Some thoughts on google android as a gaming platform

With the launch of the first android device (T-Mobile G1) just around the corner, I would like to share with you a few thoughts regarding the viability of the android platform for gaming purposes.
Android has rich multimedia and graphics api's:
1.Support for openGL/ES and 2D drawing.
2.Media api's.
3.Support for sensors (GPS and accelerometer).
4.Networking.
5.Optional touch interface.

So in theory, it should be ideal for gaming, right?

Well yes, but there are some caveats:
1. Not all devices will support touch interfaces and sensors.
2. Not all devices will have the same screen size.
3. For gaming, some sort of joystick or D-PAD device is essential. A D-PAD was standard in the various emulator images, since the first SDK, but the first device (The T-Mobile G1) comes without a D-PAD! Instead, we get a tiny trackball, not the best IO device for gaming!
So the problem is that as it seems, we will have a lot of different devices, with different configurations. Some will have touch interfaces, some will not, some will have a D-PAD, some will have trackballs, some will have acceleration sensors and so on. So, a game developer that develops for android will have the same kind of problems that a PC game programmer has. Different screen sizes and IO devices and so on... That increases the amount of time and resources a developer has to use in order to make his game playable on most phones. The same problems that drive a lot of PC game developers to game consoles.

So how can this be remedied? Well I guess that one possible solution is the introduction of a limited set of device profiles. Something like basic, gaming and advanced profiles, that will provide the developer with the same set of IO features.
Otherwise, I see a lot of developers fleeing to the apple iPhone, with it's game console simplicity, rather than the android's PC like capabilities.

I'd love to see your opinion on those thoughts, so shoot!

Waiting for the new android SDK

As some of you may have noticed I've put monolithandroid development on hiatus. The reasons: Some personal mishaps (which include my broken elbow, my desktop computer dying of old age and increased workload in my dayjob). But the main reason is that I am waiting for the brand new release of the Android SDK. I hope that the new SDK will correct a few bugs and that an increased number of API's and documentation will become available (for example javax.sound.sampled and javax.sound midi). The new SDK will sport a new UI as I hear (designed by TAT?). In the meantime, in Barcelona, Mobile World Congress is taking place. I wish I was there because I hear that a few manufacturers are demoing android powered devices and the first reviews are really positive! But no sign of monolithandoid so far ;-). Hey guys, monolithandroid is free software, load it up to your devices, I want to see it running in real hardware!