Windows Store and Windows Phone Store figures: games triumph

Periodically, Microsoft shares download and purchase figures by categories and markets for applications in the Windows Store and Windows Phone Store This month it has done it again with the data collected last April on the two platforms, showing the interests of users in the different categories and the best options for developers to exploit their applications.

Thanks to them we can discover how, once again, games and social and entertainment applications are the most used by tablet, computer and mobile users.In addition, the data related to the different options to monetize applications that show the upward trend of in-app purchases and the decrease in income from the direct sale of applications stand out. Either way, it's well worth taking a look to check the status of Microsoft app stores

Downloads by categories

One of the main graphs shared by those from Redmond indicates how application downloads are distributed among the different categories that make up their stores. On a recurring basis, games occupy the top positions by far, their dominance among Windows applications being very remarkable. In the tablet and computer environment, games represent almost 40% of the applications downloaded by users, with the category of entertainment in second place, accumulating less than 10 % of downloads.

Games also dominate on Windows Phone, with 35% of downloads, but second place isn't that far behind. Tools and productivity applications occupy that place on mobiles, representing almost 20% of downloaded applications.

From there we find similar categories in the two environments. In addition to the above, Windows PC and tablet users and Windows Phone mobile users seem to show a certain preference for social, music and video or photo applications. In the queue of both systems are applications related to government and public administrations, or business and the finance sector.

The problem with the graph above is that it is biased in favor of those categories with a greater number of applications, such as games.If this situation is corrected and the categories are classified by the number of downloads they obtain based on the number of applications they have, we obtain the following graph somewhat different from the previous one.

In this case, it can be seen how games are relegated to fourth position in the Windows Store and, although they continue to be the reigning category in the Windows Phone Store, their distance is considerably reduced. Among the applications for Windows, the most downloaded based on the number of applications available by category are social, followed by photography applications and in third place productivity applications . On Windows Phone, following games, the podium is also completed by social and photography applications.

Downloads by countries and languages

The Windows Store is accessible from 233 markets, while the Windows Phone Store is from 191.In the first case, the number of downloads produced from United States The North American country accumulates almost a third (31%) of the downloads of applications for Windows. In the case of Windows Phone, the country that leads the way in terms of the number of downloads is India

It is also interesting to check the different distribution of downloads by country depending on the system. Thus, it is possible to appreciate how more than half of Windows application downloads come from the US and English markets, while Windows Phone downloads are more spread out and countries such as India, China, the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and even Vietnam appear in the top positions.

Those trends in terms of the countries where downloads are produced are of course influenced by the dominant languages ​​in both stores.According to the data compiled by Microsoft, offering an application in English, the developer would only be covering around 25% of Windows Phone users, a percentage that would be higher in the case of applications for Windows. Spanish also occupies an important position in third and second place respectively.

Developer revenue streams

Microsoft's main intention in sharing these numbers is to provide information to developers so they can better choose the type of applications that users demand and to which it is worth dedicating efforts. That is why they have also made public the distribution of income that can be obtained with each of the different ways of monetizing the applications: direct sales, in-app sales or .

The question is important because according to these data the direct payment model for applications shows a downward trend, while the application model remains stable with and the income generated by in-app purchasesThe latter already represent 44% of the revenue of developers in Windows Phone and have grown to 31% in Windows applications where it continues to reign, producing 40% of revenue.

Faced with the decline in revenue from direct sales of applications, in-app purchases now account for 44% of revenue for developers on Windows Phone and 31% on Windows

These latest data could soon be affected by the recent changes promoted by Microsoft in its app stores. According to those from Redmond the effect of universal applications is beginning to be detected and the potential offered to developers and users by the link between Windows applications and Windows Phone.

The issue is not trivial because Microsoft needs to keep developers and users happy if it wants to boost its platforms Sharing this data is a good way to help the former to understand the situation of the Windows Store and the Windows Phone Store, in addition to serving as a thermometer for the type of applications that the latter seem to demand.The future of Windows and Windows Phone will depend on how the relationship between the two flows.

Via | Building Apps for Windows