Windows no ads in windows anymore? do they really mean it?

[meyla]

no idea why the ads option was removed from the windows version of the game (a month already?), however, the game enjoyment dropped below zero and the screenshot demonstrates the "playability" of the windows airport city today - just having planes jammed means no enjoyment at all..... if this continue (i mean changing the rules constantly through time and then apologizing), i consider giving it up... any idea anybody why this happened / happens?

 

[Anton01]

This was posted on discord

 

[PlatinumFox]

I have read that other Windows users have successfully run an Android emulator to allow them to use the Android version of AC. I don't have personal experience with that, in my case I bought an iPad and never looked back.

 

[Maverick68]

Cut off? Wow, maybe cause of a month long platform fiasco? 🤔

 

[jpm-wv]

From what I understand, on Windows, Game Insight got cut off from it's ad network. That does create numerous problems because other platforms an unfair advantage over us. I'm not sure what the solution is, but this does expose some other issues including some bugs I had mentioned here in the past such as one where it becomes impossible to upgrade Town Hall to some levels because you can't get the parts for it without watching ads.

Sometimes, in software development, you have to be careful of unintended consequences. That's why it can be "Go big or go home!!!" or "In for a penny, in for a pound".

 

[meyla]

View attachment 56636

This was posted on discord

thanks for the fwdd message, i do understand the game-owner pain now, what i don't however is how they treat players and (mis)communicate.... ok, i am not a player of their utmost interest (minimum purchases, just a strolling player...), however this kind of "treatment" is wierd... if this continue, i'd simply quit....

 

[andy8758]

Money talks. Its just a personal observation, but if GI are not losing a lot of money, there is little incentive for them to rectfiy the problem. My main game is IOS - and thats the game I spend money on. My 3 support accounts are Windows games, and I never spend money on these games. How many Windows games are also supports?

 

[uk_crunch]

if this is going to be the case, why not make some items available from other places in neighbours cities even on a seldom basis...?

 

[Aviator TD]

From what I understand, on Windows, Game Insight got cut off from it's ad network. That does create numerous problems because other platforms an unfair advantage over us. I'm not sure what the solution is, but this does expose some other issues including some bugs I had mentioned here in the past such as one where it becomes impossible to upgrade Town Hall to some levels because you can't get the parts for it without watching ads.

Sometimes, in software development, you have to be careful of unintended consequences. That's why it can be "Go big or go home!!!" or "In for a penny, in for a pound".

Is the one "ad network" that cut off GI a global agency though? I would have thought it makes sense to have different ad agencies for different continents/regions.

 

[jpm-wv]

Is the one "ad network" that cut off GI a global agency though? I would have thought it makes sense to have different ad agencies for different continents/regions.

I think the ads are provided by Microsoft Advertising (formerly bing). Developers would sign up for the network and use that ad network's API (application programming interface). This is easy since Microsoft also develops Windows itself. In fact, one could argue that Microsoft is actually using Windows as a "loss leader" which is something that is sold way below the actual value of the product.

You see similar things with Google Android and Apple iOS as well as Amazon FireOS.

These companies become a broker or go-between. Often, in order to be in the store, you have to use their advertising networks and follow THEIR rules. There up and downsides to this.

Upsides:
1) On a particular platform, you deal with ONLY one party instead of a bunch of parties or make your direct sales. That can save a lot of cost and manpower plus you don't have to know who the advertisers are.
2) You can take advantage of the API's that are already provided instead of getting that stuff from a third-party vendor complete with their libraries that you include with your software.
3) You get listed in a convenient place for users to download your application without them having to browse the web to obtain it meaning you would actually have to promote it yourself or hire someone to promote you to potential users.
4) You often do NOT have to take care of all the details involved with credit card interactions. This would include things like Merchant accounts, chargebacks, and security.

Downsides:
1) You are forced to rely on the store to do things such as advertising and credit card transactions. I heard of one developer that enabled their own transactions in a game and it got booted off Apple's network for it. This was NOT GI but you get the point. That can constrain some monetization and marketing. That's probably why GI could not enable subscriptions for Windows users.
2) Your game content might be restricted by various regulations in various jurisdictions where the network operates. Microsoft at it's basic level has to comply with US law, the laws of Washington State, and local laws for Redmond, Washington. Since they are doing this in various nations, they are subject to those regulations.
3) The broker will get their share of the sales or at least an "admin" fee so you might not as much control over how much a user actually pays for something

 

[Maverick68]

Is the one "ad network" that cut off GI a global agency though? I would have thought it makes sense to have different ad agencies for different continents/regions.

I would think would be more "global" to meet the needs of all else localized versions would be needed. From my limited knowledge for Win10 store games there are multiple ad networks, think around 4-5 such as Microsoft, Vungle and AdDuplex but are split out by different SDK's (software development kit) and AC appears to use interstitial type ads on top of this which further limits the choices.

My guess, since AC appears to be written using Unity is they opted out of the default Microsoft ads network for 'AdDuplex' which caters more for Unity built games and hence uses their SDK. If they were "cut off" this would require a different ad network and therefore a different SDK; hence a rewrite, contract, testing, validation, etc. Nothing overnight and as others have pointed out, if they even care about this loss of revenue.

 

[Barkmi4 (Mike)]

Meanwhile on android, forced adverts whenever you visit a neighbour, click on your hangar, or take the twice daily free gift from the store.

 

[Parker]

You now need to mamage Russian to play the game

 

[CajsaMacD]

I have read that other Windows users have successfully run an Android emulator to allow them to use the Android version of AC. I don't have personal experience with that, in my case I bought an iPad and never looked back.

Tried, but the Android emulator kept crashing and I lost some progress on a low level account, enough to have the account transferred to Windows. 4 days later I got the month-long delay in updates for the Windows platform, and now no ads - my main game is on iPad and I have demoted my Windows accounts to support accounts. The Windows platform is nothing but a great big cul-de-sac!

 

[Madge59230]

Tried, but the Android emulator kept crashing and I lost some progress on a low level account, enough to have the account transferred to Windows. 4 days later I got the month-long delay in updates for the Windows platform, and now no ads - my main game is on iPad and I have demoted my Windows accounts to support accounts. The Windows platform is nothing but a great big cul-de-sac!

Oh what short memories the world has! For YEARS windows had no ads. People would talk to each other. Ask for help. A really community of inter aid. There are high level games on windows games built on NO ADs. That’s a cul-de-sac.?!
Get talking. Get asking. Get communicating. The world lives in its own little bubble. Burst the bloody bubble and ask for what you need! A lot of items you can fly for.

How lazy the world has got!!!!

 

[Rog]

View attachment 56636

This was posted on discord

Really need this fixed ASAP - it's letting down the alliance I am in as well as spoiling the game for me.

 

[ItsRalphy]

Really need this fixed ASAP - it's letting down the alliance I am in as well as spoiling the game for me.

Absolutely agree.

 

[PlatinumFox]

What I don't get about the "the ad vendor for Windows cut GI off" story is that I see Vungle ads on my iPad version of AC, and Vungle certainly offers ads for Unity on Windows. It doesn't make sense that Vungle cut off ONLY the Windows ads and continues to provide iOS ads. And I know that shifting to another ad vendor takes tens of hours from the development team, like a short work week. Maybe they move to a different ad vendor (again)?