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  1. #1

    Exclamation Why haven’t Games Workshop published their digital Codexes on Android as well as IOS?

    Hey all - just published a detailed article about this on my blog, as a preparatory piece to preparing a proposal to GW about how they could open up their codexes to anyone who had access to a web browser.

    Here's the article:
    [url]http://www.tetsugaku.info/why-havent-games-workshop-published-their-digital-codexes-on-android-as-well-as-iosipad/[/url]

    And here's an excerpt:

    A great many reasons. I grew tired of explaining them to fanboys on the internet so I’ll explain the problems here. Your comments are more than welcome, as is your feedback on my proposed solution.

    1) Market Share.
    The tablet market is split 60%/40% – IOS / Android according to the latest figures I could track down. This means that the largest single chunk, is resoundingly in Apples garden.

    2) Fragmentation
    Apple tablets are a single system. They all have the same size screen, one of two resolutions and predictable hardware. Android devices do not have *any* of these benefits as you can see in these info graphics. Designign for them is much, much harder as you have to account for so many more variables.
    I'd really appreciate your comments on the article as everything I can get from real gamers (you lot) helps me out with my user research.

    Cheers

  2. #2
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    Your reasons being somewhat flawed aside - the solution is simple and as you pointed out - very easy to accomplish with HTML5.

  3. #3
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    Nice, straight forward read with really good links. Bravo on that.

    Quote Originally Posted by Defenestratus View Post
    Your reasons being somewhat flawed aside - the solution is simple and as you pointed out - very easy to accomplish with HTML5.
    Where are the reasons flawed. You keep saying this. What in this article comes with flawed reasoning?

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  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by Defenestratus View Post
    Your reasons being somewhat flawed aside - the solution is simple and as you pointed out - very easy to accomplish with HTML5.
    Brilliant well this is the sort of feedback I'm looking for - if you could tell me what you think is flawed, source some stats and reply on the article I'd like to update it so it better reflects opinions?

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    I do understand the ease of writing for a single device vs multiple. But Android far out numbers iOS phones. Though tablets certainly are better for reading the codecies and such, It would be great to have them on the smaller screen as well.

    Smartphone split:
    50% = Android
    30% = iOS

    From here:
    [url]http://www.macrumors.com/2012/04/03/android-tops-50-ios-hits-30-in-u-s-smartphone-installed-user-base/[/url]

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by JMichael View Post
    I do understand the ease of writing for a single device vs multiple. But Android far out numbers iOS phones. Though tablets certainly are better for reading the codecies and such, It would be great to have them on the smaller screen as well.

    Smartphone split:
    50% = Android
    30% = iOS

    From here:
    [url]http://www.macrumors.com/2012/04/03/android-tops-50-ios-hits-30-in-u-s-smartphone-installed-user-base/[/url]

    Of you're definitely right about the share of the market - but those numbers don't tell the whole story, in fact they're positively misleading. As I go into in the main article there are a lot more reasons why IOS users are more likely to make the purchase than Android users, the marketplace, the accounts, the one click purchasing (linked to the credit cards), frankly IOS users are more likely to have a larger disposable income.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tetsugaku View Post
    Of you're definitely right about the share of the market - but those numbers don't tell the whole story, in fact they're positively misleading. As I go into in the main article there are a lot more reasons why IOS users are more likely to make the purchase than Android users, the marketplace, the accounts, the one click purchasing (linked to the credit cards), frankly IOS users are more likely to have a larger disposable income.
    (Almost) All android users have a Google Play account. Furthermore, content can be purchased from the web store on the PC and is immediately available on all android devices. "One click" perhaps its not, but its very very fast - and yes, the Play Store is linked to my credit card. I buy movies, books, music, magazines and apps all through the Play store with my credit card, or Google Wallet, or Carrier Billing. Its actually a lot harder to buy something from Amazon on my mobile devices than it is from the Play Store.

    As for "who would want to read a codex on their phone" question is quite simply the myopic, anti-options, closed-ecosystem mentality of a iOS drone. Just because YOU can't see a reason for it, doesn't mean there isn't someone out there that would like that option.

    Plus, I agree that I wouldn't want to read a codex on the postage stamp sized screen of the iPhone (even the new one that supposedly has a still inferior-sized screen).

    On my Gnex however - I read kindle books all the time when I don't have my tablet handy (which conveniently synchs with my other devices automatically so I don't have to "catch up" on my tablet later).

    As for the issues that the OP had on his website regarding the "issues" with developing for Android. Many of them have been debunked on other sites that aren't as skewed towards the Apple koolaid. Some of them are past complaints that have been antiquated due to developments in the ecosystem.

    Ok so its possible to NOT have a google play account or even a google account to use an android device and still retain a lot of functionality.

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    Quote Originally Posted by JMichael View Post
    I do understand the ease of writing for a single device vs multiple. But Android far out numbers iOS phones. Though tablets certainly are better for reading the codecies and such, It would be great to have them on the smaller screen as well.

    Smartphone split:
    50% = Android
    30% = iOS

    From here:
    [url]http://www.macrumors.com/2012/04/03/android-tops-50-ios-hits-30-in-u-s-smartphone-installed-user-base/[/url]
    No one disputes that. But who wants to read their codex on their phone?

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  9. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by wittdooley View Post
    No one disputes that. But who wants to read their codex on their phone?
    Well I'd want to access my army list in an easy to read format, compete with a quick reference table of all the special rules I might need at the tabletop?

    I might want to tweak my army its whilst I was on the train on the way to work and didn't have my tablet.

    The smart phone is ubiquitous, you always have it with you.

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