#15: Talking App Stores with Mike Hudson

Mobile App Makers

In today’s episode of Mobile App Makers, I chat with Mike Hudson about app stores and app distribution. Mike has been involved in many areas of app development for over 15 years, beginning when he was still in school. Mike is now the CEO of GameBake, a game distribution software company that he co-founded.

Mike and I discussed how the world of app stores has changed, particularly in light of the recent rulings concerning antitrust lawsuits brought against Apple and the Google Play store. Today, the app store distribution market looks very different and Mike walked me through the global marketplace for apps, which varies a lot by region. This is essential listening if you’re about to launch an app, as targeting these different app store platforms could bring your app to a whole new audience.

Mike also introduced me to the concept of instant gaming, a huge development in distribution for mobile gaming apps. Instant gaming represents a massive opportunity for gaming apps to reach a wider audience and to increase social engagement between players. If you plan out your marketing strategy and integrate features from social media platforms correctly into your gaming app, you could be sitting on the next viral mobile game.

This is a great episode of Mobile App Makers for anyone who wants to learn more about where they should be listing their app to maximize install numbers.

============Bio============
With over 15 years of experience in the industry, Michael drives GameBake’s vision and builds relationships with world-class mobile game publishers, app stores, and advertisers as well as driving the company's operations towards success. He co-founded GameBake after experiencing firsthand the limitations of existing distribution and monetisation models for mobile games companies, ultimately causing him to shutter the development studios after more than decade of making games. This was the catalyst for GameBake, a powerfully simple distribution and monetisation solution that gives publishers the infrastructure and expertise to reach global markets and high-quality platforms beyond Google Play and the Apple AppStore, using only one simple open source SDK.

Michael’s passion for video games goes back to his teenage years when he created simple flash-based browser games from the bedroom of his family home. He subsequently forged a career in mobile games development, founding and leading his own studios. A massive fan of RTS games, Mike’s favourite video games come from the Age of Empire Series.

============Timestamps============

[00:44] Mike introduces himself and talks about his long career in mobile app development
[01:36] How the world of app distribution is changing
[05:13] The greatest barrier facing mobile app developers today
[07:50] How many app stores are there out there?
[08:18] The global market for app stores
[10:22] Instant gaming, the new app distribution channel
[11:33] Why add your app to multiple distribution channels?
[14:41] Should your gaming app be distributed via instant gaming or on an app store?
[16:55] Where to go to find out more about Mike and Game Bake

============Links============

Mike on LinkedIn

GameBake website

Mobile App Makers podcast website