All signs point to Google doing a little bit of ecosystem cleaning. Google recently announced it's newest Developer Policy and it seems that Google is trying to make Google Play more like iTunes more than ever before now.
For the Indie developer, and axillary mobile ad networks, like; Airpush, StartApps, TapContext, SendDroid and Leadbolt, this could have serious repercussions to their bottom line.
These changes were announced last Friday, August 23rd and will be in full effect for all new applications submitted. Any "per-existing" application must achieve compliance or be voluntarily unpublished by the developer within 30 days of issuance of this notification.
You see most indie developers are dependent on ad revenue as the only form of income, specifically on Android.We're not talking about traditional ad units like standard mobile banners and full-sized interstitial, rather "out-of-app" advertising units that most users detest, specifically; "Push Notifications" and "App Icons".
These ad units render in the "notification tray" of the Android device and the "Icon ads" set when a user download an app on the device's home screen.
The ad unit is an "uninvited guest" as it downloads along with the intended app, like a tool bar plugin in the days of search tool bars. Needless to say, these ad types were a great source of earning potential for the developer, especially for the developers that were building "live Wallpapers and Widgets" type apps, where it was virtually impossible to run standard ad types.
The new Google policy prohibits these "out-of-app" ad types. Here are Google's exact words:
- System Interference:
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- An app downloaded from Google Play (or its components or derivative elements) must not make changes to the user’s device outside of the app without the user’s knowledge and consent.
- This includes behavior such as replacing or reordering the default presentation of apps, widgets, or the settings on the device. If an app makes such changes with the user’s knowledge and consent, it must be clear to the user which app has made the change and the user must be able to reverse the change easily, or by uninstalling the app altogether.
- Apps and their ads must not add homescreen shortcuts, browser bookmarks, or icons on the user’s device as a service to third parties or for advertising purposes.
- Apps and their ads must not display advertisements through system level notifications on the user’s device, unless the notifications derive from an integral feature provided by the installed app. (e.g., an airline app that notifies users of special deals, or a game that notifies users of in-game promotions).
- Apps must not encourage, incentivize, or mislead users into removing or disabling third-party apps except as part of a security service provided by the app.
Ad Policy
The policy below covers all ads that are implemented in and bundled with apps. These rules are important in maintaining a positive experience for everyone using Android apps from Google Play. Be sure to check back from time to time, as these policies may change.
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Ads Context
Ads must not simulate or impersonate the user interface of any app, or notification and warning elements of an operating system.To sum this up and be 100% clear that no ambiguity exist here Google clearly is prohibiting Push Notifications and App Icons. It mentions it several times to make no doubt that it will enforce this rule.What does this mean for you the developer?As mentioned, these ad units will be obsolete in the Google Play ecosystem. If you've only submitting to Google play as the only source of distribution, now is the time to diversify to secondary marketplaces.
App Publish to various Android Marketplaces We have compiled a list of "other" marketplaces for your convenience and to help you out. It is possible that some of these marketplaces will follow suit, so it is imperative that you start looking these secondary and regionalized marketplaces.One company that has lead the way to help the developer regarding this issue has been Inmobi. They have been in the forefront of app distribution "as-a-tool" by recently acquiring a company called App-Publish. We actually had a chance to meet the creator, Charles McLeod, at the last GDC and he is a solid guy. App-Publish will let the developer publish to over 30 marketplaces all in one spot.I have also included my small list that I've compiled over the past three years to help you out a bit.Lastly, in regarding to app monetization and ad networks, I would highly recommend to use a mediation layer or mediation tool to take advantage of most ad networks. I'm currently involved launching a new mediation tool that will be sure to please. Stay tuned, more details to follow. (Note: shameless plug; email me at info@clickgeniemedia.com)Android Marketplaces:
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