In 2007, Apple released the first-generation iPhone. Less than a year later, in July 2008, Apple launched the iPhone App Store. Before the launch of the App Store, the iPhone could only do very limited functions, but with the App Store, It is no exaggeration to say that it has changed the iPhone, Apple, and even the development ecology of the entire smartphone industry. For Apple, the App Store is the biggest secret to the success of the iPhone. It changed the software ecology from desktop to mobile, opened the era of mobile Internet, changed people’s mobile phone usage habits, and a business model called “app economy” emerged.
Over the past 11 years, the App Store has grown into the world’s largest app marketplace, generating $120 billion in annual developer revenue. When the App Store was 10 years old last year, there were more than 2 million applications on the App Store, making it the most powerful software ecosystem in the world.
Every year, Apple will announce the selected apps and games of the year at the end of the year. Just now, Apple’s 2019 selected apps and games are announced to the public. Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of global marketing, said: The 2019 App Store’s selected apps and games The winning entries reflect a global desire for communication, creativity and fun.
Like every year, this year’s App Store also selected its annual featured apps and games on the three platforms of iPhone, iPad and macOS:
iPhone App of the Year: Specter Camera
iPhone Game of the Year: Light Encounter
iPad App of the Year: Flow presented by Moleskine
iPad Game of the Year: Hyper Light Drifter
Mac App of the Year: Affinity Publisher
Mac Game of the Year: GRIS
But unlike previous years, this year Apple held a small event in New York, allowing developers to communicate directly with the media in an open space, showcase their award-winning app of the year, and answer questions from the media. It just so happened that Huxiu was also on the scene, experienced every award-winning app and game, and had a detailed chat with the developer of Light Yu, a well-known Chinese game designer Chen Xinghan.
iPhone App of the Year: Specter Camera
Specter Camera is an app for taking long-exposure photos. It is also available in the App Store in China, and the price is 18 yuan. Although Apple’s own camera app is relatively limited, it is clear that Apple has given developers more possibilities to achieve more photo effects. I have used the Specter camera for a period of time. Simply put, it is a camera app that uses AI technology to achieve fool-like long-exposure shooting.
The concept of long exposure is still difficult for beginners to understand. The Specter camera also briefly introduces the three shooting effects that its own app can achieve:
1. Use long exposure to achieve a pure picture. For example, if you are in a scenic spot and there are many people, but you want to take pictures of unmoving objects, then with the Specter camera, you can make other people disappear through long exposure.
2. Hold the iPhone to shoot the light trail.
3. Capture the feeling of flowing water.
In fact, as long as your iPhone supports live photo, you can set a long exposure effect of about 2 seconds in the photo app, but this effect is limited by the recording time of live photo, while Specter camera can set the longest exposure time Pull to 9 seconds.
And in terms of UI design, the Specter camera has a reminder about the stability above the shooting button, which will let you know how much you are shaking when holding the iPhone, and how stable you are can take better photos. Finally, through AI synthesis, a long exposure photo with good effect can be generated.
iPhone Game of the Year: Light Encounter
In September 2017, at the annual mobile phone conference, Apple announced the new iPhone X for that year. In terms of software, apart from introducing iOS11, Chen Xinghan was given 3 minutes to introduce his new game. Just in September of the previous year, the gamer on this stage was Shigeru Miyamoto, the game design master of Nintendo.
Chen Xinghan was a little nervous. He said that in this work, players can explore the wonders of cloud civilization. And “giving” is the theme of the game. Players play the role of children representing “light”, explore the darkness with unknown partners, and pass on the light. In his company, games are regarded as an art form, and he believes that “games can connect people together”.
On the demonstration screen on the big screen behind him, the “sun” in the sky is surrounded by a special halo, the clouds are churning, the rays of the sun are pouring out, and three or five children are flying in the clouds.
Since Chen Xinghan’s previously produced games were only sold on Sony’s PS platform, although CCTV and the media reported that “Game Zen Master” has a great reputation, not many people have actually played his games. And after “Sky Light Yu” appeared on the stage at the Apple conference. This game is regarded as a revolution in the game concept by major game media.
In June 2019, “Light Yu” officially landed on the iOS platform. Chen Xinghan’s game is still the same style, and his game is also worthy of the name, which is in line with the direction of Apple’s selection of this year’s selected apps: the desire for communication, creation and fun.
