Localization in iOS 10 is Even Easier: Here’s What We Learned at WWDC

Posted on July 19, 2016 by Patrick Yip

For the latest updates, read our coverage of iOS 11 and XCode 9 at WWDC 2017. Introduction: The Worldwide Developers Conference Get a bunch of iOS developers in a room, and there’s a lot that can happen. Amazing apps. Crazy hacks. Tip trading. But, when it comes to Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), you’re also going to get silence. Because that’s when Apple rolls out their major updates, and everyone is listening carefully. You’ve most likely heard some of the

How Game Translation Caused a Pokémon Protest (And How to Avoid It in the Future)

Posted on July 13, 2016 by Patrick Yip

In Hong Kong this May, around 20 protesters marched to the Consulate-General of Japan to rally against Pikachu’s name change. Yes, you read that right. Pikachu. As in, the Pokémon. The name change of a Pokémon caused a group of Hongkongers to protest at the Japanese consulate. What happened here? You might think it’s another funny meme about the recently released game Pokemon Go — but believe it or not, this is an actual news item. It’s actually also a great lesson

Trello Teaches How They Nailed Localization and Global Marketing

Posted on May 24, 2016 by Patrick Yip

Introduction There are some things that just about everyone loves, no matter where the person comes from. Laughter. Time with someone they care about. A good meal. And, perhaps, your product. It’s hard enough to build a software that’s truly universal. But, even when you pull that off, there’s still another set of challenges: making sure people everywhere have heard about your product, and then getting them to actually use it. Many software companies struggle to go truly international; even

The Math Behind the App Business

Posted on May 10, 2016 by Ashley Sefferman

Monetizing your mobile app requires understanding the math behind the app business. This understanding—of your metrics and revenue drivers—ultimately enables you to dissect your business model. It allows you to hone in on any bottlenecks that could be costing you business, and identify any areas of improvement that can be optimized to better achieve your goals. The math of the app business is neither scary nor intangible. The truth is, the entire app business can be summarized with one equation.

A Five-Minute Guide to Mobile Gaming Markets in Southeast Asia

Posted on May 4, 2016 by Patrick Yip

For our insights on mobile gaming in specific markets, check out our guides to: Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, South Korea and launching in East Asia. Meet this year’s hottest mobile gaming market Markets change—fast. China and Latin America have both gotten a lot of buzz in the past, but, now, China is showing slowed growth, and there’s a lot of uncertainty around Latin America. So, where’s the new hot spot? Southeast Asia, or SEA. When you look at the numbers, it’s easy to see

Introducing App Marketing Stack

Posted on March 9, 2016 by Patrick Yip

We’re excited to introduce a new website of ours: App Marketing Stack. It’s a curated directory of tools and resources on app marketing and mobile growth, and you’re going to love it. “But wait,” you wonder, “I’m going to love it? I’m not even sure I need it!” In this blog post, we’ll explain the importance of mobile growth, what the Mobile Growth Stack is, and how our website enables you to use that tool to make it so much easier

Here’s Why Your Mobile Game Needs a Translation Management System

Posted on February 15, 2016 by Patrick Yip

Game localization is hard… You battle your way to the final screen of Ghostbusters, only to see: “Conglaturation!! Now go and rest our heroes!” Ah, victory? True, it’s been a few years since Ghostbusters, but that doesn’t mean translations have gotten that much better. (Although it’s the old generation of errors that has spawned some pretty good listicles.) Game companies still make a lot of mistakes when bringing their work to overseas markets. And that’s not surprising: game localization is hard. Publisher XSEED shared

App Localization in China: Your Guide to China’s Android App Store

Posted on February 1, 2016 by Patrick Yip

Not long ago, the OneSky blog included some information about Chinese app stores as part of a larger post about Chinese mobile markets. Afterward, we got so many requests for more information on app localization in China that we’ve decided to publish regular content on the topic. In our first offering, we’ve put together a guide to Android app stores in China. Why focus on Android app stores? Because the Chinese market has over 200 of them. Navigating that world

Everything You Need to Know About Chinese New Year 2016–and Why It Matters for Your App

Posted on January 13, 2016 by Patrick Yip

New Year, New Opportunities… in the East In just a few weeks, there’s going to be a gigantic event: one that tons of people will participate in, that inspires a lot of celebrating, and that has huge potential for retail and advertising. No, not the Super Bowl. We’re talking about Chinese New Year, a major, week-long event celebrated by the entire Chinese community, beginning on February 7, 2016. And since the Chinese community numbers over 1.3 billion people, that makes it a pretty big deal. Last Chinese New Year (CNY),

5 Tips to Get Your Apps Ready for Christmas

Posted on December 10, 2015 by Patrick Yip

Is your app ready for the holidays? Ah, Christmas. That magical time of year: when trees twinkle with lights, houses smell like baking cookies…..and apps are downloaded like crazy. It’s well known that Christmas Day brings the highest rate of app downloads. Last year was no exception; Flurry Analytics shows that there were 150% more downloads on December 25 than on any other day of the month, on average. So, if you’re hoping to boost your app downloads and improve monetization