Problems with Game Development on Android 2.0

**danDroid** · 10-30-2009, 09:23 PM

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** · 10-30-2009, 09:28 PM

[quote=dascrow;803]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 · 10-30-2009, 09:39 PM

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** · 10-30-2009, 09:42 PM

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** · 10-30-2009, 09:46 PM

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

**New2u** · 10-30-2009, 09:52 PM

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 · 10-30-2009, 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by 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.

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.