Comments on: Ticket to Ride Pocket 1.1 – Now with Multi Mode http://blog.daysofwonder.com/2012/02/02/ticket-to-ride-pocket-1-1-now-with-multi-mode/ This blog is devoted to newsworthy announcements related to Days of Wonder’s games and the company itself. Fri, 12 Apr 2013 17:35:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Steve http://blog.daysofwonder.com/2012/02/02/ticket-to-ride-pocket-1-1-now-with-multi-mode/#comment-5823 Steve Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:58:19 +0000 http://blog.daysofwonder.com/?p=4295#comment-5823 And one other data point: Elder Signs was been released by FFG simultaneously on iOS and Android. Currently the number of reviews for the iPad and iPod versions combined is 320. The same game on Android has been reviewed 382 times. Assuming that a similar proportion of people on both platforms bother to review the game, it would suggest that sales were broadly equivalent between iOS and Android. I would suggest that sales of a game like Elder Sign is a better indicator of the likely success of a DoW boardgame release on Android than looking at unrelated market research looking at average sales on the different platforms. And one other data point: Elder Signs was been released by FFG simultaneously on iOS and Android. Currently the number of reviews for the iPad and iPod versions combined is 320. The same game on Android has been reviewed 382 times. Assuming that a similar proportion of people on both platforms bother to review the game, it would suggest that sales were broadly equivalent between iOS and Android.

I would suggest that sales of a game like Elder Sign is a better indicator of the likely success of a DoW boardgame release on Android than looking at unrelated market research looking at average sales on the different platforms.

]]> By: Steve http://blog.daysofwonder.com/2012/02/02/ticket-to-ride-pocket-1-1-now-with-multi-mode/#comment-5822 Steve Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:12:09 +0000 http://blog.daysofwonder.com/?p=4295#comment-5822 "So the market for board games on Android may actually be higher than the market for other types of app." I mean of course when compared to iOS - clearly board games will still be a relatively minority interest on both platforms. “So the market for board games on Android may actually be higher than the market for other types of app.” I mean of course when compared to iOS – clearly board games will still be a relatively minority interest on both platforms.

]]> By: Steve http://blog.daysofwonder.com/2012/02/02/ticket-to-ride-pocket-1-1-now-with-multi-mode/#comment-5821 Steve Tue, 14 Feb 2012 21:08:53 +0000 http://blog.daysofwonder.com/?p=4295#comment-5821 There is a danger that by ignoring Android development, that the argument that apps don't sell on Android will become a self-fulfilling prophesy. If companies don't release high quality paid-for apps on Android, then nobody can buy them. In the mean time, free fan-coded versions will appear instead, so if you do release your own official version, then you are fighting against an established, cheaper competitor. For example, if Dominion is ever released on Android, it will be competing against Andromincon, which is free, but has no graphics and is a bit clunky to play. The only way that an official Dominion app could compete would be with high quality artwork and a really nice interface. I'd like to see some data on how sales have been for games like Carcassonne, Catan and Hey, That's My Fish! which have been released on Android. There is a big difference between iOS and Android development, and that is the cost of the development tools and the cost of publishing. On iOS you have to develop on a Mac (still a minority platform) and access to the SDK costs $99 a year if you want to be able to test on real devices and upload to the App Store. So it's not exactly bedroom coder material. On Android, the barrier to entry is zero. You can develop on whatever computer you already have and the development tools are free. This means that there are an awful lot of free or ad-supported apps, which on iOS would cost money. Who would buy a fart app for 99c for an Android phone when there are plenty of free alternatives? To make money on Android, you have to provide something which cannot easily be provided by a bedroom coder for free. That is exactly the category that board games fit into. Also I suspect that there is quite a high proportion of people who like niche hobbies such as board gaming who also deliberately avoid iProducts exactly because they don't like following what they perceive to be a herd mentality. So the market for board games on Android may actually be higher than the market for other types of app. Of course there are problems with Android development - clearly the different hardware variations, screen-sizes, etc. are an issue. Also, I suspect that there are less 'professional level' coding tools and middleware platforms available. But companies like Days of Wonder now have a great stepping stone to work from, given that they now have all the assets in a digital format and have the basic designs and logic of the apps to work from. It would be hoped that porting games to Android will soon become a higher priority. They may not make as much money initially as the iOS versions, but it is an untapped and growing market with a lot of people ready and willing to pay. There is a danger that by ignoring Android development, that the argument that apps don’t sell on Android will become a self-fulfilling prophesy. If companies don’t release high quality paid-for apps on Android, then nobody can buy them. In the mean time, free fan-coded versions will appear instead, so if you do release your own official version, then you are fighting against an established, cheaper competitor. For example, if Dominion is ever released on Android, it will be competing against Andromincon, which is free, but has no graphics and is a bit clunky to play. The only way that an official Dominion app could compete would be with high quality artwork and a really nice interface.

I’d like to see some data on how sales have been for games like Carcassonne, Catan and Hey, That’s My Fish! which have been released on Android.

There is a big difference between iOS and Android development, and that is the cost of the development tools and the cost of publishing. On iOS you have to develop on a Mac (still a minority platform) and access to the SDK costs $99 a year if you want to be able to test on real devices and upload to the App Store. So it’s not exactly bedroom coder material.

On Android, the barrier to entry is zero. You can develop on whatever computer you already have and the development tools are free. This means that there are an awful lot of free or ad-supported apps, which on iOS would cost money. Who would buy a fart app for 99c for an Android phone when there are plenty of free alternatives?

