Google Play service fee reduced to 15% for the first $1M/year • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Play service fee reduced to 15% for the first $1M/year

#271

Post by Mc_Big_G » Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 5:42 PM UTC

shimfish wrote: post #204

jeswin wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Due to a combination of Android user's reluctance to spend money on apps at all and the rampant piracy that Android's open model makes trivially easy Ridiculous allegation, which doesn't take into account the wealth inequality around the world. Hundreds of millions of people in the developing world have a smartphone today due to Android; a $1000 phone, or even a $400 phone is way out of reach for them. So the "relu…

I make kids apps. Firstly, I'm not sure the struggling to survive demographic are the ones giving devices to their children. Secondly, kids (and adults for that matter) have been conditioned by the market to expect software for free. You can read all my reviews on Google Play to see how offended they are that stuff isn't free, with some even moaning that there should be video ads that will unlock the app for 30 minut…

Do you see a difference with the Apple App Store?

Re: Google Play service fee reduced to 15% for the first $1M/year

#272

Post by zucker42 » Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 5:45 PM UTC

bluesign wrote: post #241

kyrra wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

(googler opinions are my own) At least according to this site[0], Google play moves $38B, while Apple moves $72B (annually). So people are spending money on Google play, just less. But I also believe more people have android phones vs iPhones, so that dilutes the per person revenue even more. [0] https://www.statista.com/statistics/444476/google-play-annua...

Android phones are approx. 2.5x more than Apple phones worldwide Also Play store has 1.5x more apps. So almost 8x difference for developers. (per person)

What's difference in average cost of an Android phone versus an iPhone?

Re: Google Play service fee reduced to 15% for the first $1M/year

#273

Post by darkwizard42 » Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 5:45 PM UTC

shimfish wrote: post #129

WA wrote: post #124

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is not true. Yes, Android users tend to pay less for apps, but useful apps that provide daily utility actually make good money as well. If you have a brand-name app like Runtastic, Netflix, Headspace or whatever, the platform doesn't really matter. You buy the product, because you want it. It's probably different for utility apps like a different Camera, a photo editor, small productivity apps you need only once…

I'll also make more because of it. I'm just saying that it won't make that much difference to the vast majority of developers.

Yeah but that comment is kind of ignoring the segment for whom it does matter...

There are tons of free crappy apps on Android, but for the ones that generate moderate value and are paid for because they are functional apps and not games or ad-ridden networking apps then this is a huge change.

The "vast majority" of developers might just not be making apps that benefit from this but its a bit misleading to say this isn't a good change or helpful. If anything it will incentivize people to perhaps look into developing more away from an ad model into a sustainable paid model (given the margins just got 100% better)

Re: Google Play service fee reduced to 15% for the first $1M/year

#274

Post by giantg2 » Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 5:47 PM UTC

sidlls wrote: post #267

giantg2 wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or maybe I released it as free software.

Application software such as this shouldn’t be free. It hides the true cost to developers from consumers and, if they’re ad supported hooks into one of the most insidious, malicious systems we’ve ever devised. I won’t work on free software. I have too much respect for myself, my family, and my colleagues to do that.

They were simple apps made for learning and to improve my resume.

I happen to like FOSS. It's voluntary after all. I have a bigger issue with how the industry interviews and assesses employees.

Re: Google Play service fee reduced to 15% for the first $1M/year

#275

Post by bluesign » Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 5:50 PM UTC

zucker42 wrote: post #272

bluesign wrote: post #241

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Android phones are approx. 2.5x more than Apple phones worldwide Also Play store has 1.5x more apps. So almost 8x difference for developers. (per person)

What's difference in average cost of an Android phone versus an iPhone?

Huge, but in the end metric is revenue per user. Luckily game engines targeting both automatically, otherwise Android would suffer much.

Re: Google Play service fee reduced to 15% for the first $1M/year

#276

Post by es7 » Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 5:50 PM UTC

This is awesome news! I was just lamenting that my Play Store "earnings" are so much lower than my "revenue". This will help me as an indie developer make my app offerings a meaningfully larger part of my livelihood.

Re: Google Play service fee reduced to 15% for the first $1M/year

#277

Post by grumple » Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 5:58 PM UTC

I think this does make an impact. At 30% I wasn't even slightly considering trying to make money from a mobile app. At 15% it at least becomes an idea, though that's still a pretty high percentage just to be listed and distributed in a store.

Re: Google Play service fee reduced to 15% for the first $1M/year

#278

Post by ocdtrekkie » Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 6:08 PM UTC

enos_feedler wrote: post #245

DeusExMachina wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That still poses the question: why did Apple do it? I believe the reasons are the ones explained by the parent comment. Also, I don't think Google mindlessly copies anything Apple does. Sure, part of it is pure competition. But I'm sure they also evaluated the reasons behind Apple's decision.

I believe that Google's goal is to show regulators that Apple has market power. The easiest way to demonstrate that is to follow what they do and make it look like they are in control. The reason I believe this is that it is uncharacteristic of Google to blatantly copy something like this over the years, yet it is clear they are fast following all of Apple's decisions around the app store. I would expect Google to tr…

> I believe that Google's goal is to show regulators that Apple has market power.

Unlikely, since Google and Apple monopolize in the same way. Google and Apple are close allies in this fight, and if the Epic lawsuit or an antitrust investigation goes bad for one, it'll go bad for the other.

> The reason I believe this is that it is uncharacteristic of Google to blatantly copy something like this over the years,

This is comical. Google me-toos everything. Google Home's entire product line being a blatant Amazon Echo rip off. Google Cloud needing to launch a copy of every AWS service, etc.

Re: Google Play service fee reduced to 15% for the first $1M/year

#279

Post by holoduke » Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 6:16 PM UTC

shimfish wrote: post #106

What's also not being said here is that ~99% of apps on Google Play don't make money this way either. Due to a combination of Android user's reluctance to spend money on apps at all and the rampant piracy that Android's open model makes trivially easy, most developers only way to make money is through in-app advertising, which this change obviously makes no difference to. Google Play is mostly a pyramid scheme. Devel…

Not true. I have multiple successful apps. Didn't spend a single dollar on marketing.

Re: Google Play service fee reduced to 15% for the first $1M/year

#280

Post by MomoXenosaga » Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 6:29 PM UTC

shimfish wrote: post #106

What's also not being said here is that ~99% of apps on Google Play don't make money this way either. Due to a combination of Android user's reluctance to spend money on apps at all and the rampant piracy that Android's open model makes trivially easy, most developers only way to make money is through in-app advertising, which this change obviously makes no difference to. Google Play is mostly a pyramid scheme. Devel…

Honestly not even that- I have blokada so no ads for me.

But I do wonder if the problem doesn't lie in the fact that there are 5000000 apps and yours is just 5000001 that nobody is going to use. App market seems saturated.