Amazon today announced its Mobile Ads API has gained a new way for Android developers to monetize their apps and games: full-screen interstitial ads. Furthermore, the company is starting to show ads to customers in Europe, starting with the UK today and then Germany “in the coming months.”
Amazon argues that interstitial ads, which are typically displayed before expected content, use the entire screen “to fully engage users” and thus “generate greater revenue than traditional banner ads.” While that’s certainly true, it’s also equally true that users detest them for the very reasons they are successful.
Here is how Amazon’s version will look like:
Amazon claims it uses a responsive design when showing interstitial ads “to ensure your user experience is not affected.” While this means ads will automatically adjust to the screen size of the device on which users are running a given app, we don’t believe the user experience won’t be affected.
The only good news for users is that Amazon’s API preloads interstitial ads to minimize the impact on app latency. That means that there won’t be a significant slowdown waiting for the ad to load, although the user will still have to deal with it when it does show up.
Amazon says interstitial ads can be integrated into an app or game in “as little as an hour.” The company also offers revenue tracking through the same developer portal as it does for banner ads.
Amazon first introduced its Mobile Ads API in March 2013, but advertising would only show up to US viewers. Developers have the option to distribute an app that incorporates the API through other Android stores with one condition: they have to distribute it through Amazon’s Appstore as well.
See also – Amazon Instant Video and Prime Instant Video moves beyond the US and into the UK and Germany and Amazon redesigns developer portal with streamlined app submissions, site-wide search, full API list, and more
Top Image Credit: Emmanuel Dunand/Getty Images
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