As outgoing marketing director Patrick Mork suggested when we last spoke to him, free app store GetJar has just announced a premium channel for Android games and apps.
Called GetJar Gold, it's a means by which Android content, which is only available for a fee on other app stores, can be given away from free to GetJar consumers - without any registration - while developers gain revenue for each download.
This works as GetJar will pay the developers directly, hopefully through the increased advertising revenue that can be generated by the expected large download volumes such high quality content will attract.
The games themselves will be the full 'paid' versions, without in-app advertising.
In this way, GetJar Gold formalises and extends the current situation whereby GetJar has been making deals with companies such as Glu Mobile, Rovio and ZeptoLabs to release their Android games, free and/or exclusively for a period.
The initiative also works as part of GetJar's wider expansion plans so in the short term will likely be funded by its VC warchest. It raised $25 million in February.
Giving away gold
The first content to be made available is Halfbrick's Age of Zombies (currently priced at $3.30/£1.94 on the Android Market) and Neon Play's Paper Glider plus apps TuneIn Radio Pro, Solo and Splashtop Remote Desktop.
New content will be added daily, and with 30 million active monthly users, GetJar reckons it's going to give away millions of dollars worth of apps.
"We are able to develop programs like GetJar Gold because of our open and free business model," said Ilja Laurs, GetJar's CEO.
He also highlighted that the channel would only be available for Android content.
"We regret that at this time we cannot extend our program to iPhone users, as Apple runs a closed ecosystem that does not allow for competing app distributors like GetJar," he explained
"Unfortunately, iPhone users will have to continue paying for the very same apps that their Android counterparts enjoy for free."
[source: GetJar]
News
Contributing Editor
A Pocket Gamer co-founder, Jon is Contributing Editor at PG.biz which means he acts like a slightly confused uncle who's forgotten where he's left his glasses. As well as letters and cameras, he likes imaginary numbers and legumes.
Top Stories
News
May 28th, 2024
PocketGamer.biz Podcast - ustwo games’ María Sayans on the sustainable strategy behind Monument Valley
Feature
May 28th, 2024
Hot Five: Disney x Fortnite, Sega’s sonic speed, and a potential Keywords Studios buyout
Feature
May 27th, 2024
Case study: How Supercent’s games made it to the top in a stagnating hypercasual market
Events
Unreal Fest Gold Coast 2024 | Australasia | May 29th |
For The Win 2024 | Europe | May 29th |
Indie Craft K-Game Festival 2024 | Europe | May 31st |
Indie Game Fest & Indie Campus 2024 | Europe | May 31st |
Game Access Conference 2024 | Europe | May 31st |
GDCy Fest 2024 | May 31st | |
GameSummit Summer 2024 | Jun 1st | |
BostonFig Online 2024 | Jun 1st |