Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category

The recent article on TechCrunch which included apps by Istpika, has been translated into Japanese.

The recent article on TechCrunch which included apps by Istpika, has been translated into Japanese.

The best 32 apps from Japan, all of which operate in English.

There were several points made but,

“Last week I visited many developer companies around Japan for the purpose of writing this article, unfortunately almost all of their English expkanations were terrible.”

We at Istpika want to take the lead in this area. If we deliver something in English, it will be accurate!

From Social Application to the Gloud Generation

The #3 facebook application developer, Playfish CEO talks about consumer games becoming a niche market.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/playfishs-kristian-segerstrale?page=2

http://www.gamebusiness.jp/article.php?id=87

I think that games consoles – while they might be an important part of the industry now – might become niche in the next couple of years because it’s not at all clear if it even makes sense to deliver this type of gaming – social, with micro-transactions – on a home console.

On Facebook and other social network sites you are able to play social games for basically free, the spread is such that the word “game” will eventually be replaced with “social game”. Consumer games will become an expensive hobby, mmorpg’s will all connect online via Facebook and integrate the social platforms of today.

Why will this happen? because the very core of a game is communication with friends. You can get the highest score ever, but with no friends to share it with who cares! To play a game is to communicate. Without achieving high scores, there is a new kind of fun to be had in social games.

Games could be said to have had a similar conceptual relationship to society itself. Social games take social relationships and with that social technology produce something fun, but you wouldn’t call them efficient by any means.

Istpika is working towards the goal of furthering the ability of the world population to communicate via social applications and the experience of communicating via games.

… what’s next?

Cloud computing.
In Japan the generation of casual game sofware for mobiles and handhelds like the Nintendo DS that could be played for 1 day or longer periods, is now a thing of the past.
Gamers that played those type of games we still call casual gamers. But when those games all become social games, the definitions of social game, virtual gift and social application will become unclear.
But there’s no point in attempting to create a category without definition, users will just continue to play and enjoy themselves. Already the time people spend on social games and the time not spent playing them is unclear. Users act in ways similar to cloud technology.

Not sure what their seeking, or not sure when they’re playing – these are subtle player activities. Users or players that are vaguely connected in some way, that’s what I’d call a user cloud. These users & their devices will move beyond just the generic PC browser.

In this generation, to develop cloud technology based games is to lead the next IT industry.

The first company to take this lead is of course, Istpika.

A note about iPhone app prices

iPhone app real market data announced by AppFire. Some very interesting numbers there.
Source: AppsFire

http://www.slideshare.net/misteroo/appsfire-app-store-market-real-data-insights

Insight sample was 50% US, UK, France & Japan mainly. Total 1200 people.
Date of data: July-August 2009

Report Results
Purchased paid app average price: $1.56 US
Most apps were: $0.99 US
About 65 apps downloaded per device./iphone/
Approx $80 US spent per device on apps.
Just free apps downloaded % – 7%
Free vs paid % downloaded – 65%

From this data, we can assume that iPhone users are naturally inclined to download apps.
We were a little surprised at the large figure of 65 apps per device.

But the average price (or even free) cost of apps downloaded appears very low, you could equate average prices with buying soft drinks from a vending machine.

The current figures put 65,000 apps on the app store with around 170 new apps released each day such that
apps are a lot like newspapers or magazines where you consume them daily and just pick up on what you like.

TechCrunch introduced Broadway Cafe and gottaDo2 in “Japan’s 32 Best iPhone Apps”

We’re honoured to be mentioned in Serkan’s TechCrunch article about iPhone developers in Japan. Check it out!

Japan’s 32 Best iPhone Apps (All Available In English)

2. Broadway Cafe iTunes
14. gottaDo2 iTunes

OpenFeint to support multiplayer games

OpenFeint opens beta program for multiplayer features

OpenFeint is made by Aurora Feint and games such as PocketGod and Stickwars use their platform for social connectivity. Social middleware are libraries for iphone devvers to integrate a social network into their apps. Even making an interesting app now is no gaurentee that it will be picked up by the public. That’s where a social network platform comes in leveraging a server that share information, chat and leaderboards between apps thus connecting them in at multiple levels.
read more

iPhone app,gottaDo2 released.

Istpika releases a social todo task manager called gottaDo2 (from here on gottaDo). Currently on sale in the iTunes app store.
(iTunes Store URL(iTunes link))

gottado_iphone_top2gottaDo is a socialtask manager for iPhone and iPod touch. gottaDo’s unique features are; complete your tasks is enjoyable! and a simple to use design uncluttered with thousands of functions you will never use. We beleve that it’s only by continued use that you get the most out of a task manager. We’ve considered this very carefully in our app design.

  1. Cute sea creatures are waiting for you
    Start up the app and be greeted by our cute little sea creatures. Pay with our fun characters and update your news feeds as you complete tasks. Let our characters motivate you to get things done!
  2. Simple design to enable productivity
    We removed the clutter and designed gottaDo for pure ease of use.
  3. Rope in your facebook friends help
    gottaDo connects to faceook via facebook connect. gottaDo iPhone syncs and allows you to organise your tasks within facebook. With gottaDo your facebook friends are able to remind you when your tasks are due, with their support you’re going to have to complete your tasks!

* gottaDo was a finalist in the fbfund.
gottaDo was honoured to be selected as a top 50 finalist for the fbfund 2009, a capital investment fund run by Facebook. For more details see our press release.
fbFund press release

* Status & upgrades
Facebook completion very soon.
Redesign and function additions also coming soon to the iPhone.

* gottaDo2 Overview
iPhone app, $2.99 (tdb) & Facebook application
Category: Productivity & Social Networking
Web Site: http://www.istpika.com/products/gottado2/

(日本語) 「iPhoneアプリにおけるビジネスの現状と可能性」でライトニングトークを行いました

Sorry, this entry is only available in 日本語.

(日本語) 高齢者層へも広がりを見せるソーシャルネットワークサービス

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(日本語) Facebookが国だったら・・・人口規模では世界第4位

Sorry, this entry is only available in 日本語.

(日本語) Facebook 3.0 for iPhoneアプリがすごく使いやすい!

Sorry, this entry is only available in 日本語.