Fitness app Sweat and adventure game Alto’s Odyssey make Apple’s ‘Best of 2018’

Apple has announced its ‘best’ 2018 TV shows, movies, apps and games for Apple TV, featuring the fitness training video app Sweat, the adventure game Alto’s Odyssey, the television drama Killing Eve, and the musical remake of A Star is Born.

The various media assets are what Apple categorizes as having “shaped entertainment and culture around the world this year” and also include music, podcasts, books, and audiobooks. Early Tuesday, Appe CEO Tim Cook tweeted about the list calling the picks “some of our favorites”.

Throughout 2018 we’ve been celebrating the creativity of app developers, musicians, writers and storytellers across the Apple community. As the year draws to a close, we’re thrilled to highlight some of our favorites — and yours. https://t.co/7PWIMiEOdg — Tim Cook (@tim_cook) December 4, 2018

Among all the categories, Apple gave no specific reasons for any of the products being awarded ‘best’, except to promote some of their picks as “available for pre-order” from the iTunes store.

The announcement of ‘Best of’ media products is a first for Apple. Last year, the list was dubbed Apple’s “most popular apps, music, movies and more” with no evidence given as to why they were the most popular.

The TV ‘App of the Year’ was given to the female fitness app Sweat. The program is the brainchild of fitness guru Kayla Itsines and started some years back as PDF guides. One of the more expensive video workout programs at $20 a month, $55 for three months, or $120 for a year (a 50 percent savings), the program has been criticized for its high, out-of-pocket cost for those already paying for a monthly gym membership.

The program is broken down into various workouts ranging from bodyweight (no equipment) workouts, strength workouts with machines and heavyweights, yoga, or a specific postpartum program. Each program incorporates LISS cardio – a low-key style of cardio training and a fitness term that’s been popular as of late on social media.

With a total lack of transparency as to why Sweat was picked as the ‘best’ Apple TV app for 2018, we’re left to wonder if its tie into linking the program to its Apple Watch app was a contributing factor.

Apple TV ‘Game of the Year’ went to Alto’s Odyssey. Developed by the same group of folks responsible for Alto’s Adventure, the newest spinoff debuted in February of this year. The news of its release came after the company announced in August 2017 that the game would be delayed due to production issues after three years in the making.

Alto’s Odyssey is an endless runner snowboarding video game. The player-character automatically moves to the right of the screen through procedurally generated landscapes. The player taps the screen to jump and perform tricks (backflips) and works towards goals, competitive high scores, and upgrades. The game has received universal acclaim from critics for its art style and sense of atmosphere, but has been criticized by many for its unoriginal gameplay.

Movies highlighted as ‘best’ and available through the iTunes Movies app included…

Annihilation

Black Panther

Crazy Rich Asians

Eighth Grade

Green Book

Hereditary

Incredibles 2

Minding the Gap

A Star is Born

Won’t You Be My Neighbor

TV programs highlighted as ‘best’ and available through the iTunes TV Shows app included…

The Americans

Atlanta

Barry

The Expanse

The Good Fight

The Good Place

The Handmaid’s Tale

Killing Eve

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

Pose

Podcasts highlighted as ‘best’ and available through the iTunes podcast app included…

In The Dark

Caliphate

The Dream

Everything is Alive

Slow Burn

Dr. Death

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Bubble

Bundyville

A Very Fatal Murder

Wolverine: The Long Night

Serial

The Daily

This American Life

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