Recommendations for the App Store video clip, IDFA tight rules and $ 2.5 billion for Minecraft - the main mobile news of the week

App Preview Tips

With the release of iOS 8, developers have the opportunity to add video games to the application page in the App Store. The video will be located on the site of the first screenshot and will be one of the first elements that the player will see on the application page.

The video will be the main argument why the player should download your application. In 15-30 seconds you will have to show the contents of the application and its features. Not such an easy task. To help solve it well, we made a list of all the recommendations and requirements from Apple:

Video can be shot from your device on iOS 8. To do this, you need to connect it to a computer with OS X Yosemite via a Lightning cable. After that, your device will work as a camera, recording everything that happens on the screen.

• The video must be made separately for the iPhone and separately for the iPad version, by analogy with the screenshots.
• It is possible to make one set of ipad / iphone / ipod clips for each localization separately.
• No need to make videos with people who interact with your application.
• No need to put moving hands on top of the video to display navigation and multi-touch gestures.
• No need to use zoom.
• It is necessary to ensure that transitions between scenes in the application really exist.
• No need to add a price to the video. It is already displayed on the application page, and this information will be redundant.
• When adding text, keep in mind that it should be readable. And if you made only one localization, and the game is available all over the world, then the value of this text is lost.
• You can add music and sound effects to actions with user interfaces on top of the clip.

Bonus: the number of supported permissions is increasing. But Android is still far away)

Microsoft buys Minecraft creator

This week, rumors about the possible purchase of Mojang, a Minecraft-based studio by Microsoft, have been confirmed . The total transaction value is 2.5 billion USD. The amount is more than provocative, considering that for the entire 2013 Mojang company earned 100 million USD, this is much less than the same Supercell. Obviously, Microsoft is interested in the community and wants to join the very developed Minecraft subculture and benefit from it.

Many analysts are wondering - what will Microsoft do with a new purchase? They say that at least in the near future we will see the version for Windows Phone, perhaps we should expect some exclusivity of Minecraft for Microsoft platforms, it is possible to change the price policy of Minecraft to increase the audience, create something more from Minecraft (where else) than there is now. In general, there is a lot of thought on this topic, one way or another, Microsoft has a rather complicated audience, brought up by Notch, who has repeatedly spoken out against large corporations, spoke negatively about Windows 8, and canceled the Minecraft version for Oculus Rift after buying them on Facebook - a step to the right, a step to the left, shooting, Microsoft should be extremely careful, taking into account the fan base, which has done mods for 20 Minecraft, just that,

Notch himself will receive USD 1.41 billion, leave the company and devote time to his projects. Everything that began with a thesis at the institute ended with one of Microsoft's largest acquisitions. Notch wrote a farewell letter to the community explaining his action. The letter ends with the phrase: “It's not about the money. The point is my sanity. ”

How to ask users for ratings

A good cheat sheet on how you can ask users to rate in an iOS application and how not to (in the footsteps of a conversation with an Apple manager):

• “Evaluate us” - completely.
• "Rate us and get a bonus" - no, it won’t work, it’s forbidden.
• "Rate us at 5!" - it will.
• "Rate us at 5 and get a bonus!" - no, again item 2)
• Encouraging a user to write a post about an application on Facebook or another social network is good.
• asking a user to leave a rating or write a review (without stimulation!) is good.
• user incentive to rate or write a review on the App Store - wait for the rejection of the publication of the application under clause 3.10 of the Agreement

You can now return your purchase to Google Play within 2 hours

Google has officially announced an increase in the “window” for a return of purchase up to two hours. Previously, the user was given 15 minutes to decide whether to keep the application for himself or to receive a refund for it. Apparently, this was affected by the judicial complaints of users.

Each application can be refunded only once - this is how the company protects itself from the self-serving exploitation of this function.

Apple updated IDFA guidelines for mobile apps: new HealthKit terms

Repeat minute: IDFA - device identifier that allows you to uniquely identify the user. It was introduced after the UID was canceled, so that ad networks can distinguish users from each other, it is also used to collect statistics.

The guys in Cupertino decided that just collecting unique identifiers was enough. Now you can use IDFA only if you explicitly display ads in your application. Otherwise, this may cause the application to be rejected on the App Store!

The changes also affected the new HealthKit guideline. Developers are not allowed to transfer medical data from the device to ad networks. Medical information can still be shared with third parties for research purposes, if the developers explicitly warn the user about it. This allows you to give this information to doctors, employees of medical centers and even insurance companies, so that you can warn users about a sharp change in their health status. The future is here!