As a social adventure game, “Light Yu” encourages everyone to get close to other players, take the initiative to approach or give. If you want to become friends with a strange player, you need to kneel down on one knee and hand the candle to the other party. After becoming friends, you can unlock the progressive interaction methods such as holding hands, high fives, hugs, etc., and finally realize “language communication”. Players You need to work hand in hand with your partners to complete the ultimate mission.
In the on-site interview with Chen Xinghan, he actually talked about some changes that have taken place in the 7 years of this game production, because in 7 years, the performance of Apple’s iOS hardware has improved, and the support for apps at the software level has also increased. And I happen to be working on console games, so when I first made “Light Yu”, I calibrated the world and game rules according to the functions of console games. I originally thought that the functions on the mobile platform could be cut off, but Until the launch of iOS 13, coupled with the latest Apple hardware, “Light Yu” can be fully presented, reaching the performance of my previous console games, and the first release of the game on the iOS platform is also because Apple hardware and systems are relatively They are all relatively unified, but the Android ecosystem is relatively complicated, so the Android platform cannot be compatible quickly.
On the other hand, about putting the game I have been working on for 7 years on the App Store as a free game, it is mainly because of Apple’s suggestion, coupled with my observation of the current game market trend, because “Light Yu” is actually a game. This is a game for users of all ages, free download is actually more helpful for more users to join the game without too much cost consideration.
iPad App of the Year: Flow presented by Moleskine
Moleskine is a very well-known brand of notebooks (really notebooks, not computers) with a very long history, and each Moleskine notebook includes a sturdy Moleskine cover, tight binding outside and high-quality Italian paper. And each Moleskine has an elastic buckle that can tightly bind the notebook. It also comes with a pouch made of cardboard and oily cloth. From Van Gogh (Van Gogh) to Henri Matisse (Henri Matisse), even some very representative characters, a lot of drafts, notes, plans, ideas and even excited emotions will be transformed into famous paintings and shocking works. Use Moleskine to record.
Flow is the electronic version of Moleskine. Through the iPad that supports Apple Pencil, you can write or draw directly on Flow.
In fact, there are many such painting or recording apps, but the advantage of Flow lies in its very aesthetic UI and good operation interaction.
iPad Game of the Year: Hyper Light Drifter
Hyper Light Drifter is a game with a very unique style. The general plot is that the seal of the devil is lifted, and the brave embarks on the road to seal the devil, but because of the disparity in power, it is in vain. In times of crisis, the accompanying dog replaces the protagonist and enters the door of the seal. , and the protagonist tried his best to be unable to touch the sealed heart. It is the story of a “light traveler” who lights up hope in a broken world with will.
But the appeal of Hyper Light Drifter is its pixelated take on the style of the game. The dilapidated picture and bright colors have a very strong visual impact, and the soundtrack is also very effective in rendering the game atmosphere, making it easy for players to immerse themselves in it.
Mac App of the Year: Affinity Publisher
A design artifact that allows beginners to easily make very exquisite prints. There are not many domestic users, but I briefly experienced it at the event site. As long as you have an online aesthetic, you can use this macOS exclusive application to make quite advanced ones. screen.
Mac Game of the Year: GRIS
The game is actually a story about a little girl exploring the world. Gris is a little girl who is lost in her own world through the painful experience of life, but still has hope. She worked hard on the sad journey, walked through the dark world, and solved problems with her own ability. With the development of the plot, Gris’s heart will continue to grow, learn new abilities and rely on discoveries. new world.
But the highlight of the game lies in the quite beautiful picture and the free puzzle world without intentional guidance. If you like “Light Yu” and “Monument Valley” players, you will definitely like this.
Trend of the Year: A Tribute to Short Videos and Classic Games
In addition to Best of 2019, Apple will also release annual app and game trends. This year’s app trend is short videos, while the game trend is classic games presented on the iOS platform.
The popularity of short videos this year is well known, and Apple’s annual trending apps include Kuaishou, a short video platform with a huge user base, and VUE, which has transformed from a tool app to a Vlog community, and the current It is still in the growth stage, but it mainly focuses on WIDE short videos with personalized expression of film-like horizontal videos. However, these platforms are ultimately built for users who want to express themselves. I hope that through devices with a huge user base such as the iOS platform In the system, through the developer’s interpretation of the app, the threshold for users to shoot and make short videos is lowered.
The annual game trend is a tribute to classic games. Because of the higher and higher performance of iOS devices, games that were once only available on console platforms have the opportunity to be transplanted, reshaped or extended on Apple devices. Give players the opportunity to rediscover their memories of playing classic games on other platforms on the devices they carry with them every day.
