Google is bringing one familiar feature of Web search to its Google Play store: Paid search results.
The company said it will begin testing what it calls “sponsored” search results within its app store in the coming weeks. The move is intended to help developers better promote their apps in a store that boasts more than a million choices. Of course, it will also generate more revenue for Google.
Application stores are already completely and utterly useless and broken for application discovery, so I couldn’t care less about this.
So, the big developers who have more money will be able to push themselves even further on top of the little ones who have less money. Plus, now I have to scroll even further down to find what I actually am looking for. Great job on discovery there, Google. Just drop the pretense and admit you want more money.
It might help. The top spots are currently taken by people who are gaming the system anyway. Now those people will have two separate ways to direct their money, but they still want to spend the same amount of money. Since they have to pick one or the other channel, it stands to reason that at least one of the channels should be somewhat viable for normal devs.
So, in the end, probably bad for devs trying to make good free stuff. However, for legitimate devs trying to make money with a quality product, life may have just gotten a bit better. I’m not saying great, but better than it was.
This along with what Thom said. The play store hasn’t been good for app discovery since 2009/2010.
And how do you think those people are gaming the system exactly? With money of course!
Now they will give it to Google instead of one of the myriad of offers (legit or not) to “rise to the top” you get everyday as an app developer. 100k for an App Annie top insider report, 5k for a hundred 5 star review, etc… ad nauseam.
It’s a smart move for Google and one more reason, as if there was any need for more, for indies to leave the platform (iOS included obviously).
Fun read from the front:
http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/DylanJones/20150209/235981/How_to_cu…
I think Adblock app will take care of that.
twitterfire,
Interesting thought, but I doubt google would permit it. And it could be difficult to circumvent.(Anyone know if the play store app feeds are encrypted?)
Adblock were allegedly paid off by google to incorporate “acceptable ads” into it’s blocker, enabled by default. It might not be wise for Adblock to sever their relationship with google.
http://gizmodo.com/google-supposedly-paid-off-adblock-plus-to-not-b…
Here’s the thing though, once sponsored listings are out there, those who pay google for promoted spots will probably also rise up the ranks of the unpromoted listings as well (because more people are installing it). So developers who choose not to pay google’s promotion costs could get hurt directly and indirectly.
We really need more store competition, this consolidation around the google/apple app store duopoly is harming the industry on so many fronts.
Edited 2015-02-27 16:07 UTC