Gaming
Exclusive Q&A with Alexandre Salem, Global Director of Gaming Partnerships at Huawei
We have had an enlightening interview with Alexandre Salem, Global Director of Gaming Partnerships at Huawei.
Here he talks about the Huawei Gaming Ecosystem, how it’s gearing up to challenge the near duopoly Google Playstore and Apple Appstore, and why game developers shouldn’t miss it.
Here is the full text of the interview.
Q. Let us begin with a brief introduction to the Huawei Gaming Ecosystem. How does it help to facilitate the ultimate mobile gaming experience for users?
A. AppGallery is the official app distribution platform at Huawei, and the third-largest app marketplace in the world. We’ve designed it as a gateway to some of the latest and most exciting mobile game experiences for consumers.
When we look at the increase in people gaming around the world, it’s clear just how significant a role app marketplaces will have to play. We’re looking at 3.2 billion global gamers by 2023, and from that we’re predicting over two thirds will be on a mobile device.
To drive the global growth that we’re seeing, we provide our developers with the innovative technology they need to create the ultimate gaming experiences for their customers. Developers can integrate with elements of Huawei’s HMS Core for example to harness the unique software and hardware capabilities – all in the name of imagining new gameplay for mobile gamers.
There’s also the choice of integrating with app development tools for different Huawei devices, enabling gamers to switch between a MatePad and a P40, for example, with little effort and an overall seamless and enjoyable experience.
We’re already proud of our reputation for building quality hardware to facilitate a superior gaming experience for users, bringning some really unique gameplay to the table. Take Perfect World Games’ ReEvolve, for example. It’s the first mobile game that you can play on folding screen technology.
We’re also continuously looking to grow the number of mobile games available on AppGallery, with the aim of establishing Huawei as a true powerhouse of mobile gaming. Last year for example we launched a one-stop gaming platform for our more committed gamers called GameCenter, promoting an even richer gaming experience to those interested in exclusive discounts, unique gameplay and an exciting reward scheme. While AppGallery is Huawei’s comprehensive marketplace for all app categories, users who particularly love games can download GameCenter for an end-to-end game service.
Q. Could you provide some key stats regarding the number of users, games and developers in the Huawei Gaming Ecosystem currently?
A. AppGallery’s progress is something we’re really excited about. Considering the platform is only three years old in overseas markets, we already have a huge selection of convenient, fun and innovative gaming options to choose from. AppGallery caters to the different interests of its committed mobile gamers, from role-playing, action, MOBA, and MMORPG, to puzzle, turn-based and idle games.
In line with the growth of mobile gaming that we’re seeing more generally, AppGallery is also expanding – there are now 500% more games available on the platform compared to a year ago. Our users are often amongst the first to experience innovative new gameplay from around the world, with launches from the past year including AFK Arena, Asphalt 9: Legends, Clash of Kings and many more.
AppGallery continues to see strong growth in gaming availability, with over 12,000 games available and over 80 million games installed overall. Furthermore, there has been a 100% growth in games revenue in 2020 compared to 2019, and a 120% growth in paying players.
Thanks to the ongoing development of the HMS ecosystem, AppGallery now has 540 million monthly active users. There are 2.7 million registered developers worldwide, 134,000 apps integrated with HMS Core and, in 2020, we saw 384.4 billion app distributions (174 billion more than the previous year) – many of which are attributable to the mobile gaming sector.
Q. Huawei AppGallery boldly attempts to challenge the near duopoly of Google Play store and the App Store. What do developers and publishers gain exclusively by choosing AppGallery?
A. Something that sets AppGallery apart from competitors is the close relationship that we have with developers. We work closely with our partners to identify their own aspirations and desires – and not just in the gaming space.
Something that receives a lot of great feedback from developers and mobile users alike is our dedication to technical and marketing support. We implement a “Global + Local” Strategy, designed to help developers utilise our platform. It works both ways, because not only are we supporting smaller developers at the local level, but we’re also providing our diverse global customer base with the most relevant apps and games for them.
We also provide one-stop, full-spectrum operational support for developers worldwide, covering the entire development cycle. From ideation, development, distribution, operation to data analytics for global developers, we’re there to help. And the partnership doesn’t end at launch – we have dedicated teams to provide ongoing business and commercial support.
Building an ecosystem from scratch is something that takes a lot of time – we’ve been working on this for three years and the progress is so exciting. We’ll continue to prioritise our partners, providing them with an opportunity to tap into the competitive mobile market.