To make money on Android, you have to provide something which cannot easily be provided by a bedroom coder for free. That is exactly the category that board games fit into. Also I suspect that there is quite a high proportion of people who like niche hobbies such as board gaming who also deliberately avoid iProducts exactly because they don’t like following what they perceive to be a herd mentality. So the market for board games on Android may actually be higher than the market for other types of app.

Of course there are problems with Android development – clearly the different hardware variations, screen-sizes, etc. are an issue. Also, I suspect that there are less ‘professional level’ coding tools and middleware platforms available.

But companies like Days of Wonder now have a great stepping stone to work from, given that they now have all the assets in a digital format and have the basic designs and logic of the apps to work from. It would be hoped that porting games to Android will soon become a higher priority. They may not make as much money initially as the iOS versions, but it is an untapped and growing market with a lot of people ready and willing to pay.

]]> By: Yoda http://blog.daysofwonder.com/2012/02/02/ticket-to-ride-pocket-1-1-now-with-multi-mode/#comment-5819 Yoda Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:13:42 +0000 http://blog.daysofwonder.com/?p=4295#comment-5819 So at 47% vs 30% the number of Android devices is 1.56 times as much as iOS devices. But that's not the number app developers care about. The revenue brought in by app downloads is the relevant number here - and those numbers are extraordinarily weighted in favor of iOS devices. Various independent third parties are trying to measure the numbers, but they all seem to fall somewhere between 3:1 and 6:1 in favor of iOS. In addition to the much larger revenue, when you factor in that it's easier to write/support for iOS, there is no surprise that an iOS version is done long before an Android version. http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/12/ios-revenues-vs-android/ http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/09/08/android_app_volume_to_pass_ios_app_store_but_apple_developers_lead_in_revenues.html So at 47% vs 30% the number of Android devices is 1.56 times as much as iOS devices. But that’s not the number app developers care about. The revenue brought in by app downloads is the relevant number here – and those numbers are extraordinarily weighted in favor of iOS devices. Various independent third parties are trying to measure the numbers, but they all seem to fall somewhere between 3:1 and 6:1 in favor of iOS. In addition to the much larger revenue, when you factor in that it’s easier to write/support for iOS, there is no surprise that an iOS version is done long before an Android version.

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/12/ios-revenues-vs-android/

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/09/08/android_app_volume_to_pass_ios_app_store_but_apple_developers_lead_in_revenues.html

]]> By: Preston http://blog.daysofwonder.com/2012/02/02/ticket-to-ride-pocket-1-1-now-with-multi-mode/#comment-5818 Preston Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:42:33 +0000 http://blog.daysofwonder.com/?p=4295#comment-5818 What steps does (will) Apple make you take in order to merge the two games for asynchronous play? Love the app by the way! It's a bummer the API won't let you do that currently. What steps does (will) Apple make you take in order to merge the two games for asynchronous play? Love the app by the way! It’s a bummer the API won’t let you do that currently.

]]> By: Ode http://blog.daysofwonder.com/2012/02/02/ticket-to-ride-pocket-1-1-now-with-multi-mode/#comment-5816 Ode Tue, 07 Feb 2012 23:18:37 +0000 http://blog.daysofwonder.com/?p=4295#comment-5816 People are just trying to show DOW how much $$ they are losing out on. Android is superior to IOS and has many more users. Keep on drinking the Jobs kool aid. People are just trying to show DOW how much $$ they are losing out on. Android is superior to IOS and has many more users. Keep on drinking the Jobs kool aid.

]]> By: TheDukester http://blog.daysofwonder.com/2012/02/02/ticket-to-ride-pocket-1-1-now-with-multi-mode/#comment-5815 TheDukester Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:12:49 +0000 http://blog.daysofwonder.com/?p=4295#comment-5815 Yo, Android folks -- it's not DoW's fault you bought the wrong phone for games. Stop clogging every single new-release thread on the internet with your annoying verbal tics. "Android!" "Android!" Yeah, we get it. Buy a better phone next time. Yo, Android folks — it’s not DoW’s fault you bought the wrong phone for games. Stop clogging every single new-release thread on the internet with your annoying verbal tics. “Android!” “Android!” Yeah, we get it. Buy a better phone next time.

]]> By: RaP http://blog.daysofwonder.com/2012/02/02/ticket-to-ride-pocket-1-1-now-with-multi-mode/#comment-5814 RaP Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:40:42 +0000 http://blog.daysofwonder.com/?p=4295#comment-5814 What is the reason there is no Android version ? Give me one please... If you do one make it crossplatform so apple and android users can play together What is the reason there is no Android version ?

Give me one please…

If you do one make it crossplatform so apple and android users can play together

]]> By: Ian http://blog.daysofwonder.com/2012/02/02/ticket-to-ride-pocket-1-1-now-with-multi-mode/#comment-5812 Ian Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:00:43 +0000 http://blog.daysofwonder.com/?p=4295#comment-5812 Needs to be on Android..... Needs to be on Android…..

]]> By: Grimpen http://blog.daysofwonder.com/2012/02/02/ticket-to-ride-pocket-1-1-now-with-multi-mode/#comment-5811 Grimpen Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:14:06 +0000 http://blog.daysofwonder.com/?p=4295#comment-5811 Any plans for an Android version? Is there one in the works? Any plans for an Android version? Is there one in the works?

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