the Android app market is still growing, but people don't buy a lot, compared to IOS...
So, is it worth to pay the 150$ for corona + android dev fee to port your game?
What are the sales number on IOS/Android for your games?

I'm only aiming for Android. I think it's easier to sell more there cuz there's not as mutch competition...

well, there is less competition, but even if they are more customers, they are less willing to pay anything...
if i remember, ther is a 70 to 30% ratio, in advantage of IOS.

Currently, I am only aiming for Android development as well. Does anyone here use ads in their similar to how Angry Birds has ads on the android platform?

AFAIK, Angry Birds is making approx $1MM a month via ads for Android, and a total of somewhere around $8-$9MM on iOS.

Of course, this was pre Angry Birds Rio, so all those numbers have probably changed quite dramatically.

In the long run, Android is likely to surpass iOS for making money on Angry Birds BY A LOT.

That said, NOW is the time to port your stuff to Android.

The Amazon app market just released, and given Amazon's clout and marketing power, this dramatically increases awareness of Android apps and discoverability.

Just because at THIS moment it seems like things are in favor of iOS doesn't mean that will always be the case.

Wouldn't it be better to have your app ready and done if/when Google/Amazon et al, all get their collective asses together and put some marketing behind the fact that they've got app stores?

Ride the wave. Don't get on board after it has passed.

That is very interesting Gigaflop.

With the Corona SDK, are we able to run ads on Android applications?

Yes.

http://examiner.com/technology-in-national/sales-shocker-developer-making-more-from-android-app-than-ios-version

But only if it's a good game please ; )

Hi, I just did a post on my blog about this question. I called it : Why I may not port my game to Android : http://blueglutton.com/2011/03/25/not-port-game-to-android

Basically I say that on Android it harder to develop due to the multiplicity of the platforms, people pay less than in IOs and Google doesn't prevent companies from taking your app, reengineering it and selling it ( there was an article from in the Guardian about that ). Except if you did well on the Apple Store I think it is not worth.

BR
Bruno from BlueGlutton.com

The Amazon marketplace I think will introduce new possibilities and the time seems ripe to develop Android apps and be on the forefront. (Speaking of Amazon, does anyone know the average time for review?)

Personally I think Android market is more of a non-paid App market. You might want to try a Lite and Paid version strategy.

My first (and only Android app) is not a game but the Lite version has a conversion rate of around 3%.

I was lucky to find Corona SDK after my first game that is iOS only. it gives me the ability to cover both markets so no need to port.

Dzul

I don't understand your perspective at all. A great app will make money on Android or iOS. Potentially more on Android since it has a larger marketshare, and less quality competition.

These guys don't seem to have any qualms with making money on Android. http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/ITpZ5TeiDvc/

@singh206 : What you have to look at is not the size of the market but the number of people willing to pay for apps. I prefer to have a one hundred fifty million people market with 75% of the people willing to pay for app than a 300 million people market with 10% people willing to pay. And you talk about a less quality competition there are two reasons for that : more different platforms ( so more work ) and less people willing to pay ( so the probability of return on investment is lower ). If you develop for living return on investment is something you have to be careful with because when you have spent all your money you don't eat and you are homeless.

Bruno from http://blueglutton.com

exactly...
reading an article like this is not really encouraging:
http://digitalgameinsights.com/mobile-sales-data/android-surging-past-ios-not-for-games/

and this is not he only one:
http://morkonmobile.blogspot.com/2011/03/not-week-or-two-goes-by-without-folks.html
this one is older:
http://www.fiercedeveloper.com/story/over-half-android-developers-dissatisfied-app-profits/2009-11-30

so the only viable solution, i think, is to first have an app on IOS that makes some revenue/fame, then port it to android and expect a lot less revenue).
On the android market, not even the first top ten game paids downloads have exceed the 250 000 downloads, and two of them are emulators for gameboy and Snes...

Then why not make your games free with ads? Angry birds is makink 1M$ with this!
Well, yes, but how many angry birds was downloaded, and how many clients see that ads every day?
Unless your application is downloaded and played on a regular base every day by many people, don't expect a lot of revenue...

Wow, I can't believe how down you guys are on Android.

First off, it takes relatively little effort to even port your game if you're using Corona (and you're here, so I assume you are).

Secondly, you read anecdotal evidence and assume YOUR link holds more value than another link that shows EXACTLY the opposite of what you claim.

First off, what we do know is that Apple users DO buy more on average. This is not contested.

Most of the negative sentiment against Android comes from people tracking the SALES of apps.

A tremendous amount of money for Android comes from Ad supported games. These are left completely out of all the studies that say that games on iOS make more than games on Android.

Secondly, we have evidence (Angry Birds, Pocket Legends) that flies in the face of ALL data showing that it is in fact VERY much possible to make a KILLING on Android.

