Can Google Learn From The App Store?
The recent woes for Google’s new mobile platform highlight two things. The first is that you should never let developers know that they are working with buggy software whilst others have the newest build and more resources at their disposal. This results in (entirely justified) accusations of favouritism, as well as some defecting to develop for the iPhone.
The second is the difficulty producing software for something that essentially has no physical form. With no idea of the screen size, input methods, anything of the final devices, how can they honestly be asked to create the best software possible?
This is the excellent point made by an article on the Silicon Alley Insider site, which goes on to mention the fact that, of the 50 programs which won the Android Development competition, one was a game. One. The rest are rather dour efforts, technically impressive but not the kind of programs to get anyone hot and bothered about the format…
Place that next to the iPhone, a device with a library of titles legitimately vying for attention with the big games consoles, let alone handhelds at this year’s E3. Super Monkey Ball is said to have earned Sega a cool $4.9 million off first weekend sales alone, and the large publishers are falling over each other to release their big franchises on the platform.
Why has Android been left in the cold?
The reason for their relative disinterest in Android is simple. These billion-dollar corporations do not take risks. They operate in profit margins and exactitude. To develop for a piece of vapourware with an installed user base of zero is not currently in their best interests. It is still an amorphous concept rather than a defined piece of equipment.
Perhaps down the line developers may share their assets amongst more platforms, but until Google courts the grass roots developers rather than their select few, Android remains an unknown entity whilst the iPhone is a multi-million installed user base. Basically, they need to make more titles that will actually appeal to an end user.
Some great Android apps do currently exist, particularly Android Scan, and Locale which changes a phone’s profile according to location, for example changing to ’silent’ whilst at the cinema and automatically forwarding calls to the landline when it is at home. Nothing that could not be replicated on another platform with the promise of greater profits, however…
But looking at the Top 10 Paid Apps on the App Store, 7 are games, only one is a utility with any practical purpose. Every single free app performing well is entertainment-based.
Perhaps the solution for Google is just to lighten up?
