According to intelligence firm Sensor Tower, Zynga’s Words With Friends game experienced 74% rise in downloads during the week of September 12 due to the debut of a feature in iOS 10.
Apple introduced the App Store for iMessage in the latest revision of its mobile operating system. It allows developers to launch apps with full integration with the iPhone messaging platform.
Zynga made full use of that opportunity, resulting in huge popularity for the game. Venture Beat notes that iOS 10 users can play matches and chat about them with their friends by appearing in the App Store for iMessage.
Other developers are using the new feature to introduce sticker packs and GIFs to iMessage. Zynga’s Words With Friends profited early from jumping on this new App Store because it’s one of the few games to do so. In a blog post, Randy Nelson, Sensor Tower’s head of mobile insights, wrote:
“The top five “was rounded out by Zynga’s Words With Friends, the classic word building game. [It] received heavy featuring from Apple as one of the first gaming titles — and the only in our top 10 — to feature direct iMessage integration.”
Words With Friends is still one of Zynga’s most important properties since it launched in 2009. The game still represents a significant portion of its monthly active players.
