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Whale Trail: THE iOS game of 2011

How many application launches this year have made you genuinely excited? How many have you followed from conception to pre-deployment with such a fanatical energy that if it were an iPhone launch, you’d be queuing up outside your nearest Apple store right now?

My guess is not many.

Well for me, there has been, and tomorrow (October 20th 2011) marks it’s mass market launch. Whale Trail by ustwo has been in development for some time now (6 months), and thanks to their CHIEF WONKA Mills, its journey from conception to launch has been very public. Now Mills is not known as a marketer, but this launch is supported by an intelligent marketing and promotional strategy. We have had a chance to glimpse at everything from character design to first play videos; understanding every twist and turn along it’s development path as if we are part of the team.

What this has done is establish an emotional attachment between a select number of people and the game. You feel as though you have watched a child grow, and are now excited to see the next stage of its progression. It’s first day at school if you will.

By using Twitter, Youtube, Instagram and Facebook to name but a few, ustwo has harnessed the power of social platforms to do what many believed only video could do: emotive communication. Ultimately, even though Mills has been reaching out to just under 5000 followers, and the 100+ people fortunate enough to play test the game before release, he now has an army of fanatics who will gladly spread the word and advocate Whale Trail to the respective social circles. And you know what, even if the game was shit, people probably still would tell their friends to download it.

The problem is…Whale Trail is actually brilliant. Using the well adopted endless runner format, and taking it to an even more premium level, alongside with a fantastic soundtrack (by SFA legend Gruff Rhys), and gameplay that’s guaranteed to drag you back in with, dare I say it, an Angry Birds-esque addiction.

Whale Trail is an utter delight for the senses, and have complete confidence that this could be the next major phase in an incredible journey for the app development and user interface studio.

So as if you were ever in doubt, if there is one thing you need to do once it is live, is head to the app store, search ‘Whale Trail’, part with your disposable income, and spend the next few months indulging in a love in with Willow the Whale.

I promise you…you will not regret it.

Besides, an angry bird ain’t got shit on a flying whale…

Links

Whale Trail demo video
Whale Trail by Gruff Rhys music video
CHIEF WONKA mills Twitter

Why Apple launched the 4S…

It seems as though there are a lot of disappointed people out there. Yesterday (4th October) was supposed to mark, in some people’s eyes, the launch of the next generation iPhone.

Well we did see the next generation, but maybe it isn’t as significant of a jump from the current generation as many wanted. The iPhone 4S is almost exactly the same form factor as it’s predecessor, but the emphasis from Apple has been made on what’s inside as apposed to some beautiful new aesthetic.

Now I have seen some ridiculous comments made on Twitter and blogs that I would like to address first. Firstly, the insinuation that this is ‘Tim Cook’s fault’ is nonsense. This handset would have been in planning for a LONG time, and Steve Jobs would have been well involved in it’s development. This handset is no accident or slip up from Apple. Its a conscious decision! Secondly, the claim that Steve Jobs quit because he was too embarrassed about this iPhone launch is utter utter bollocks. Seriously.

Anyway, so Apple launch the 4S and not the 5. Why is this do we think? Well here is what I think.

Apple is well aware of what is happening in the smartphone market. Android has demonstrated that smartphones are no longer the niche proposition only available as toys for the affluent consumer. EVERYONE now wants touch screens, app stores and decent mobile web browsing. Smartphones will soon become the mass market proposition, and handset manufacturers will be challenged to produce the next generation of ‘super’ smartphones to re-create the divide.

So how does Apple adapt to this environment? They have the likes of HTC and Samsung snapping at their heels with increasingly great hardware, and brilliant exploitation of the Android platform. Well let us not forget that the iPhone 4 continues to be the world’s best smartphone, that still has nothing getting too close to make Apple uncomfortable.

With handset upgrades more often than not dictated by the network operator/carrier, the 18-24 month cycle is becoming increasingly common around the world. Now this isn’t a major worry for Apple, who never struggle shifting handsets, but surely their sales could improve even more if they aligned themselves with the natural renewal cycle? Makes sense to me.

Alongside this, many people touted an iPhone ‘Lite/Nano’ which would be a cheaper version to appeal to the mass market. Well ya know what, Apple will NEVER release a cheaper product, when they can extend the shelf life of their preceding products. The iPhone 3GS is a fantastic handset, supporting a decent version of iOS. Now that the gap doesn’t seem as large between itself and the iPhone 4S, the 3GS suddenly becomes a valid, affordable alternative iPhone. There is your iPhone ‘Lite’ right here. I have seen it here in the UK for free on a £15 a month contract. How much more affordable and mass market do you want?!

So although the tech press and pundits aren’t happy, the people are. And regardless of who moans and complains, people will talk with their feet and their wallets. I personally believe the iPhone 5 is ready and waiting. NFC, wallet and all. But is the consumer ready for it yet? No. Apple will wait for the rest of the industry to show its hand before sending it to market. You just watch.

The mind still boggles at how people can moan about a phone which now essentially makes your camera redundant, and GIVES you a personal assistant. Demanding bunch aren’t we…

What is success for branded apps?

Success is something we all strive for as individuals, and as businesses, but more often than not, this success has been defined by years and years of legacy. Making money equals success. Getting a promotion equals success. Increasing conversions equals success.

But for mobile applications, as one of the youngest mainstream media, success has yet to be truly be defined. For games developers it is ‘relatively’ simple. Downloads equal revenue, and ultimately, profit (although not necessarily sustainable). But what for brands? Many brands have launched themselves into the app foray without the slightest consideration for what they want to achieve. Downloads is often banded around as an indicative measure of success, but what do downloads really show?

Well I have taken it upon myself to explore this and many other success metrics for mobile apps, hopefully with a view to enlightening an industry which in my eyes, is being tarnished by applications without success metrics defined, and thus affecting the quality of the ouput. (read more…)