Android release process is heaven

[Adam Schmelzle]

Here's the process for android...

1) Make game (however long it takes)
2) sign + package game (10 seconds)
3) upload game to android marketplace (10 seconds)

That's it. When you upload the game it's immediately available! I can go MONTHS waiting for Apple to approve/reject (never know which it'll be) iPhone releases.

I may not be making any more iPhone games. Android distribution is so non problematic that it makes iPhone development seem like a joke. Now I'll have to wait and compare the download numbers...

[chrisl]

How does the signing process work?

[Adam Schmelzle]

You make the .apk file, then sign it using jarsigner which is included with the SDK. I was using the eclipse option to sign+export, but that doesn't have any console output, and must have been messing up without telling me. So I switched to the command line tool and all is well.

To sign an apk you need to create the keystore, which is just a unique signature that you generate on your own using the provided tool. Nothing special, no validation, no signing authorities. It's just something that identifies you uniquely in the marketplace as long as you use the same key to sign all your apps.

[chrisl]

OK, quite straightforward then. I was afraid it was something like Java signing...

BTW, almost completely off-topic: did you consider uploading your games to Nokia Ovi Store?
There may be potential there, but their start was a bit shaky and the whole JavaVerified / signing stuff looks a bit scary:
discussion.forum.nokia.com/forum/showthread.php?t=166673

[Adam Schmelzle]

I haven't even looked at it yet. Anything that requires the old-school java verification/signing is something I'm gonna avoid at all costs.


... I read through some of that. I hope they at least get a decent number of downloads. I wouldn't want to pay anything to release a free game unless the numbers are huge.