The Challenges of developing Android Games

Android has always been an important platform for mobile game developers, as it is accessible to a large audience. More than 70% of smartphone users own Android devices. Android apps are slowly set to overtake iOS apps in revenue, with games alone generating upto 90% of revenue on Google Play in 2016. The time spent on Android games and apps has increased by close to 40% since last year, with India and Southeast Asia emerging as the largest markets for Google Play downloads. However, developing games for Android has its own set of challenges:

Fragmentation:

Android is the most popular OS for mobiles and is used by over 90% of smartphone users. There are close to 170 types of devices that run on Android, and each of these have variation in specifications when it comes to screen sizes, buttons etc. Additionally, there are several versions of Android currently in use. This means that developers have to account for different aspect ratios & DPIs while making Android games. Developers also need to factor in the different versions in use while releasing content updates, unlockables or new features over time, to ensure retention of all audiences. For first time game developers, it’s best to partner with an Android game development company that has prior experience making games for Android.

Oversaturated Market:

As of 2017, Android users can choose from over 2.8 million apps from Google Play Store alone. Given the huge number of Android games being released every day, it’s very easy for your game to get lost in the sea of similar products. It’s therefore vital to do enough market research before starting on your game to understand your competition and see how you can make your game stand out. This is also why marketing and promotion is all the more important with Android games, as it is a crucial aspect of making sure that your target audience knows about your product.

Performance:

Performance is a key aspect in creating Android games since Google Play Store has recently started ranking apps based on quality. Poor performance, high battery usage, slow rendering, FPS lags and frequent crashes can result in your game receiving lower ratings and consequently not showing up on search results. Testing and optimization is critical to identifying issues with performance and quality before launches.

An Android game development company in USA, UK, UAE, India & Saudi Arabia, Juego Studios provides full design and development services for mobile games. Get in touch with us to discuss your project today.