Problems with Game Development on Android 2.0

[danDroid]

This was an interesting article MobileCrunch just posted:

Where are all the great Android games? The answer is simpler than we think

I was Tweeting with Michael Gartenberg last night about all the great Android games. After all, the Android Marketplace has so many great titles like Civilization Revolution, Canabalt, iShoot, and… oh… wait… All kidding aside, the reason there is such a dearth of great games has to do with some programming choices in Android itself and it’s a problem that can – and should – be fixed before the Droid comes to market this November.

The real culprit behind the lack of Android apps isn’t lack of developer adoption or a difficult SDK – it’s the ludicrous 256MB limit on app storage for most current Android phones and Android 2.0 itself. The OS also does not support the installation of apps on removable storage like SD cards, further ruining chances for more effusive and expansive titles. Considering most apps are in the 10MB range we’re talking a max of 25 apps on a good day and about 5 on a bad one.
This limitation has existed since Android 1.0 and continues in Android 2.0. As this enlightening post notes, Myst for the iPhone runs 727MB, a little under a gigabyte. That’s right: Droid doesn’t even have enough space to allow you to render the well let alone let you into the rocket.
The Droid has 512MB of memory with half of that available to apps. More internal storage is definitely in order if Android can’t support external storage – an understandable move due to potential data corruption during an unexpected card removal – it definitely needs a bit more space under the hood in future models.

Let us know what your thoughts are...

 

[New2u]

This was an interesting article MobileCrunch just posted:

More internal storage is definitely in order if Android can’t support external storage – an understandable move due to potential data corruption during an unexpected card removal

While I do agree the droid should have either more internal memory or be able to use the card, but that statement alone from him is total and utter BS. Seeing as you have to remove the damn battery before you can get the card out. I don't see how you can have data corruption while the phone is off . Google just needs to allow you to use the external storage as storage space for everything.

 

[OfTheDamned]

I don't know where the idea that most apps are about 10mb each came from. They are nowhere near that big. They range from about 10kb to 500kb. Documents to go is the largest app I have seen for android at is 3.3mb.

My friend that has a G1 has about 46 aps installed plus the 26 apps it came with giving him a total of 70 apps plus the android OS itself. He still has about 15 mb of memory left on his phone and it only came with 192mb of storage and runs perfectly fine.

 

[New2u]

See you point out specifically what i have been trying to say all along. But a lot of people really aren't arguing that the apps are "HUGE" but they are arguing the fact that they would like to see more internal storage. I would love it if it was at 1gb internal, but i am deadset on them allowing storage on external. It just makes sense, since as already stated you have to remove the battery to get to the storage card, people aren't going to be swapping them out on the go.

 

[danDroid]

I think they are trying to compare it with games on the iPhone, most of those are well over 500k.. 5-15mb..

 

[New2u]

Sorry but if i want to play civilization i will pull my dang laptop out and lap it the way it should be play.. not on my phone.

 

[OfTheDamned]

See you point out specifically what i have been trying to say all along. But a lot of people really aren't arguing that the apps are "HUGE" but they are arguing the fact that they would like to see more internal storage. I would love it if it was at 1gb internal, but i am deadset on them allowing storage on external. It just makes sense, since as already stated you have to remove the battery to get to the storage card, people aren't going to be swapping them out on the go.

I have heard a lot of people say this too, but how many apps do you really need on one device at one time? Especially when you have a mobile market place that will allow you to redownload any app you need any time you need it. The way I see it, just uninstall the apps that you don't use that often and reinstall them when you do need to use them. It doesn't take long to do and it keeps your memory free.

For me personally, I have added quite a few apps that I just don't use. They are cool when I get them and I may play around with them for a while, but I eventually remove them if they are not things I use daily. I have learned that I just don't need that much on there all the time.

Coming from a BB Curve with only 96mb of memory which is shared with the OS, the 256 of usable app memory on the Droid is HUGE to me. When you consider that most Android apps are about the same size as BB apps and that you aren't going to be eating into the phones processing power by using up the app storage then it really shouldn't be that big of a deal.

Now, with all that said....when they want to give out 6Gb of app storage you will never hear me complain. I may even look into rooting the phone and using some of the card for storage later on anyway.

 

[OfTheDamned]

I think they are trying to compare it with games on the iPhone, most of those are well over 500k.. 5-15mb..

Sorry, but that is not even close to being a fair comparison. That is like complaining that Office 2007 won't install on the Droid.

 

[New2u]

I think they are trying to compare it with games on the iPhone, most of those are well over 500k.. 5-15mb..

Sorry, but that is not even close to being a fair comparison. That is like complaining that Office 2007 won't install on the Droid.

WHAT IT CANT!? I'm SO not buying this phone now. And the fact that it cannot wash my car. COMPLETELY ridiculous.

 

[Cole119]

I believe I read somewhere that the reason Google won't allow app installation on external storage is to combat piracy. *1st post* woo

 

[New2u]

They are working on a way to get the apps to install on the external and still keep the security. Which in concept wouldn't be too hard, but i know in actual application, it quite harder then it seems.

 

[ToddP0530]

I had a storm1 with 128mb of memory and I was able to have every application I needed installed on it. Now, the droid (as well as storm2) comes with 256mb of memory and the RIM OS is a memory hog. Droid is not. I am not worried about memory issues with droid. Former storm owners, imagine if you have 6 apps at once running in the background of that phone. The phone would've had an aneurysm. Droid can do that and still fly.

 

[bamfsig45]

This is a non issue for me, Im not buying this phone as a gaming platform, there are much better portable options for that. Sure I'll want the time wasting games like a brick breaker or Tetris type game but I wont be looking to play some 3d graphics intensive game or whatever. My 16 gb card will be filled with Music and Movies. If in the future the mem card slot gets opened for game/app installs I may try it out but my phone is used for other things. :icon_ banana:

 

[mth04]

I had a storm1 with 128mb of memory and I was able to have every application I needed installed on it. Now, the droid (as well as storm2) comes with 256mb of memory and the RIM OS is a memory hog. Droid is not. I am not worried about memory issues with droid. Former storm owners, imagine if you have 6 apps at once running in the background of that phone. The phone would've had an aneurysm. Droid can do that and still fly.

I totally agree. For instance the S2 has 256mb as you mentioned. Yet it only boots with about 120mb's available :icon_eek:. Now there's a great OS huh :icon_ devil:

 

[rushmore]

Average game is about 3 megs, since the app size does not always mean that is the size when installed.

The better games like Jewellust are 9 megs installed.

I agree that devs should allow the option to install 99% of the app to SD, so just the encrypted executable is on the device.

Problem is almost all devs force you to install to the device and apparently there are technical reasons with Android framework that forces some apps to use only the device memory.

One big negative though is the 16gb card the Droid has is a slower class 2. Better performance with class 6, but that means of course buying one.

Hey, at least you have about 230 megs to install apps. My G1 has 75 megs