Writing a blog entry on a topic as delicate as iOS gaming vs Android gaming requires courage. The wrath of loyalists on either side must be braved but it is about time this topic was addressed! Before we get to meat of the matter, allow me to provoke the loyalists a bit – data shows iOS is doing much better than Android. Data doesn’t lie, people. You’ll just have to face it that iOS users tend to spend far more time gaming than Android users! Before you get all huffed up, allow me to appease you with the fact that Android is by no means failing; in fact the Google powered mobile operating system is consistently upgrading the quality of its gaming content, all the while pushing through with greater quantity and downloads.
The primary reason for the popularity of iOS is because it is an Apple product. It’s no secret that most developers prefer iOS game development over Android game development. The reason for this is simple; Apple products feature great hardware that supports a seemingly superior operating system. Additionally, most developers feel that iPhone and iPad game development means those games will be viewed by the public in a uniform way, exactly as the developers intended.
The case with Android is slightly different, where games can often be slightly buggy simply because the device may or not be fully compatible with the game’s features. This would often require the developers to either release the game for only a limited range of compatible devices, or to release fixes post launch. Both these scenarios often lead to a frustrated audience base, thereby impacting the popularity of the game.
Pricing is yet another issue that most developers consider before entering the game app market. iOS and Android users have several distinguishing traits when it comes to purchasing apps from either the iTunes store or the Google Play Store. Most developers feel that the Apple customer is relatively easier to understand than the Android customer. An iPhone user is usually more willing to pay for a good experience, as opposed to an Android user. Figuring out an Android user’s gaming traits is much harder mainly due to the vast variety of devices and user preferences.
In all honesty however, once the dust settles and both sides are done arguing, the most common conclusion that is drawn is that both the platforms have their benefits and drawbacks. While more developers may prefer iPhone game development, it is obvious that Android currently has a larger fan base. Unfortunately, cracking your first game release on the Android platform is quite possible harder than doing it on the iOS platform.