伴随Android手机的大量销售而产生的一个问题是，Android平台究竟可以为游戏开发商和发行商提供哪些服务？

google android

日前，彭博社的一篇报道从操作系统的角度出发，预言Android有望与iPone匹敌，为游戏产品带来同样丰厚的利润。但是，Android的存储残片这一致命伤，常常导致一些应用无法运行，甚至阻碍Android平台接入Google应用市场。Digital Chocolate公司总裁Trip Hawkins认为，限制Android平台发展的原因无它，就是Google本身，主要表现在两个方面：

1.游戏全额退款政策

Hawkins在Omni Media Gamer上的工作博客中提到，Google向玩家承诺游戏订购24小时内无条件全额退款的决策，根本就是无知而多余的，“想想看，这个平台上还有那么多免费游戏，而且即使是付费游戏，你也可以先付费玩够本，然后在24小时内马上退款，这样等于所有的游戏都可以免费体验，那么谁还会花钱买你的游戏呢？到2012年Android可能会有和苹果抗衡的实力，但是作为一个游戏平台，Android正在走向败局。”

Hawkins还列举了另外两桩理由，认为Google与正与平台发展目标背道而驰：一是很多Android手机不支持在线支付功能；二是Google在平台广告投放上的保守心态。

2.广告硬伤

Hawkins认为，Google目前并不支持在Android平台上投放竞价广告，这等于自断财路，因为这些广告往往与社交游戏的用户人群增长、游戏付费不无关系。社交游戏是目前唯一无需直接付费也能转化成利润的游戏种类，因此Android的广告抑制政策无异于自我作茧，固步自封。

但Hawkins同时还表示，Google收购Jambool一举应该有助于破解这种局面，但坚持认为Android目前仍然没有站稳脚跟，发展前途堪忧，“只要Android手机还在热销，Android未来两年内还是有可能成为出色的应用平台，但如果Google能对目前的政策进行大刀阔斧的改革，Android平台会才可能发展得更快。”

Android won’t be comparable to iOS for games until 2012, claims Trip Hawkins

Google needs to get proactive about games

One of the side effects of massive Android device sales is a sharper focus on what the platform has to offer developers and publishers.

As such, a report by Bloomberg throws up some interesting facts about the OS from a development perspective, with the studios cited – perhaps predictably – claiming Android is yet to offer up the same rate of revenue returns as iPhone.

However, while fragmentation – which not only causes certain apps not to work on certain flavours of Android, but also blocks access to Google Market – is often cited as the main issue behind any drop off, Digital Chocolate president Trip Hawkins believes Google itself is holding the platform back.

Paying for free play

It’s Hawkins’ view that Google’s decision to allow consumers to play paid apps for 24 hours before returning them for a full refund is both senseless and lazy.

“When so many other things on the app store are already free and everything else is free for 24 hours, why would anyone pay for a game?” Hawkins speculates on his Omni Media Gamer work blog.

“Android has the potential to be a platform comparable to Apple by 2012, but as a game platform right now, Android strikes out.”

Hawkins goes on to cite two other areas in which he believes Google is going against the grain with the platform – the first being the lack of a one touch payment system on many devices, the second Google’s apparent closed attitude to advertising on the platform.

Ad aches

“Google does not currently allow competing ad networks on Android so there are no offer completion networks, which have been a staple of the growth and evolution of engagement and payment with social games,” Trip continues.

“As social games have been the only type of game that can monetise without direct payments, this policy nukes Android for the remainder of the game industry.”

Hawkins believes Google’s acquisition of Jambool could well calm such concerns in the near future, although it remains his view that Android is a format still slowing getting to its feet.

“As long as they keep selling devices, Android could be a great game business within two years, but it would blossom much faster if Google becomes more proactive about these issues.”（source：pocket gamer）