Apple Debuts App Store Video Trailers in Latest Editor's Choice App

MacRumors · Nov 21, 2013

Apple today debuted a new video trailer in the App Store for its latest Editor's Choice app, Clumsy Ninja, reports MacStories. This is the first time that Apple has allowed a video to be embedded within an App Store description.

As an Editor's Choice pick, Clumsy Ninja has been given a specially designed App Store page in iTunes that includes a link to the app along with a video trailer that opens into a full screen preview when clicked. The iOS App Store description of the app features the same general layout, with the embedded video playing directly within the built-in iOS media player.

The big news is, of course, the fact that Apple is embedding a video in the App Store, which has historically only allowed developers to include up to five static screenshots for their apps. Clumsy Ninja's video opens the built-in iOS media player in portrait mode, and it features music playing in the background with no voiceover or custom App Store branding. It is, effectively, a game trailer on the App Store.

Videos within App Store app descriptions are a new feature and it is unclear whether Apple plans to use videos only for its featured apps or if there will be a wider video rollout allowing developers to embed similar trailer videos in their app descriptions.

Developers have thus far been limited to a handful of screenshots to show off app functionality, but video embeds could go a long way towards showing off the true capabilities of an app.

Currently, the Clumsy Ninja video is restricted to the U.K. and other European App Stores, but the U.S. App Store will presumably be updated soon to feature the new Editor's Choice pick. The new App Store layout can be accessed through the U.K. link, however, which does open in the U.S. App Store.

Article Link: Apple Debuts App Store Video Trailers in Latest Editor's Choice App

somethingelsefl · Nov 21, 2013

Good. Now let's enable a trial/demo period option for app developers that way the App Store volume would be almost cut half by getting rid of "Lite" or limited versions of apps and search functionality would improve.

ArtOfWarfare · Nov 21, 2013

If they roll out a way of easily capturing a screen recording then this will be amazing.

Otherwise it seems like few developers will be able to utilize it... It's very hard to make a quality screen recording, IMO. Your best bet is to screen record the simulator, but with a lot of apps, games in particular, it's hard to accurately show off your app in the simulator.

CrazyForApple · Nov 21, 2013

Nice move grasshopper

Nunyabinez · Nov 21, 2013

I especially liked the Ninja themed music.

fel10 · Nov 21, 2013

I'm actually having tons of fun with this game. With the new Mario and Zelda games coming out tomorrow, and this game to play today, I'm feeling like a kid again.

lewisd25 · Nov 21, 2013

Finally. We needed this from Day 1.

158273 · Nov 21, 2013

lewisd25 said:
Finally. We needed this from Day 1.

Did we? Really? Ok.

dopeytree · Nov 21, 2013

Am I doing something wrong? All I see is the usual text & screenshot photos... on the UK iOS store on my iPhone 5.

firewood · Nov 21, 2013

somethingelsefl said:
Good. Now let's enable a trial/demo period option for app developers that way the App Store volume would be almost cut half by getting rid of "Lite" or limited versions of apps and search functionality would improve.

Why would Apple want to make less money?

They get 30% for every app sold. Plus iAd revenue from all the ads in "Lite" apps. But Zero from trials.

nagromme · Nov 21, 2013

An obvious addition in hindsight: I'm thinking of how often I go to a browser and search YouTube for an app (games, at least) before I buy it. Hope this becomes widespread!

drewc1138 · Nov 21, 2013

Neat. I'm sure it'll only be on featured apps, since it's a completely different page.

I'd much rather Apple work on finding a solution for uploading screenshots after the app is live/in review. It's kind of ridiculous to have to submit a whole new build just to update screenshots.

ArtOfWarfare said:
If they roll out a way of easily capturing a screen recording then this will be amazing.

Otherwise it seems like few developers will be able to utilize it... It's very hard to make a quality screen recording, IMO. Your best bet is to screen record the simulator, but with a lot of apps, games in particular, it's hard to accurately show off your app in the simulator.

Check out Reflector. It's great. http://www.airsquirrels.com/reflector/

campingsk8er · Nov 21, 2013

somethingelsefl said:
Good. Now let's enable a trial/demo period option for app developers that way the App Store volume would be almost cut half by getting rid of "Lite" or limited versions of apps and search functionality would improve.

I like that idea, but then Apple wouldn't be able to boast how many Apps they have on the App store and that they have more than Android.

HiRez · Nov 21, 2013

drewc1138 said:
Neat. I'm sure it'll only be on featured apps, since it's a completely different page.

Yeah, that's the problem right now, it does not seem like videos are (yet) a standard thing devs can include with their app description, you have to be featured by Apple. That's a shame because video is a way better method of conveying how your app works than screenshots are.

I can, however, understand holding off on this because there are issues. If the reviewers have to watch every app's video, that could drastically increase the review times for apps and extend the waiting period (and this would also have to be reviewed any time the developer updates the video). One compromise might be to limit video length to like 1 or 2 minutes.

Clubber · Nov 21, 2013

I downloaded it. It's cute. Freemium model. My kids will like fiddling with it. Graphics and anatomical motion are superb.

When is Mac Rumors gonna promote one of my apps?

attila · Nov 22, 2013

The ninja is too skeumorphic.

I hope they update the app to ios7 soon!

vmachiel · Nov 22, 2013

somethingelsefl said:
Good. Now let's enable a trial/demo period option for app developers that way the App Store volume would be almost cut half by getting rid of "Lite" or limited versions of apps and search functionality would improve.

I never thought of that, that is briljant. I'll fill out a feedback form, do that to and let's make it happen!

69650 · Nov 22, 2013

They should have allowed this long ago but better late than never. It can be hard to judge whether or not to buy an app just based on a few screenshots. I hope they roll this out throughout the iTunes AppStore. It's no different from viewing a trailer for a film or tv show.

obliquity · Nov 22, 2013

It's entertaining and cute. It's nice to see how your ninja progresses. Now, about the amount of battery power it takes to run it, sheesh. I hope they can trim some of the fat in the future updates.

lewisd25 · Nov 23, 2013

158273 said:
Did we? Really? Ok.

I was referring to app videos on the app store, smarty pants. Wouldn't you like to see an unestablished game in motion before you spend money on it? Of course you would. This feature was needed when the app store was first created.

kot · Nov 24, 2013

More than a year of waiting and we get a simply boring game, which could keep me entertained for about an hour, then to be thrown in the trash bin.

And it's freemium too, which says a lot about an insatiable greed of the developers.

prdlacky · Nov 25, 2013

I am 20 lvl and still without any IAP... But now is more boring like on start because I do still same things :-/

So we can at least properly tyrannize

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5VBKJatL0o

158273 · Nov 25, 2013

lewisd25 said:
I was referring to app videos on the app store, smarty pants. Wouldn't you like to see an unestablished game in motion before you spend money on it? Of course you would. This feature was needed when the app store was first created.

To be honest, running videos in an App Store on an iPhone 3GS might not have been the best idea. How many times do people look at an article on the web, see "video only" and skip to the one that has the text? Why? Because it's faster. Screenshots still convey a lot of information, it's not like images became obsolete when iOS 7 came out, and now we can't tell how an app will function.

Apple Debuts App Store Video Trailers in Latest Editor's Choice App

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