An observation by one Android developer suggests in-app billing isn't the only change Google has made to Android Market in recent weeks.
Geoff Cook, CEO of social networking site myYearbook, believes the search giant has adjusted the the store's ranking algorithm, causing apps to move up and down the tables when, in reality, the level of downloads has remained the same.
Rules of engagement
After witnessing his Android app shoot from #63 to #11 in the Top Free Social Category, Cook checked the daily install numbers only to discover no significant change.
The explanation for this seems clear: Android Market is now factoring in engagement when ranking applications.
Citing the performance of the myYearbook software and his game Tic Tac Toe, Cook asserts that a complex ratio of DAU to MAU is underpinning the Android Market's new algorithm, rewarding an app's stickiness as highly as its initial take-up.
Such a modification would certainly make sense for Google, given the introduction of in-app billing last week, though the company is yet to offer official comment.
With Android developers facing perennial problems with piracy and a customer base unwilling to pay premium prices, the DLC model is regarded as a quasi-saviour, so measures taken to promote in-app purchases and long-term engagement could well be welcomed.
[source: GigaOM]
News
With a degree in German up his sleeve Richard squares up to the following three questions every morning: FIFA or Pro Evo? XBox 360 or PS3? McNulty or Bunk?
Top Stories
News
May 4th, 2024
PocketGamer.biz Podcast Week in Views E10 - Brawl Stars smashes 2023 revenue, Square Enix’s extraordinary losses, and Haaland signs for Clash of Clans
News
May 3rd, 2024
Week in Views - Apple back themselves bigstyle, Clash bags Haaland and dreams come true at King
Feature
35 minutes ago
April 2024 mobile game charts: Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile loses launch momentum and Brawl Stars’ astronomical rise
Feature
May 6th, 2024
Mobile Mavens: The industry wades in on Squad Busters from its “transformative impact” to being “corporate box ticking”
Events
Mobidictum Meetup Berlin May 2024 | Europe | May 7th |
Valencia Indie Summit 2024 | Europe | May 16th |
Mobidictum Meetup Tallinn May 2024 | Europe | May 21st |
Israel Mobile Summit 2024 | Middle East | Jun 6th |
WN Conference Istanbul 2024 | Jun 11th | |
DevGAMM Vilnius 2024 | Europe | Jun 14th |
Develop: Brighton 2024 | Europe | Jul 9th |
Mobidictum Meetup Barcelona September 2024 | Europe | Sep 1st |