3rdly. Even if Android makes you less money than your iOS version... it's STILL more money than you would have made if you didn't support Android at all... and did I mention that Corona pretty much makes it free for you to port?

Anyhow, I actually go into much more detail on my blog post, so I'm going to throw my link into the ring with all of these other "links."

http://teamgigacat.blogspot.com/2011/03/how-do-i-charge-for-my-game-should-i.html

@bruno @pudlowski

If these guys had taken your ill opinion/perspective of the Android market, they'd have missed out on millions. So I think that alone kills any argument that says "Android just isn't worth it". And also kills the "no one makes money on Android" rumor.

http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/ITpZ5TeiDvc/

@singh206 and @Gigaflop : If you want to go for Android, go for Android. I said why I may no go for it. At least in the first time. You may consider it a ill opinion/perspective but my future app being my only source of income I am going to play what I consider safe an for for IOs first.

Bruno from http://blueglutton.com

That's absolutely fine bruno.

I quit my day job at the end of January to dedicate myself full time to this. I currently have zero income as well, so I fully understand your situation.

What I don't understand is that... uh.. how is cutting the number of people that have access to your game the "safe" way? Especially since I can't figure out exactly what it costs you.

What does going Android cost if you're using corona? What do you gain?

It's a simple cost/benefit analysis. I'm baffled that when you do the calculation, you conclude that you should only support 1 platform instead of 2 even though the tool you use lets you deploy to 2 with almost zero effort.

I wish you luck. I don't understand your reasoning, but as someone trying to turn this into a career as well, I hope everything works out.

I'll be blogging about my entire experience, including how the game fares on all 3 stores when I finish it. Perhaps we can come back and compare notes in a few months.

Ok,
As we say in French I have to put some water in my wine.
I think that even if you use Corona, you'll have to do some specific work to have your stuff on Android. Not much, I hope, but still some ( just try to use OpenFeint or Admob on Android with Corona you'll understand me ). In addition when your app is finished and is working, well, you'll have to do some targeted marketing. Both of these things will take time and since time is money it will cost money.
The question is : are we going to make enough money to break even on the Android market. I don't think so except if you have already been doing well on the IOs market because in that case you get some visibility on the market ( which is one of the drawback of the Android market but, I hope, will change with Amazon ) that you can use on the specific Android market ( that what Rovio did with Angry birds ).
As far as I am concerned ( and except if I do very well on the IOs market ) I don't want to do more work for the Android version ( more graphics and so on ) :
_ if people don't pay for apps ( and there I think that the add workaround will work less and less the more people use that way of getting money. Just remember how the websites were doing their money at the beginning now it is very different ),
_ if most people pirate,
_ if some companies manage to reengineer my apps, put them back on the market with Google not doing much to prevent that.

Mainly where I disagree with you is that I consider that porting to Android has a cost even with Corona.

Bruno from http://Blueglutton.com

@bruno_gallien, have you been successful in using AdMob in Android games? I'm just curious as to how it accomplished it and about how long it took you.

@spoggles : I haven't been succesfull. Honestly I tried a little bit for a proof of concept and then I switched to my main development. I'll wait for a native version or when it will become urgent.

I used that : http://developer.anscamobile.com/forum/2011/03/20/got-admob-working-android

Bruno from http://blueglutton.com

An interesting point of view :
http://kerebus.com/2011/03/my-year-as-an-amateur-android-game-developer/

Even if I think he would have failed on IOs market too.

Bruno from http://blueglutton.com

Fair enough, I'm on the other side of the fence, developing for Android, and maybe eventually going to port to iOS if & when I have time & incentive. You're right, different screen/icon sizes & subtle differences in API do exist, it's not quite effortlessly to deploy to both.

Mainly where I disagree with you is that I consider that porting to Android has a cost even with Corona.

Heres my 2 cents. At the moment I have abandoned Android development for the time being I have found sales to be very low. Android people just wont pay for apps.

For example I have released one app in ios which has sold about 5000 it six months and for the android it sold 9 (yep nine copies!) in 3 months. Other apps have sold zero.

Its just not worth it at the moment. If Corona get the ads sorted it might be worthwhile.

Reasons:

1) Android users are more geeky and would rather spend 2 days looking for a pirated version than spend a dollar
2) They are used to free stuff as google is open source
3) The market and purchasing experience is a joke. I think my 2 year old nephew could have designed a better system
4) The market is too open. There are hundreds of ringtone apps,sex apps and spam most infringing copyrights all over the place

Until these issues are sorted the Android market will be second rate and have second rate apps when compared to Apple's.

As someone once said, "When you expect a free lunch dont be surprised when you are served shit"

another article http://www.businessinsider.com/android-iphone-market-share-2011-4

I must say though, I'm as leery of all the "android is the future" articles I'm seeing currently as I was of the "apple is the greatest" articles I used to see everywhere. Now, by "leery" I don't mean I think they are necessarily wrong; I just try not to get swept up because reports tend to come in batches.