Google I/O 2013 - What's new for Developers in Google Play | Highlights and Annotations by Gistr.

This Google I/O presentation details updates to the Google Play Developer Console. Key improvements include beta testing and staged rollouts for app releases, enhanced data analytics (including revenue charts and improved crash reporting), new tools for optimizing apps for tablets, a new app translation service, and the ability for all developers to reply directly to user reviews. Future updates will include granular access controls for the console, deeper Google Analytics integration, and further refinements to the app translation service. This segment details the new beta testing and staged rollout features in Google Play, explaining how developers can test new app versions with smaller groups before releasing to the entire user base, minimizing the risk of widespread bugs and negative user experiences. This segment provides a step-by-step demonstration of how to use the alpha and beta testing features within the Google Play Developer Console, showing how to target specific user groups (mailing lists, Google+ communities) for testing and manage the opt-in/opt-out process. This segment introduces the new "rating stats" feature in the Google Play Developer Console, showing how developers can track daily and cumulative app ratings to monitor user satisfaction, identify areas for improvement, and measure the effectiveness of customer support initiatives. This segment details the integration of Google Play financial reporting data into Google Cloud Storage, enabling developers to access their financial reports programmatically using tools like GSU2. This integration allows for seamless integration with custom financial reporting tools and data pipelines, enhancing data analysis capabilities and enabling granular permission settings for enhanced security.This segment highlights the upcoming integration between Google Analytics and the Google Play Developer Console, providing a unified view of app usage and marketing campaign performance. Developers will gain access to new metrics in Google Analytics, such as views, downloads, and installs triggered by marketing campaigns, and will also see engagement metrics directly within the Play Developer Console, offering a comprehensive understanding of the user journey.This segment focuses on the enhanced optimization tips section within the Google Play Developer Console, which now includes personalized recommendations and insights, particularly for app localization. The discussion covers the importance of localization for reaching a broader audience, including localizing APKs, store listings, and screenshots, and the guidance provided to identify opportunities for expansion into new markets.This segment introduces a new professional app translation service offered through the Google Play Developer Console, in collaboration with the Google Translation Manager team. The service guides developers through the translation process, allowing them to request professional translations for their app strings, track progress, communicate with the translation company, and download the translated strings for integration into their APKs. This segment offers valuable advice on best practices for beta testing, emphasizing the importance of diverse tester groups (devices, languages, carriers) to ensure app functionality across various user profiles and the use of collected statistics and crash reports to monitor test progress.