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

android-developers.googleblog.com

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

#291

Post by heavyset_go »

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.

> Application software such as this shouldn’t be free

Who are you to tell someone how they should or shouldn't spend their free time?

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

#292

Post by heavyset_go »

askafriend wrote: post #212
giantg2 wrote: post #165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At least they aren't charging $100 per year to be a developer like Apple does. I would have liked to make my apps multiplatform, but it just doesn't make sense at that price. Edit: It's great to see that this platform likes downvoting people who release their software for free. Profit matters above all else. I guess next you all will tell me my job is worthless and I suck at life because I make under $100k.

The $100 a year ensures that trash doesn’t litter the App Store and also supports the ongoing development of tooling and management of the store (manual review, Xcode, documentation, distribution, APIs like Metal, etc). If you’re not committed enough to releasing something with >$100 in value or not committed to releasing something high quality, the App Store doesn’t need you or your app - period. As a user (and as a…

> The $100 a year ensures that trash doesn’t litter the App Store

And yet I found a half of a dozen Chinese knockoff BonziBuddy clones on the Mac App Store.

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

#293

Post by johnx123-up »

WA wrote: post #124
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…

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…

Congrats. What app is this?

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

#294

Post by heavyset_go »

why_Mr_Anderson wrote: post #287
kop316 wrote: post #228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How is piracy for Android any easier than say, Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux? I'm not arguing if it is easier, I am asking how is it easier? That article does not answer how.

Aren't APK files simply java .jar packaged together? It's trivial to fully decompile java binary (bytecode) directly to source code.

Google offers protection via obfuscation. I've seen the results of its decompilation and it's practically useless.

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

#295

Post by heavyset_go »

criddell wrote: post #156
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…

I've always wondered what it is about Android that makes users reluctant to pay for apps. I'm guilty of it too. I have both iOS and Android devices and I spend far more money buying apps on my iOS device.

You can buy an Android phone for $25 in the US, and much of the rest of the world is completely priced out of buying apps or subscriptions. There are many people who use Android phones because they're affordable, but they can't afford to buy apps, though.

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

#296

Post by heavyset_go »

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #11

Worth remembering that as good as it is that Google is reducing it's abusive taxation on third party developers, the primary reason they're doing this is to try to quiet the majority of developers asking for stronger government regulations against this taxation without actually reducing their profit much, since the large companies which bring in the majority of revenue still have to pay full price. Basically, they're…

Apple and Google have held a duopoly in the mobile app distribution market for over a decade now. It's time for the market and consumers to enjoy the benefits that real competition in this space can bring and to rid them of the years of anti-competitive stagnation they've had to suffer through for benefit of Google and Apple's shareholders.

While Google's change is nice, it doesn't address the core issue at all.

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

#297

Post by canadianfella »

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…

What piracy?

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

#298

Post by hashingroll »

shimfish wrote: post #283
Mc_Big_G wrote: post #271

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you see a difference with the Apple App Store?

For my latest app, which is free with in-app purchase area unlocks... Google Play: 10 times the amount of downloads than Apple Store Apple Store: 2.5 times the income of Google Play. Reviews on Google Play frequently mention how everything should be unlocked for free. Apple reviews seem to focus more on what extra content they would like to see. Piracy on my paid apps seemed to be way, way higher on Android.

Have you tried switching to the ads model on Android (like suggested by your app's Android feedback/reviews)? I am curious if that would increase your revenue from Android users and somewhat lower piracy?

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

#299

Post by heavyset_go »

oblio wrote: post #155
quelsolaar wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They did loose, then they appealed and settled.

Yeah, people should start treating, morally, settling just as losing a case. This doesn't apply for individuals, but companies settling for millions and millions are morally admitting defeat. Corporations can afford the drawn out court battles, so if they're not continuing them, it means that they're admitting they lost.

Settlements are a win because they don't set precedent, and are often much cheaper than going to trial, and much, much cheaper than losing. There are plenty of companies that skirt the law or civil agreements hoping that, in the worst case, they can just settle if they're brought to court.

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

#300

Post by heavyset_go »

cat_plus_plus wrote: post #29
ocdtrekkie wrote: post #11

Worth remembering that as good as it is that Google is reducing it's abusive taxation on third party developers, the primary reason they're doing this is to try to quiet the majority of developers asking for stronger government regulations against this taxation without actually reducing their profit much, since the large companies which bring in the majority of revenue still have to pay full price. Basically, they're…

You know that Android is open source and you can just sideload apps, install a 3rd party app store or replace entire OS with your own ROM right? What, your app/game is not valuable enough to the user to bother with unless it's a single click install without having to enter credit card? Well... Basically - Situation is not at all the same as with iOS - There is too much emphasis on friction-less low value installs and…

> You know that Android is open source and you can just sideload apps, install a 3rd party app store or replace entire OS with your own ROM right?

User installable 3rd party app stores are cannot compete with the Play Store on feature parity because 3rd party app stores cannot implement automatic upgrades, background installation of apps, or batch installs of apps like the Play Store can.

Manufacturers fight against users' abilities to root or replace their OS on the phones they sell. There are thousands of models of phones that will only ever run their OEM installed ROMs, and there are millions, if not billions, of Android devices that cannot be rooted or won't run custom ROMs, and more are produced every year.

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