The launch of the new Search Trial Run Ads is planned to make its first appearance within the next few weeks and will also feature the choice for both free and paid game developers offer the free trial.
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Now that you have had time to play with Android N, what other improvements would you like to see, and what bugs have you come across? In the next few weeks, ads in Android search results will allow users to take games for a test drive before choosing whether to download them.
Today was Google’s “Developer Day” at its Game Developers Conference, and the company celebrated with the launch of a number of new services for game developers. Chances are, after all, that these users are also the most likely to want to try a new game. As someone who both follows and supports indie developers both on all platforms, I am thrilled to see this. In a way this reminds us of Google’s image search.
Portrait video ads: The majority of people who play games and watch interstitial videos hold their phones vertically, and now Google is offering up an ad unit so that developers can reach those people without hitting them with an awkward-looking horizontal video. Portrait video ads will mean that those users can view ads correctly without having to rotate their devices. The Play Games app will soon be updated with more social features that allow users to add and interact with friends without the need for Google+.
The linkage between the Google Search page and the game trial will consist of a button for “Try Now” appearing when typing, for instance, Clash of Clans.
The addition of the Video Recording API is certainly interesting, and will appeal to the growing game streaming community.
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Other new features for game developers (and users) include a new Indie Corner of the Play Store, where users can find games from independent developers, improved analytics tools for developers, and a video recording API that lets developers add a recording button to their games so that users can record and share their gaming sessions from within the app. Trial apps have typically been shunned from app stores like Google Play and iOS’ App Store, however streaming reduces app redundancy and makes it easier for users to try new offerings from developers. While initially aimed at game developers, Trial Run Ads will be available to a a wide range of apps.
