We must be on the same wave length because I am ready doing what you just explained. :-)
When in install app (I started calling them modules in my code) is download I check the db, if that character is there then it updates that character in the DB if it is not then inserts the character info. It also inserts it's time stamp and its package name. On start up for the MAIN app it will cycle though the package names of the installed "modules" and if one is over a week old from install it will ask the user if they wish to remove it (but make it clear this will NOT uninstall the character if they do). If they decline it will state that no more notifications will ask to remove it and it will remain installed until the user deletes the character (which also removes the module for that character at the same time). I will NEVER uninstall a module without checking with the user. Yep the main app is free and it will come with TWO characters because two characters can be loaded at the same time and interact with each other which I want the user to experience this to make getting additional characters more appealing. In the app itself where the installed characters are I have a little "mini" webview set up which I links to one of my webpages where I plan to post "new" characters. So when they use the app even without going to search for new ones they will know of any new characters that I just put. If you want my code snippet I can send it to you. i.e. my own banner I guess. I agree the main thing about going though Market place is that it has the highest chance that the user probably has an account (compared to maybe a paypal etc). Which is what we developers want. It would be great if we could get their checkout info but I would say that is a HUGE security risk and I don't see that happening. Besides why would Google do that? They get 30% if people go though them? They have no incentive. What could be done is what was suggested is that they provide an API so people can use to check out THOUGH Market Place. But honestly I don't see that happening either at least not for awhile. Heck 2.1 took forever to come out. So going the route I am is the only way I see how me (or someone) else can go through Market place, for awhile at least. I think I can get my character stats. I can keep track from my site where they browse the characters, when they click the link to buy one (which links to Market Place) I can track that I am thinking. Also Flurry can probably help. I just started learning it. www.flurry.com If (big IF) mine is a success then maybe you can gain from my experience? Although I probably have about another month to two before I can finish code and test. Speaking of which, I need to do serious testing in starting in about two weeks. Has anyone used Device Anywhere? They seem to have a special setup for independent developers. https://www.deviceanywhere.com/Independent%20Developer/Independent%20Developer_virtual_developer_lab.html I watched the video and seems like a great idea for testing: https://www.deviceanywhere.com/onlinedemos/ I just wanted to get some feedback on anyone that tired it? Thank you -Chris On Sat, Mar 27, 2010 at 12:20 PM, Kevin Duffey <[email protected]> wrote: > Got an idea for the deletion of add-on toons for you. Use a simple sqllite > db on the device... when your main app finds/installs a toon, log a little > date in the db (or some other way). Every time your main app starts up, just > scan for any rows.. if any are there, check the timestamps... if it's after > 2 days (maybe 3 or 4 to be safe), uninstall the .apks at that time. > > HOWEVER, something occurred to me. Programmatically uninstalling .apks > without the user knowing may not be advisable. Even tho the toon still works > in the app for them, I would suspect most users, if they wanted to delete it > (or otherwise look at stats on it), they would go thru the settings/manage > applications route, and if they can't find it they may wonder what happened. > Trying to explain to your end users that after a few days the .apk they > bought/downloaded/installed will be uninstalled to "free up room", may be > too much text for a simple toon purchase/install. Maybe not. > > Another thought..doubt it's possible.. and I still haven't paid for an app > on android yet so not entirely sure how this works. I thought you'd set up a > google checkout account.. being android and google and all. If that is the > case, then like you said, it's likely that a user will have an account > already.. or at least is more willing to submit their personal info setting > up a gogle checkout account over some in-game form you provide. Now, I don't > know how viable this is, but if the user already has a google checkout, is > there a way to obtain their checkout info... in-app/game, without requiring > them to fill anything out? This way, you could avoid the .apk market route, > you earn the extra .30 per toon, you host it, you keep stats on downloads, > which toons are more popular than others, etc. Tons of stuff you can control > from this aspect of it. If a user already set up a google checkout account, > how hard is it to utilize this in-app/game so that you can use it to charge > and then download in-app/game right away? If they haven't set up an account > to buy anything on market, they are going to have to fill in that info > anyway to buy anything. Actually.. come to think of it.. if you charge for > your main app..they already set it up. I would have thought the info would > be in some way available..not their private stuff, but the google checkout > info, so that you could utilize it somehow? I'll have to look into it more > as this is how I would do it. > > Another thought..perhaps to get more virtual toon sales, give your game > away (if you aren't already), with 1 toon, and put your own little > splash-screen "ads" for other toons as the app loads up. This may interest > users in supporting your app and buying even more toons than if they already > paid for the app. Also, look at custom creation of toons/avatars.. for > perhaps a $2 charge for example. Again, not at all clear on your app and > it's ideas, but just some food for thought on how you might make a little > more from it. > > > > On Sat, Mar 27, 2010 at 7:46 AM, chris harper <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Yes I know. Warren brought that up. But the "game changer" was when I >> found out that I can remove: >> >> <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" /> >> >> from the manifet.xml which hides the new app's from the user (hides the >> clutter) and also doesn't allow the user to start it them on their own. >> >> So then I can just keep the new "install apps" behind the scenes and they >> don't clutter the users drawer. So there is not as much of an importance to >> delete them right away. >> >> What I might do is run checks for the install apps after a safe time (like >> a week). Then prompt the user and ask them if they want to clean them up >> (i.e remove them) letting them know that removing them DOES NOT remove the >> character. This way in the long run they don't have a bunch stacked up >> behind the scenes that they don't know about. >> >> I do plan to make the character apps as small as I can and put as much of >> the logic in the main app as I can. >> >> So many little "details" we have to deal with... >> -Chris >> >> >> On Sat, Mar 27, 2010 at 2:29 AM, Bob Kerns <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Thanks. But it slipped my mind as I was writing it that immediately >>> deleting the new app is going to be a loser, because it'll refund your >>> payment. >>> >>> You'll have to arrange to do that at another time. Or not, and live >>> with the clutter. Or simply use your .apk as the storage for your >>> characters. That may actually be reasonably space-efficient, unless >>> the character data is pretty small. >>> >>> It's not an issue for free/paid, because it's the older, free one >>> that's being deleted in that case. >>> >>> But perhaps some components of my idea may be useful, or the code >>> snippets. >>> >>> A really BAD idea would be to use the AlarmManager to initiate the >>> deletion sequence. In fact, MOST uses of the AlarmManager to launch UI >>> are bad, but this would be particularly evil. >>> >>> I'd do well as a prank app author, if I didn't have a conscience! >>> >>> On Mar 26, 8:43 am, chris harper <[email protected]> wrote: >>> > We are probably in the running for the most active thread now but >>> that’s >>> > great because >>> > >>> > this is an important issue that needs to be addressed. >>> > >>> > Bob – Thank you. Your solution is a pretty thought out solution. I >>> admit I >>> > had to print it out and re-read it a few times. I might have a few >>> questions >>> > coming your way because I think I like what you are doing. Give me a >>> little >>> > more time to make sure I understand what you are doing. >>> >>> -- >>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>> Groups "Android Developers" group. >>> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>> [email protected]<android-developers%[email protected]> >>> For more options, visit this group at >>> http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en >>> >>> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+ >>> unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the words >>> "REMOVE ME" as the subject. >>> >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> Groups "Android Developers" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> [email protected]<android-developers%[email protected]> >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en >> >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+ >> unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the words "REMOVE >> ME" as the subject. >> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "Android Developers" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<android-developers%[email protected]> > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+ > unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the words "REMOVE > ME" as the subject. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. 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