[Update] Amazon has issued a press release officially announcing the launch of the Amazon Appstore in several European countries. Read the full press release below.
Amazon has made some significant changes to its Appstore developer portal as it prepares to start selling apps outside of the U.S. According to a message posted for app developers, “Apps will be made available for distribution in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain later this summer, with plans for further global expansion in the future.” The posting by Amazon is a confirmation of a rumor that started circulating just over a week ago that Amazon would launch its Appstore, which is a rival to Google Play, in Europe.
Amazon have now included options for developers to localize their apps by adding marketplace-specific pricing as well as language translations. All existing apps will automatically be made available for sale internationally, however developers do have the ability to select the countries where apps are sold. Prices for individual countries can also be set in Euros (for Germany, France, Italy, and Spain) and Pounds (for the UK).
Since Amazon is going to make its Appstore available internationally, it is now almost certain that it will also start selling the Kindle Fire in Europe this summer as well. The current understanding is that Amazon will drop the price of the current Kindle Fire to $149 in the U.S., to start clearing existing stocks and then it will introduce a new Kindle Fire line-up for the U.S and the international market including a revised $199 7-inch Kindle Fire with a 1280 by 800 screen. There are also rumors of a 10.1-inch version that, if it is to succeed, will need to have a good features list and be aggressively priced to compete with the offerings from Apple, Samsung, and the Google Nexus 7 tablet coming at Google I/O.
It is estimated that Amazon sold about 4.5 million Kindle Fires during the first few months of its launch (at the end of 2011), however the company only managed to sell a further 800,000 during the first three months of 2012. By releasing the Kindle Fire and its accompanying Appstore in Europe, Amazon hopes to boost sales and tap into new markets.
For those outside the U.S, will you buy a Kindle Fire? What price will you be prepared to pay for it? Let me know by leaving a comment below.
Amazon Opens Portal for International Mobile App Distribution
Developers around the world are invited to start submitting apps today for international distribution later this year, beginning with the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Spain
Change in developer agreement simplifies revenue share model and increases flexibility for developers
SEATTLE, Jun 20, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) – Amazon.com, Inc. today announced that developers can now submit apps for distribution this summer in the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, with plans for further global expansion in the near future. Developers can get started by visiting the Amazon Mobile App Distribution Portal.
The Amazon Appstore in the U.S. has grown to tens of thousands of apps and games in just one year. As a result of features like 1-Click purchasing and Test Drive (which allows customers to try apps before purchasing them), developers report strong monetization from the apps they offer through Amazon. Amazonrecently introduced an In-App Purchasing service that is simple for developers to integrate and helps monetize their apps and games even better than before, while still offering customers a seamless and secure 1-Click purchasing experience. Many developers have seen revenue skyrocket as a result of Amazon In-App Purchasing and are excited to offer their apps to even more customers outside the United States.
“We’ve seen that Amazon gamers are hungry for great content and are willing to open up their digital wallets to pay for it,” said Niccolo de Masi, CEO and President of Glu Mobile. “Our latest title launched on Amazon, Frontline Commando, has seen both revenue per daily active user and lifetime value metrics exceed averages as compared to other devices and platforms. Taking a successful platform likeAmazon‘s and expanding it across the globe is going to give us an even broader customer base and create an opportunity to generate even more revenue–something we are very excited about.”
“We are delighted with the strong relationship that we’ve cultivated with the U.S.Amazon Appstore since its launch, and Kindle Fire has been hugely successful for our titles,” said Peter Vesterbacka, CMO and Mighty Eagle of Rovio. “As a strong global brand with an international fan base, we are very excited to expand our offerings to Amazon‘s customers worldwide.”
“With fan-favorite games like Plants vs. Zombies and SCRABBLE topping the charts, the U.S. Amazon Appstore has been a fantastic avenue for EA to reach an entirely new segment of consumers,” said Bernard Kim, Senior Vice President of Global Social & Mobile Publishing for EA. “Amazon‘s international expansion marks an exciting opportunity to bring our interactive entertainment experiences to even more consumers around the world.”
“Amazon is a key distributor for us, delivering users who prove to be loyal and prolific in their usage,” said Evan Conway, OneLouder Apps President. “International adoption is critical to our business and we are excited to broaden our reach through Amazon‘s new global channel providing great mobile experiences for customers around the world.”
“Allrecipes.com Dinner Spinner is the #1 cooking app for the U.S. Amazon Appstoreand Kindle Fire, and our community engages with our apps 45 percent more onKindle Fire devices than any other device, so we know they love and trust theAmazon app platform,” said Lisa Sharples, President of Allrecipes.com. “Allrecipes is a trusted global brand with successful international apps and we are very excited to have Amazon help us connect with new international home cooks.”
“We are thrilled at the success our developers have experienced on the Amazonplatform in the last year,” said Jim Adkins, Vice President of the Amazon Appstore. “Some developers have seen revenue double since the launch of In-App Purchasing. We’re excited to open the door to even more opportunity by expanding app sales outside the U.S. We see tremendous potential for current developers in our distribution program to grow with the international expansion. We also encourage new developers to join and participate in the platform’s growth.”
Developers should visit the distribution portal to learn about localizing apps with localized resource files for different regions, as well as other tips on how to prepare their apps for international distribution. Developers have the ability to select the countries where they would like to sell their apps. They can also set their list prices by marketplace. Those already participating in the program will automatically have their apps made available for sale internationally by default. And developers can easily change international availability for their apps via the distribution portal if they don’t wish to sell in select countries. Developers who are new to the program can sign up at the Amazon Mobile App Distribution Portal.
New Amazon Mobile App Distribution Terms
Today Amazon is also announcing two changes to the Amazon Mobile App Distribution agreement. First, building on the success of the April In-App Purchasing launch, and to simplify our global terms, Amazon is aligning the revenue share for paid apps with that for in-app products sold using Amazon‘s In-App Purchasing Service. Starting on July 1, developers will earn 70 percent of list price on each paid app sale. This is a change from the prior terms under which developers earned either 70 percent of the app’s sales price or 20 percent of list price (whichever was greater).
Second, the terms of the agreement have been adapted to provide even more flexibility around timing of app submissions. Developers can now better control which apps they will make available to Amazon customers, and when.
Developers can review the full agreement by visiting the Amazon Mobile App Distribution Portal now.
This article, Confirmed: Amazon Appstore coming to Europe soon [Updated] , was originally published at AndroidAuthority.com – Your Android News Source.
although i love amazon as a retailer & would prefer to buy their hardware the kindle fire 2 it’s still hard to say because the google nexus is coming out very soon + google play market is well established with thousand of apps. i will go with google for now but “may” sell the nexus when amazon’s kindle fire2 is released here in the UK,will have to wait & see. 🙂