics, and a VentureBeat article, we have a pretty good view of what is happening in the mobile market with respect to smartphones and tablets. Growth continues in the market and Android continues to gain market share from Apple.

• Global tablet shipments reached 24.7 million units in the third quarter of 2012
• Apple iOS slipped to 57 percent global market share
• Android captured a 41 percent global market share
• Apple shipped 14.0 million iPads worldwide in Q3
• Global Android tablet shipments doubled annually to 10.2 million units
• Global tablet shipments grew just 43 percent annually in Q3 2012, compared with 289 percent annually in Q2 2011.
• 162 million smartphones sold globally in the third quarter of 2012
• While Samsung shipped 56.9 million smartphone units
• Apple shipped 26.9 million iPhones

According to NPD, the highest price parents are willing to pay for an App for their children tends to be about $4.10, with $2.40 being the average price of the last App they purchased.

NPD released more info here. Kids tend to play on devices that have 12 Apps installed, but 88 percent of those are free Apps.

• Children spend approximately five days a week using mobile devices such as a smartphone, tablet or iPod Touch, with an average session generally lasting just under one hour
• An average of 6.5 gaming applications are on the device
• Gaming is the most popular type of app used by children, followed by listening to or downloading music, and taking pictures
• 87% of boys play games
• 80% of girls play games
• Gaming applications are the apps most frequently paid for at 35%, followed closely by educational games and movie apps
• “Those who already own a device but don’t let their child use it would allow their child to do so if more educational apps were available or if the devices were durable enough to withstand the child’s use.”

According to Newzoo:

• The US now has 101 million mobile gamers
• 69% play on smartphones
• 21% play on tablets
• The number of paying players is now 37 million Americans, or 36% of all mobile gamers
• American players spend five times more on iOS games than on Android games
• 19 million play on an iPhone
• 18 million play on an iPod Touch
• 12.7 million play on an iPad

55 million iPads have been sold since the launch of the original SKU in spring 2010.

Apple predicts that by 2015, the number of iPads sold will reach 325 million units.

Richard Hill-Whittall commented,”Alas a lot of the bigger numbers were free downloads/free promotions, but even so – I was really pleased with the numbers. I thought I’d share them – and as such they are included below broken down into the different formats – iOS, PSP & WiiWare. I didn’t include PC as the numbers really aren’t worth including (probably about 20 units total!).”

iOS
Bashi Blocks
iPhone 19,945
iPad 5,523

Family Games Fun
iPhone 18,203
iPad 24,591

TOTAL: 68,262

WiiWare
Soccer Bashi
2,512

Arcade Sports
11,282

Family Games
14,439

Stunt Cars
12,577

TOTAL: 40,810

PSP Minis/PSN

Bashi Blocks
83,595

Arcade Darts
16,069

Arcade Air Hockey & Bowling
24,818

Arcade Pool & Snooker
3,410

Arcade Bundle
5,998

Family Games
8,829

Pool Hall Pro
3,012

Vertigo
960

TOTAL: 146,691

GRAND TOTAL: 255,763

Just uploaded a Standard Launch Plan for iPhone Games for my game industry friends at AnimfxNZ.