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Duke Nukem 3D hits Android, explosions ensue
As promised, our favorite cigar smoking, wise cracking first-person protagonist has hit the Android Market, and it didn't even take 15 years. The mobile version of the classic FPS is available now for Android 1.6 and up (that's according to the Market listing -- its producers recommend 2.1 and up), courtesy of Tapjoy and Machineworks Northwest as a $0.99 download. And don't worry, there's plenty of Duke to go around.
Duke Nukem 3D is coming to Android, old rope shares soar
There are a few rarefied moments in the conscious of the world that unify us all. For nerds of a certain age, it's that point in 1996 when we first heard those hideous but oft-quoted one-liners spilling out of Duke Nukem's pixellated mouth. Thanks to MachineWorks NorthWest and Tapjoy, very soon you'll be able to relive those moments over and over again on your Android device (running version 2.1 or above). As it's a port of the iOS edition, we can expect pricing to remain around the same $1 mark -- so, you can decide if you'd rather kick some ass or chew some gum.
Duke Nukem 3D gets some on Android
We guess Duke's ride wasn't too shot up, as he's making his way over to Android. Tapjoy and MachineWorks NorthWest have teamed up to bring the original classic, Duke Nukem 3D, to the Android Marketplace starting "very soon." It's all part of the Tapjoy Android Fund, an initiative started to bring "top-quality mobile games and applications" to the Android platform. Duke Nukem 3D on Android is a port of the iOS version, and will be compatible with Android phones and tablet devices running version 2.1 and up.
Tapjoy alters marketing strategy to comply with App Store changes
Down but not out, Tapjoy confirmed to AllThingsD that it is modifying its incentivized purchases to work within Apple's new ranking system and to ensure its apps will make their way into the App Store. Last week, Apple made changes in its app store ranking system that downplayed the ranking of apps, and reviewers even rejected some apps that include cross-application marketing programs. The largest company affected by these changes was Tapjoy, a social and mobile game distribution network that offers these "incentivized purchases." In this system, an app developer pays money to be promoted by another application within Tapjoy's network. When a user wants to purchase an in-app item, like a new level, the user can download one of these sponsored apps in lieu of paying for the upgrade using virtual currency. This system increases the potential audience for these smaller developers and helps them increase their download numbers. Tapjoy's system was so successful it artificially propelled some apps to the top of the App Store because they were downloaded so often. Tapjoy modified its cross-marketing system and these changes appear to be working. CEO Mihir Shah confirmed "[Apple has] rejected certain apps for a certain mechanism. When we have tweaked that mechanism we have seen apps approved." These changes supposedly include a self-imposed cap that limits the usage of these pay-per-install promotions. Shah also re-iterated that Tapjoy is just going through some growing pains, and Apple has not "shut them down." While Tapjoy struggles, this circumstance may pave the way for other app networks, like Appia, to make inroads into this lucrative mobile marketing approach.
Apple banning pay-per-install apps from the App Store says Tapjoy
Apple is not only tweaking its App Store rankings to downrank pay-per-install applications, it may be actively banning these applications from the App Store. According to Tapjoy, several developers within their network are receiving rejection notices from Apple because their applications feature a pay-per-install promotion. This cross-application promotion lets users buy virtual in-app goods by downloading other applications instead of sending a payment. This practice has been criticized because it artificially boosts the download counts of applications. Users download these advertised applications because they want something for free, not because the app is desirable. Tapjoy claims these incentive-based downloads are not directly prohibited by Apple's developers guidelines, but believes Apple is applying section 3.10 to apps within its network. Section 3.10 of Apple's developer agreement states: Developers who attempt to manipulate or cheat the user reviews or chart ranking in the App Store with fake or paid reviews, or any other inappropriate methods will be removed from the iOS Developer Program Tapjoy defends its pay-per-install model by claiming the system is misunderstood. It acknowledges that campaigns may boost the downloads of some participating developers, but the overall model is beneficial to users, advertisers, and developers. Tapjoy supports the recent changes to Apple's ranking algorithm and is asking Apple to reconsider its unofficial ban on pay-per-install applications.
Apple tweaks app ranking system
Apple has reportedly modified its app ranking system to include criteria besides the number of application downloads. This change was noticed by ad network executives and other companies that monitor the ranking of applications in Apple's iOS App Store. Facebook, Skype and Pandora are three applications whose spike in ranking caught the eye of many people. Facebook moved from #13 to #1, Skype from #33 to #11 and Pandora from #22 to the top ten. Before last week, these apps were steady in their rankings, leading many to believe that Apple modified something in its ranking system to produce these jumps. Read on to find out what criteria Apple may have changed.
AdMob withdraws from 3rd party ad networks
AdMob is one of the bigger names in iPhone ad-supported applications. They provide embeddable advertisements that developers can incorporate into otherwise free apps. Recently, third-party ad networks like AdWhirl and Tapjoy have appeared on the scene, offering to negotiate ad displays from multiple sources to increase developer revenues and increase fill rates. Yesterday, citing increased technical complaints and parameter obstruction, AdMob announced that it would no longer work with these third party mediation services. This move affects developers who turned to dynamic advertisement solutions from third parties. AdMob will continue to allow developers to use their own solutions for maximizing ad fill rates outside these services. Ad-supported applications are not particularly common in the App Store, where they have been relatively unsuccessful as a monetizing solution (jailbreak apps on Cydia and Icy have provided somewhat more effective results). App Store titles must compete in a huge market with delays in providing updates. The relatively close relationship between software creators and their target audience and quick update/release cycles appears to work better with ad-supported models than the more formal App Store environment. Further details about the AdMob policy change can be found on their blog.
