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Some Claim Android App Store Worse Than iPhone's
eldavojohn writes "If you think the iPhone app store is the only mobile game store suffering an exodus, some game publishers claim Android's app store isn't much better, for a different reason — it doesn't generate much revenue. In fact, French game developer Gameloft (which owes 13% of its profits to iPhone game sales), said, 'We have significantly cut our investment in Android platform, just like... many others. It is not as neatly done as on the iPhone. Google has not been very good to entice customers to actually buy products. On Android nobody is making significant revenue. We are selling 400 times more games on iPhone than on Android.' So the trade-off seems to be more sales but an annoying approval process, versus a lack of sales promotions and no annoyance around approval. It seems that those in it for money will opt for iPhone, and those in it for distribution will opt for Android. Or maybe someone will get it right one of these days?"
That's one obvious reason. Another is the huge trendiness of the iPhone. And let's not forget all those "there's an ap for that" commercials.
I have to say, I don't get Android. What's the appeal? Why does anybody think it can make headway in an already-overcrowded mobile OS market? Just because it's Open Source? If so, it's the Linux Desktop Uprising all over again. You know, that period about 8 years ago when there was so much excitement about Linux displacing Windows, completely ignoring Windows' insurmountable lock-in factor.
My anecdote is sufficient to disprove your "everyone", and casts doubts on the credibility of your other statements.
I think adware applications are being developed because there are so few 'for pay' apps that do something you can't download a 'free' app (from the market) for that most users seek the free app first and don't expect to pay.
It may indeed be the only fucking way to make money on the platform, but your inability to accurately state the facts doesn't mean that piracy is the only (or even the main) underlying issue.
If you have a small selection of solid games/apps now for Android that will give you a great advantage later on when the market increases.
Except you won't be around "later on" having either a) gone out of business due to lack of revenue, or b) gone off to some other job to pay the bills.