Another differentiating benefit we bring to our gaming partners is an in-depth expertise in the Chinese market, the largest in the world in players number and revenue. For the developers interested in penetrating this market, we can bring a suite of tailor-made services to maximize the chances of success.
Q. Tell us about the advantages and support that game developers can enjoy as part of the Huawei Ecosystem.
Mobile gaming is a huge market and one that is growing significantly. Something that we advocate for at Huawei is helping developers to get their foot on the ladder and grow within an increasingly competitive space.
With this in mind, we empower local developers with our on-the-ground support. We now have five global developer centres in Romania, Egypt, Mexico, Malaysia and Russia. We also have three ecosystem labs in Germany, Poland and Russia, as well as over 20 online Huawei Developer Day (HDD) events throughout the year. Developers can also utilise the seven DigiX Lab Innovation laboratories – they’re based in Dublin, Moscow, Düsseldorf, Mexico, Dubai, Johannesburg and Singapore. Here, developers can access real machine debugging, development capability experiences and other tools and guidance.
Our collaboration with developers doesn’t stop when a game is on-boarded in AppGallery. Our goal is to support gaming developers in attracting, converting and retaining as many players as possible. We don’t hesitate to roll up our sleeves alongside our gaming partners to run co-marketing campaigns to boost games discoverability.
Q. What are the options for monetization and the advertisement support that publishers can enjoy as part of the Huawei Ecosystem?
A. Something that we’re passionate about at Huawei is aligning our partners’ business development goals with the tools they need to achieve them. There are a variety of different HMS Core Kits that developers can choose to integrate with to harness the unique software and hardware capabilities we have on offer.
This includes the Huawei Ads Kit which empowers developers to create high-quality and personalized ads within their apps. Alongside the easy-to-use Publisher Service, developers can work seamlessly with third-party advertising and tracking platforms to monitor ad success. We also have a range of platforms to encourage our partners to boost their revenue, from the traffic monetization platform − a one-stop platform for developers to earn more − to advertising identifiers and conversion attributions.
In a nutshell, we provide a flexible set of services for gaming developers to fit their business models, whether they monetize through IAP, ads, premium paid games or a mix of those revenue streams.
Q. Could you enlighten us on the user data protection measures that Huawei has taken to ensure that the personal information of users is not compromised? This is probably an area where even the biggest companies on the internet have an inconsistent record.
A. AppGallery has a full-cycle security and protection system, including developer real-name verification, a four-step review process, download and installation protection as well as a prevention mechanism for secure app operation. Protecting user privacy and security is something that we take very seriously.
In addition to ensuring that all default apps fully comply with privacy compliance requirements, EMUI provides permit management, notification management, audio/video reminders, location service management and other privacy settings for apps, giving users visibility and control over their permissions.
Huawei has also established local data storage in six regional centres and 15 data centres worldwide. Complying with the localized service distribution and deployment policy, personal information is encrypted and stored in the area to which the user belongs. For example, Huawei stores all European user data in Germany, where rules and regulations call for the highest standards of user privacy.
To further ensure the safety of our users, we have implemented an age rating system globally, which intelligently blocks non-age-appropriate content according to user settings to provide a safe and healthy application environment for underage users.
Q. Huawei is betting big on the Internet of Things (IoT). How do you think the IoT is going to make its mark in the gaming sector?
A. In two years’, time, we expect to see 2.6 billion gamers streaming and competing together on mobile devices. The IoT is another area where we have a reputation for taking the lead and driving an industrial-scale digital transformation. Through our all-scenario, modular solutions, we’ll ensure that our mobile gamers have access to the smoothest possible gameplay experience.
In the next few years, we expect to see gamers having access to an increasing number of smart devices and wanting to play their favourite games in a frictionless manner across those devices. Let’s imagine the following user journey: a gamer might receive a notification on their smart watch reminding them to a play the next shooter game level. They might pass a few levels during the commute to work on a smartphone, and continue playing at home on a tablet, before competing with friends on a smart TV over the weekend. This type of cross-device and cross-platform gameplay will require developers to evolve their game development practices. It will mean that we need to bring hardware and software making this “omni-channel gaming” possible.
Q. Finally, what are Huawei’s major initiatives in the near future to deliver the ultimate mobile gaming experience?
A. Our top priority remains our users – we’ll continue to provide them with access to the best, most relevant mobile games in the world. There are a number of unique ways in which we’re able to do this. For example, we listen to our global customers’ needs through Wishlist – a tool that AppGallery users can use to recommend an app that they’d like to see available on the platform.
