Apple And Google Have A New Strategy To Make Sure They Have The Best Smartphone Apps
The companies are trying to convince game developers to release new titles on Android or iOS first.
In exchange, Google and Apple are offering these developers a promotional boost for their programs by giving each app premium placement at the front of their respective app stores.
App store promotion is a big deal. Search and discovery has traditionally been a big challenge for developers trying to get their new apps to take off. But if an app gets featured by Google or Apple, it can drive a ton of sales.
The report mentions that Apple had struck a deal like this to promote the popular app "Plants vs. Zombies 2" for a few months before it arrived on Android.
Google and Apple want to stay one step ahead of each other in the app marketplace. Apple is the top destination for developers, but Google is quickly bridging the gap in terms of app downloads. Developers still tend to make apps for Apple devices first though because they're likely to make more money from iPhone/iPad users.