Selling NOT through Android App Store

Solar2D Android
#1

I’ve successfully launched on iOS and am yet to buy an Android licence from Ansca
What is putting me off is the high proportion of Android devices which Corona apps won’t run upon.

I have a steady flow of traffic on my own web site, and I sell OSX and Windows apps directly there for download.

Can anyone confirm that if I build an Android app, I can just supply a download link for the compiled bundle, and people would be able to use the actual device to pull it from a web page?
Do I HAVE to go through the market?
Because if not, I can provide a freely try-able demo version so that people can ‘try before they buy’
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#2

I would imagine you can do this* but then you lose all the safety of selling through the store.
(*pirates host apks on their sites.) [import]uid: 79135 topic_id: 23808 reply_id: 95880[/import]

#3

I’ve downloaded and installed a few apps from random websites in the past, so what you’re suggesting is possible.

However, I would suggest that people might be a bit more wary of downloading apps from sources other than the major app stores, eg, Google Play, Amazon App Store, etc. Not to suggest you’re not reputable or anything, it’s just a thought I had that might be worth considering :slight_smile: [import]uid: 12217 topic_id: 23808 reply_id: 95881[/import]

#4

People trust the Android store?
I appreciate that Apple spend a bit of time in reviewing apps, but I’m not really getting that impression for Android.

Pirates publish copies of the APK?
Don’t they do that anyway, store or not?
Or is the Android store as tightly controlled as the Apple one?
Theres no need to jailbreak an Android device, is there…
(Pirates.? Grrr.
Last year, I found some of my desktop software on torrent sites claiming nearly 60000 downloads.
That was a real punch to the gut.)
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#5

Only from my friend’s who have Androids majority of them say they won’t really go near the Android Store because anyone can upload anything. There is no review process and games/apps can be so buggy that you just wasted all of your money on it. They do however recommend Amazon Android Market. They actually review the apps and I think they even test them like Apple does.

That’s just from my experience. [import]uid: 54776 topic_id: 23808 reply_id: 95915[/import]

#6

You are probably wasting your time releasing an Android game on Google Play. There is no new releases list (so you don’t get marketed at all on your own) and the culture Google has created is one in which they expect everything for free. Also, as someone previously pointed out, Corona’s compatibility with Android is limited to armv7, not to mention that pretty much all Android games run into hardware issues, Corona or not.

HOWEVER, that does not mean you can’t make money with Android. Nook and Amazon provide Android markets in which the culture is willing (and expected) to pay for content. There is also less competition since people can’t just get anything approved. Plus new apps are promoted. In many cases, I’ve actually had my Amazon revenue beat out my iOS revenue.

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#7

My Android Apps are Selling fine.

One of the 5 versions of my game app is on Google Play, quickly approved and selling a handful a day, paid on the 3rd of the following month. Not enough for that new Aston Martin but worth doing and easily dealt with.

The Kindle Fire version on the Amazon Store burned into the Kindle Fire does much better selling 10-20 units a day. Enough for gas for the new Aston Martin and easily dealt with.

We (I) really need the Corona Simulator to work to emulate the Android 10" 1280x800 screens. Like the Galaxy Tab model, but bigger.
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#8

What android device is recommended to get for testing? or is the simulator sufficient? [import]uid: 109677 topic_id: 23808 reply_id: 99198[/import]

#9

Nope.
The simulator isn’t enough. I have a 7inch device that NEARLY works, but freezes with my app now and then.
That never happens in the simulator.

And you need to know that the device has the right chipset.
(guessing) Half the android devices out there can’t run Corona apps due to having the older chipset.
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#10

well thanks, I have not used Android previously, just iOS, is there any specific info “out there” what chipset would be ok?

and the 7": is that a size that is often used for mobile apps or do you just use anything just to see it running on an actual android device? [import]uid: 109677 topic_id: 23808 reply_id: 99203[/import]

#11

7inch is the size I wish the iPad was. Light as a feather. (poor battery life)
I gave it to my wife and she now uses it instead of her netbook.

If you are doing games for phones, you need a phone. ARM6 chips are no good, and it can be painful finding out what they have.
Rule of thumb: if you can get the phone free on a cheap contract, it probably won’t work. [import]uid: 108660 topic_id: 23808 reply_id: 99207[/import]

#12

maybe I will get “the new iPad” instead…:wink: [import]uid: 109677 topic_id: 23808 reply_id: 99208[/import]

#13

So many things to respond to :slight_smile:

Installing .APK’s outside of the store:

This is called “Side Loading”. Every Android device except for the Nook should let you do this. However it is disabled by default on many devices like the Kindle Fire. You have to go into the settings and enable loading from unknown sources.

I would hope that people would be more trustworthy downloading an app directly from the creator’s site, as long as I felt that creator was trustworthy and not writing some malware. Downloading your app from some other person’s site should be a red-flag. Please note, if you do this, any one can copy your app and distribute it too.

Nook and Amazon have pretty thorough review processes similar to Apples. Google Play does not. Therefore garbage apps will get uploaded to Google Play and it doesn’t help its reputation.

Also most people who get apps from Google Play expect them to be free.

As for hardware issues… welcome to the wild wild west of software development. If you’ve ever tried to wrote apps for Windows, in particular anything that wants to use hardware, you will know the drama that Google created when they built an OS that’s been pushed to a 1000 different devices by dozens of hardware makers and no controls. It makes building for and supporting Android a pure nightmare and may be worse than building for Windows.

The good news is that unless you’re doing weird hardware stuff, just a straight up game it should run pretty well on any armv7 hardware running Android 2.2 or later. Except the Kindle Fire which apparently doesn’t support custom fonts.

Now the really good news is that both the Amazon and Nook markets actually have people who buy apps and you’re for the most part targeting a limited set of hardware.

Finally as far as the 7" form factor being preferred, after having the Kindle Fire and having played with the iPad, I would have to disagree.

Weight wise the new iPad clocks in at 23 oz. The smaller Fire is almost 15 oz. Given the size difference the KF is a heavy bugger. Its too big to grip side to side, but its too small to use it in a lap, or on a stand. I find using it very awkward. In other words you pretty much have to 1-hand it all the time. The iPad and other 10" models you are only 1-handing some of the time.

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