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观察App Store排名算法变化对F2P游戏的影响

发布时间:2013-08-17 15:06:51 Tags:,,

作者:Jon Jordan

我们很容易将App Store排名算法视为一种被置于苹果总部地下室某个角落的巨大神秘黑盒,但其算法的存在状态一直备受争议。

但2013年8月7日的一系列现象表明,苹果确实调整了排名算法。

有知情者透露,他们发现自己的F2P游戏排名显著变化,有些急剧上升,有些迅速下滑。从这些游戏在榜单上的排名就可以看出。

App-Store-Icon(from nibletz.com)

App-Store-Icon(from nibletz.com)

参照谷歌做法

人们的普遍看法是,苹果现在开始更加重视退款因素——谷歌Google Play排名早已经将这一情况考虑在内。

(游戏邦注:一般来说,谷歌的榜单排名更为严谨,其考虑因素包括用户留存率,以及应用是否安装等情况。)

有位匿名开发者表示,“我们没有看到收益下降,但因为你将看到免费游戏发生更多退款行为,这种排名算法调整将有利于付费游戏和非游戏应用。”

榜单排名情况

很显然,在8月7日至8日,美国收益榜单头号付费游戏是《Minecraft》。

app-store-change-minecraft(from App Annie)

app-store-change-minecraft(from App Annie)

非游戏F2P应有和Rdio和Grindr的排名在此期间也发生显著变化,两者名次都呈上升趋势。

app-store-change-rdio(from App Annie)

app-store-change-rdio(from App Annie)

app-store-change-grindr(from App Annie)

app-store-change-grindr(from App Annie)

F2P游戏的噩运

再看看F2P游戏,稳居收益榜单首位的《Clash of Clans》大规模的销量并没有因退款而受到影响。

而该榜单其他游戏情况则不容乐观,Social Quantum游戏《Megapolis》在8月9-10日下降25名,然后迅速反弹,之后又趋于下降。

app-store-change-metropolis-hd(from App Annie)

app-store-change-metropolis-hd(from App Annie)

Kabam游戏《Kingdoms of Camelot》在8月5-6日排名下降6位,在8月6-7日则一度反弹,但在8月7-9日则回落10个名次。

app-store-change-kingdoms-camelot(from App Annie)

app-store-change-kingdoms-camelot(from App Annie)

GREE/Funzio游戏《Mondern War》三天内排名上升20位,但目前已经跌至前30名之外。

app-store-change-modern-war(from App Annie)

app-store-change-modern-war(from App Annie)

表现最佳者之一是Backflip/孩之宝游戏《DragonVale》,它在8月8-9日上小有上升,在之后一周排名上升30位。

app-store-change-dragonvale(from App Annie)

app-store-change-dragonvale(from App Annie)

当然,这些游戏的长期排名变化情况可能还是取决于开发者和发行商的反应,他们看到游戏在收益榜单的排名变化,可能会投入更多营销资金以便游戏恢复原先地位。(本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译,拒绝任何不保留版权的转载,如需转载请联系:游戏邦

Charticle Special: What happened last week when Apple altered the App Store’s top grossing algorithm?

by Jon Jordan

It’s easy to think about the algorithms which rank apps on the App Store as sitting in a literal big black box somewhere in a Cupertino basement.

And like that ‘other box’ which contains Schrödinger’s cat, the state of these algorithms is much debated.

However, it’s pretty clear something was tweaked around the 7 August 2013.

Several sources have told PocketGamer.biz they saw the position of their F2P games moving significantly, some upwards and some downwards.

This is also born out by the evidence of the charts themselves (see graphs below).

Don’t be evil

The consensus is that Apple is now paying more attention to refunds; something Google has already taken into account with its Google Play ranking.

(In general, Google is thought to have a more sophisticated approach to its chart rankings, including taking into account user retention and whether or not apps are uninstalled.)

“We’re not seen a fall in revenue, but because you’re going to get more refunds from free-to-play games, this change benefits [the chart position of] paid games and non-game applications,” one anonymous developer told us.

Charticled

It’s pretty clear that the top paid game in the US top grossing charts – Minecraft got a big boost between 7-8 August.

Non-gaming F2P apps Rdio and Grindr also saw their chart positions change significantly between 7-8 August, and both have continued on higher upwards paths since.

Sockin’ it to F2P games

Looking at F2P games, the trend isn’t totally transparent for the top top grossing games such as Clash of Clans, presumably because the level of refunds doesn’t impact their massive sales.

Looking further down the charts though, Social Quantum’s Megapolis was battered down 25 places between 9-10 August, but quickly recovered, before trailing away.

Meanwhile Kabam’s Kingdoms of Camelot lost 6 places between 5-6 August, then jumped back up between 6-7 August, finally dropping down around 10 places from 7-9 August.

It wasn’t all bad, however. GREE/Funzio’s Modern War jumped a massive 20 places for three days, only to collapse. It’s now outside the top 30.

But one of the best performers has been Backflip/Hasbro’s DragonVale which built on a small jump between 8-9 August to drive up 30 places in the following week.

Of course, the longer term variations seen likely due to the reaction of developers and publishers, who seeing their games’ top grossing position changing, are spending more marketing money to recover the situation.(source:pocketgamer


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