Android Developer Story: Wooga’s fast iterations on Android and Google Play

Posted by Leticia Lago, Google Play team

In order to make the best possible games, Wooga works on roughly 40 concepts and prototypes per year, out of which 10 go into production, around seven soft launch, and only two make it to global launch. It’s what they call “the hit filter." For their latest title, Agent Alice, they follow up with new episodes every week to maintain player interest and engagement over time.

The ability to quickly iterate both live and under development games is therefore key to Wooga’s business model — Android and Google Play provide them the tools they need and mean that new features and updates are made on Android first, before they get to other platforms.

Find out more from Sebastian Kriese, Head of Partnerships, and Pal Tamas Feher, Head of Engineering, and learn how the iteration features of Android and Google Play have contributed to successes such as Diamond Dash, Jelly Splash, and Agent Alice.

You can find out more about building successful games businesses on Android and Google Play at Google I/O 2015: in person, on the live stream, or session recordings after the event. Check out the following:

• Developers connecting the world through Google Play - Hear how the new mobile ecosystem including Google Play and Android are empowering developers to make good on the dream of connecting the world through technology to improve people's lives. This session will be live streamed.
• Growing games with Google — In addition to consoles, PC, and browser gaming, as well as phone and tablet games, there are emerging fields including virtual reality and mobile games in the living room. This talk covers how Google is helping developers across this broad range of platforms. This session will be live streamed.
• What’s new in the Google Play Developer Console - Google Play’s new launches will help you acquire more users and improve the quality of your app. Hear an overview of the latest features and how you can start taking advantage of them in the Developer Console.
• Smarter approaches to app testing — Hear about the new ways Google can help maximize the success of your next app launch with cheaper and easier testing strategies.

Android Developer Story: The Hunt -- Increased engagement with material design and Google Play

Posted by Laura Della Torre, Google Play team

We've been in San Francisco talking with the team from The Hunt — a style and product sharing community. They've recently lifted the rate at which Android users start hunts to 20 percent after successfully implementing material design in the app, which is a 30 percent improvement over other platforms. As The Hunt’s Product Designer Jenny Davis puts it, “it felt like having a team of design experts on hand,” which lets them focus on what matters to the Android user.

But as we find out, that's not the whole story. Beta testing — managed from the Google Play Developer Console — also allowed them to iterate design and features daily. Based on feedback, they introduced the floating action button, which helped boost new hunts and helpful responses from the community. This speed and freedom is something the team thought possible only with their mobile website, until they started working with the Android tools.

Watch the video to discover more about how design and rapid iteration has been key to building a strong community.

Learn about using the tools that have helped improve user engagement for The Hunt:

• Material design — learn more about material design and how it helps you create beautiful, engaging apps.
• Beta testing — discover how to easily deliver test versions of your app to users for feedback before release.