We also have staff dedicated to reading users’ feedback in Wishlist and analysing apps with the most votes. This allows us to prioritise the most wanted apps and ensure that consumer appeal is addressed, so that AppGallery is adapting to the fast-changing mobile app landscape.
We are also keeping in mind gamers needs and preferences when we design and launch new hardware on the market. I am extremely excited about our line-up of smartphones, smart TVs, connected watches and other devices and I am intimately convinced that this hardware ecosystem will bring the gaming experience to a new level.
Looking at the growth that the gaming industry has seen this year alone, it’s our mission to ensure that Huawei remains at the forefront of mobile gaming.
- Revenues from games apps grow in Germany by 4 per cent to over 2.9 billion euros
- Smartphones and tablets attract 300,000 additional players in twelve months
- ‘Mobile games often attract people with little or no experience of playing video games’
Games apps for smartphones and tablets continue to do well in Germany: revenues from mobile games grew by another 4 per cent to 2.9 billion euros within a year. This part of the games market has almost doubled since 2018, when revenues amounted to 1.49 billion euros. These are the figures released today by game – The German Games Industry Association, based on data collected by the market research company data.ai. Not only were games app revenues up, but the number of mobile game players also grew by 300,000 to 24.6 million in the space of a year. The average age of people who play video games on their smartphone in Germany is 40. Women tend to play more on smartphones and tablets (52%) compared to men (48%).
‘Games apps for smartphones and tablets are very popular among Germans,’ says Felix Falk, Managing Director of game. ‘Although we’ve been witnessing the unstoppable rise of the smartphone for almost a decade and a half, this is still an area of the game market that continues to grow. Mobile games often attract people with little or no experience of playing video games. The mobile gaming market has grown hugely over recent years: alongside classic casual games for spare moments, complex games and even esports titles are now also firmly established. This variety is unique and one of the strengths of games apps.’
A closer look at the mobile gaming market in Germany highlights the distinctive features of the sector: around 5 million euros – significantly below 1 per cent of total revenues – is generated by the sale of individual mobile games. Revenues from online gaming services on smartphones and tablets are significantly higher, amounting to 43 million euros or around 1 per cent. 98 per cent and therefore almost the entire revenue from games apps – 2.9 billion euros – is generated with in-app purchases. These include cosmetic enhancements for players’ own avatars along with virtual currencies and loot boxes or large story expansions.
Strong development of the German game market in 2023
The German games market showed significant overall growth again in 2023, with revenues from games, gaming hardware and online gaming services increasing by 6 per cent, to some 9.97 billion euros. This considerable rise follows a revenue increase of just 1 per cent in the preceding year. The largest drivers of this growth include game consoles and related accessories, as well as in-game and in-app purchases. At the same time, sales of gaming PCs and laptops saw clear declines in some areas.
Five teams have won over the Games Lift awarding committee with their game projects. On September 9, the Games Lift Incubator will start for them as a unique support program in Germany. Included is a one-year workshop and mentoring program with international industry experts and 15,000 euros in financial support, as well as room for collaboration and exchange with the other participating teams. More than 30 experts in game design, product development, pitching, business development, press relations and marketing from the Games Lift network will share their experience with the teams to give their projects a professional start. Starting this year, the program also offers participating teams a joint trip to an international industry event. The Games Lift Incubator is organized and implemented by Gamecity Hamburg on behalf of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg.
A total of 21 teams and solo developers applied for the fourth Games Lift Incubator. The decision for the five participating teams was made by the awarding committee, consisting of Kristin von der Wense (Publishing Producer Daedalic Entertainment), Ole Schaper (Managing Director The Sandbox Hamburg (Sviper GmbH)), Heiko Gogolin (Managing Director Rocket Beans Entertainment) and Tobias Graff (Co-Founder, Programmer and CEO Mooneye Studios).
Margarete Schneider, Project Manager at Gamecity Hamburg, on the award committee’s decision: “We are delighted with the large number of applications for our incubator and the high standard of the pitch decks submitted once again. It is particularly pleasing that we are receiving more applications from outside Hamburg, who see the city as an attractive location for starting a new business. The Games Lift Incubator provides gaming start-ups with comprehensive starting support and enables them to forge connections in Hamburg’s diverse games scene.
