The New York Times' Game App Wins Apple Design Award

The New York Times has won Apple's Design Award for the "Fun to Play" category with its game app, NYT Games. This app originated from its crossword puzzles and has since expanded to include games like Wordle and Spelling Bee. Crossword puzzles were invented in 1913 by Arthur Wynne of The New York World. Initially, The New York Times was critical of crossword puzzles, but during World War II, they became a tool for escapism and were eventually incorporated into the newspaper.

The success of NYT Games lies in its meticulous design, which enhances the replayability of the games. The New York Times has viewed its gaming business as a new growth area by acquiring and integrating popular games. Currently, NYT Games has over 1 million downloads per month, five times that of The New York Times app, generating nearly $2 million in monthly revenue on the App Store, accounting for 28.69% of the revenue from "The New York Times" family of apps.

In this world filled with uncertainties, games have become a way for people to escape reality. This transformation by The New York Times not only boosts revenue but also reflects the trend of convergence between media and entertainment.