Android is the world’s #1 platform for mobile games; with 2,3 billion smartphone users worldwide, it’s also the world’s most popular operating system. However, its use is not solely limited to smartphones: Android OS runs on different devices, from watches to tablets. In our previous overview of Android game development specifics, we have mentioned the implications such versatility has for developers.
The good thing is – developing for numerous Android devices helps game publishers target a larger number of users.
Ensuring compatibility, however, can be challenging. Different graphic processors will display graphics in a different way. All in all, creating a mobile game that will run equally well on all devices will require not only proficiency in game design and development, but also extensive knowledge and understanding of these platforms and their characteristics.
Below, we will give you a brief overview of the most widely used Android platforms focusing on game development and publishing specifics. Before we start, though, let’s briefly go through the main differences you need to take into account to ensure your game performs well on all platforms.
Differences to consider:
– Display sizes, quality and resolution;
– Processor types, speed and performance;
– Battery life;
– Network connectivity;
– GPS location, compass, accelerometer, and ambient light support;
– Varying pixel density;
– Varying RAM capacity;
– Interruption instances.
In terms of similarities, almost all Android devices will have multi-touch interface and a full-screen mode. Most of devices and gaming engines offer Android 2.3 support.
1. Android tablets
Android tablets have now become mainstream devices for daily entertainment and infotainment. While the line between a smartphone and a tablet is starting to blur, tablets still have bigger screen sizes and resolutions. They are also heavier and noticeably less compact than smartphones. Most of recent tablets are likely to have a camera, speakers, microphone, touchscreen display and GPS. Reader-friendly interface and a number of dedicated physical buttons are also a must-have feature.
Here’s what game developers have to take into account when ensuring a game will run seamlessly on tablets:
– Android tablets have lower PPI;
– Minimum tablet specification includes 200 MHz processor, 32 MB RAM, and 32 MB disk space;
– Android 4 tablets will require advanced ARM v7;
– Tablets usually have high battery capacity, so tablet games have to run well in an energy-efficient mode.
Today’s tablets support most smartphone features, however, they are now rarely used as phones.
2. Android TV’s and STBs
Forget the conventional TV sets; enhanced with smart features, smart TVs are now delivering more interactive and advanced viewer experiences. So do the STB’s (set-top boxes, a receiver or a DVR/receiver combination used for cable TV or satellite TV). Among TV brands that use Android OS are Nexus Player, Forge TV by Razor, Shield Android TV by Nvidia, and Arcadyan Bouygtel TV from French Telecom.
The hardware specs of these devices can easily beat game consoles, so apart from their direct purpose, Android TV’s are also increasingly used for gaming. Since TV’s are normally positioned horizontally, all the games you want to run on AndroidTV should be built in landscape mode.
3. Android consoles
Made of a TV-connecting adapter and an adapter-controlling device, consoles are dedicated exclusively to enhancing player experience. They are relatively inexpensive and can easily connect to any mobile device that runs on Android. This account for their unwaning popularity (although, diminished somehow by the advent of smartphone gaming). Xbox, Playstation and Nintendo have long ago become household names, and recently, giants like Google and Amazon have launched their highly competitive console versions with impressive hardware specs.
When developing for consoles, here’s what Android game developers should take into consideration:
– Focus on performance: consoles are dedicated gaming devices, and thus are expected to provide higher performance.
– Build with quality in mind: even if you are developing a smartphone game, make sure it looks equally good on consoles.
– Choose a console device for your game: given a plethora of consoles out there, it would be wise to target them specifically.
– Widen your target audience: with kids eagerly ditching consoles for smartphones, building games for wider user categories would be a good idea.
4. Android watches
The assortment of smart wearable devices has recently extended to include watches; they are now loaded with features, completely digitized and offer impressive level of interactivity. In essence, smart watches are tiny computers equipped with internet connectivity, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, card slots, push notifications, etc. Given such impressive specs, it’s only natural people would start using them for gaming.
Apart from taking into account screen sizes and resolutions, there are no general recommendations for building games for smart watches. For best results, devs are advised to target specific configurations. However, here are some features game developers should consider:
– Smart watches can collect information from sensors (internal or external);
– They also support location-based alerts;
– They are capable of finding directions by voice from phone;
– They are also capable of indicating turns by tactile interactions;
– Advanced smart watches can control the smartphone.
5. Android smartphones
Smartphones, however, are still the most widely used Android devices, with smartphone game development being some of the most promising and rapidly growing market segments out there. While iOS can run solely on Apple phones, Android OS runs on many smartphone brands (you can view the full list on Wikipedia). Yet, of all these brands, Samsung remains indisputable leader (36,8% of all Android smartphones in use), with its Samsung Galaxy S8 enjoying the biggest market share in 2019.
Among the 2.3 million of estimated users worldwide China and India account for almost ½.
The specs of Android devices range from 32MB RAM, 16 MB of disk space and 200 MHz processor to 1 GB RAM, 4 GB of disk space with 1 GHz processor.
As we have outlined in our gaming trends overview, mobile gaming is set to further develop towards multiplayer competitive genre and embrace more AR features. This implies the need for solid and flexible backend will be greater than ever.
However, conventional enterprise cloud infrastructure will not suit the requirements for mobile gaming. You need an instantly scalable infrastructure solution to support rapidly peaking and subsiding workloads typical to model games. Increasingly now, mobile game developers are ceasing to develop their own server side solutions and are using mBaaS platforms, such as Festi Cloud, to power their apps and games.
Wrapping up, Android is likely to remain the operating system of choice for most active users, for many years to come. Although smartphones are the most frequently used Android platform, the advent of wearable devices and continuing proliferation of tablets suggest devs should study various Android platforms and their characteristics to build blockbuster games and market them successfully.