The five winner projects and teams for Games Lift Incubator 2024:
- ForeFeathers by Team Honeybeak
- Frisia – Cozy Villages by Rouven Cabanis
- Light of Atlantis by Duck ‘n’ Run Games
- Pubcrawler by Triflgard
- Tiny Garden by Tales from the Garden
ForeFeathers by Team Honeybeak is a 3D Puzzle-Platformer where players slip into the role of a penguin, who explores the sky-high ruins of an ancient civilization of birds. Traversing the flying islands with the ancient powers of flight, solving tricky puzzles and keeping the penguin’s friends away from trouble are some main aspects of the game.
In Frisia – Cozy Villages by Rouven Cabanis the player gains control over an uninhabited Northsea island and is tasked with building a functional, yet cozy and beautiful little town. Inspired by the frisian architecture of the Dutch and German Northsea coast, Frisia aims to create a cozy gameplay experience in harmony with simple town-building and strategy game mechanics.
Light of Atlantis by Duck ‘n’ Run Games is a 2D puzzle metroidvania in which players take on the roles of various robots with individual abilities to explore the sunken ruins of Atlantis. By draining and releasing water into the various rooms, the robots shape their environment and improve their chances against different enemies. Light of Atlantis was part of the Gamecity Hamburg prototype funding in 2023 and received in the same year the German Computer Game Award (Deutscher Computerspielpreis) in the category “Best Prototype”.
Pubcrawler by Triflgard is a co-op PC game in which up to four players need to work as a team, to navigate a giant, mechanic, wandering pub through an apocalyptic wasteland. In the process, they must complete a variety of challenging tasks that can only be mastered as a team. Working together efficiently, pleasing the different guests and keeping a cool head even when the giant pubcrawler faces technical issues are the key to a successful journey.
In Tiny Garden by Tales from the Garden players slip into the role of a deity who fills a deserted planet with life. Together with their servants, a group of cute leaf creatures that must be protected from evil spirits, they plant a constantly growing garden. As soon as the garden is fully grown, the evil spirits can be soothed and the player can move on to the next planet in help.
MainStreaming, an iMDP INTELLIGENT MEDIA DELIVERY COMPANY, which is redefining the CDN market with its innovative Edge Network services, announced the appointment of Nicola Micali as its new Chief Customer Officer (CCO).
With a track record of improving processes and efficiency and creating go-to-market strategies, Harvard alumnus and former Akamaite, Nicola Micali joins MainStreaming with the goal of solidifying a customer-centric organisation that prioritises long-term relationships, customer experience (CX) and satisfaction, ensuring MainStreaming’s continued business growth and market leadership.
Nicola brings a wide range of professional experience as a Leader of Customer Success & Professional Services at Akamai for over 10 years, where he was responsible for services and overall revenue. He developed the services strategy for the Americas’ media & entertainment, gaming and partners verticals exceeding all revenue targets year after year. Nicola’s expertise in leading technical customer-facing teams has resulted in higher customer satisfaction and successful worldwide streaming events.
With a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Harvard, Micali’s educational background further enhances his capability to lead and innovate in the Edge video technology sector. As Nicola steps in as CCO, he will play a pivotal role in guiding the entire customer lifecycle journey. His expertise in customer success positions him perfectly to lead MainStreaming’s efforts in providing world-class service to a global clientele.
MainStreaming’s CEO, Antonio G. Corrado, said: “QoS for our customers and QoE for end users are at the core of our streaming business. It is the best proxy for customer satisfaction for us. We are happy to welcome Nicola Micali, who demonstrates his expertise in customer success. Together, we are set to strengthen our commitment to being a customer satisfaction-oriented company, leveraging our world-class services directed to broadcast-quality standards that are requested by industry players.”
MainStreaming’s video delivery technology is meticulously developed in-house, offered as managed private Edge Network to help broadcasters, OTT TVs and content owners overcome the toughest challenges of live streaming at scale, addressing the limitations of classic CDN and enabling new application solutions on the Edge.
“I am honored to join a team that is on a mission to write a new chapter in video streaming delivery, setting new standards, and paving the way for the future of TV. I am ready to contribute to MainStreaming’s innovative approach and customer-centric philosophy. Together, we are set to revolutionize how the streaming industry approaches Edge Network architecture for live streaming, emphasizing a more distributed, ultra-low-latency, energy-efficient, and globally scalable design,” Nicola Micali said.
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