Develop 2010: Developing success on Android

We're not going to beat around the bush, Android is a great platform. You can take your fragmentation argument elsewhere - the App Store now has three platforms effectively, and as for memory? SD cards are starting to rival the smaller end of hard drives, so it is not really an issue.

But even with the above helping to smear the lines between Apple and Google’s operating systems, as well as Qualcomm processing power, Dolby Sound and screens with very high resolutions all pushing the smartphone envelope, Android is still in its infancy, which is a double-edged sword.

At the Develop Conference in Brighton, it was immensely clear how much the iPhone and iPad still dominates, except in a very few cases, and these cases were a little biased, as one was from Chris Pruett of Google Japan, not helping the feeling Android needs to blow its own trumpet.

Developers usually develop for iPhone knowing it's the real money-maker as things stand - Android ports are usually (but certainly not always) limping behind by months, and only an afterthought.

This particular talk was on an Android game success story, with particular focus on the development (obviously), and at the heart of it, it outlined just how far a good idea can go, regardless of platform.

Android has a large user base, Apple has many enemies - many more after it tried to steer its iPhone 4 woes onto other handset manufacturers, and its devices are as capable, if not more so, than any offering from Apple, so most of the right ingredients are there.

So it really is no mystery why Chris Pruett’s game, Replica Island, developed in six months by a team of two (one designer was full time for four months), was able to achieve half a million downloads in less than two months.

You are probably thinking, this is Google - they must have marketed it in some form. Well, no, actually. Aside from the use of Google’s Android robot as the main character, the marketing budget was zero. £0.00 spent for putting the game out there.

There would have been living costs, but this was a game made in his spare time, so these are expenses you would have incurred anyway.

It was brought up in the talk whether the use of the Android robot helped its success. As Pruett put it, “I can’t think of any detrimental effects from its use”.

From a design point of view, the Robot is a fun, memorable character, and although he blatantly represents the search engine giant, that would not create such numerous downloads alone.

If you have not heard of this Android sensation, Replica Island is a side-scrolling platformer with a storyline. Players must ‘fly, stomp and roll their way’ through 40 levels of old-school jumping fun - the occasional puzzle moment here and there, if they wish to view one of the three endings to the game.

It is hardly an original premise, but somehow, thanks to intelligent free marketing and a quality product, it caught the public’s eye. Even though the game is free, half a million downloads is impressive, and considering most free games are shovelware, perhaps it is more of a feat that it stood out from the crowd.

What Replica Island demonstrates is the potential pot of gold waiting for clever developers to collect. It is a far from revolutionary game that did remarkably well, so imagine what could happen if Android found its Angry Birds or Doodle Jump equivalent.

Granted, Chris Pruett is a talented chap, but he is not the only developer out there with the skills and knowledge to succeed. Why more developers are not throwing themselves into Android’s market we are not sure, considering it has some major gaping holes that could be exploited, if risks are taken.

For Android to develop its success and flourish, it first needs to sort out its App Store, keep garnering developer momentum, and then to take a few leaves out of the Apple's book. Steve Jobs' mobile gaming dominance is far from safe, and as we saw with Sony prior to the PS3, a competitor can come out of nowhere and wreak havoc on your dominance.

And like with Microsoft, Google has adequate funds, and the brain power, to create something spectacular for Android gamers. Considering all the plus points Android has, it is a wonder why we have had to wait this long to see it.