App Binary RC 1.25.20210218 - Android - IAP Fixes & Minor Ad Network updates

adent42adent42 Key Master, Head Chef, Executive Chef, Member, PRO Posts: 3,034
edited February 2021 in Release Notes

To get these benefits use "Build RC". It doesn't matter which version of GameSalad Creator you publish with as long as it's a version 1.25.x.

For people used to the old RC thread, I will be repeating features that are not present in the regular "Generate" build, so you know in total what you are getting with this RC. New fixes since the last RC will be in bold.

This build fixes an issue Android IAP and updates Ad Networks versions.

Android:

Changes

  • Target API 29
  • Min API 21
  • Upgrade to Google Play Service Base & Basement 17.2.1.
  • Use Google Billing Client 3.0.2 instead of deprecated AIDL billing library.
  • IronSrc 7.1.0.2 and all mediated networks.
  • Admob 19.6.0
  • Chartboost 8.2.0
  • Support configuration that sets the Child Directed & Maximum Content rating settings.
  • Addition of optional location permissions for some ad networks.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed bug where FireTV would pause on launch leading to app reviewers to think the game has frozen.
  • Fixed bug where Google IAP Consumables didn't work.
  • Fixed bug where Cancelling a Google IAP purchase would leave the item in Pending status.
  • Added and updated ad network activities so that Vungle and Fybr would work properly again under IronSrc.

iOS:

Changes

  • Publishing with IronSrc disabled will now exclude IronSrc libraries, making the binary smaller.
  • IronSrc Banner Ad Support
  • Chartboost Banner Ad Support
  • Support configuration that sets the Child Directed & Maximum Content rating settings
  • Deployment target of iOS 12.1 with SDK 14.x
  • Update to IronSrc 7.1.0.0
  • IronSrc now includes all mediated networks except HyperMX
  • Update to Chartboost 8.4.0
  • Update to Admob 7.69.0
  • Enable with the Enable Ad Network Attribution publishing option.
  • Support requestTrackingAuthorizationWithCompletionHandler
  • Support SKAdNetworkItems / SKAdNetworkIdentifier in publishing.
  • Support paymentQueue listener for App Store promotion purchases of IAP (untested).

Fixes

  • Fixed issue with loading on iOS 13, 12
  • Fixed issue with crash on AdMob Reward Ads
  • Improve Game Center. Now when Game Reset behavior is called, the Platform Login behavior will actually correctly reset the Platform Connected Attribute
  • Fix landscape loading image issue
  • Fix interstitial ad display
  • Updated code to avoid potential crashes from background updates from IAP and GameCenter
  • Accelerometer updates 1/30 of a second rather than 1/60, to hopefully better march old behavior.
  • Fixed Admob Banner Ad sizing


Both:

  • Updated Freestick to 0.3.2 allowing for more controller support.
  • Removed loading of TIFF, EXR, and RAW images from freeimage
  • Consolidated XML parsing to libxml2 (changing the table loader from expat)

Previous update: https://forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/98286/app-binary-rc-1-25-20210212-ios-fixes/p1

Commentary

This release fixed some Google Play IAP issues (see above). We've also updated publishing to better clean out unused configurations for ad networks and added the ability to enable location permissions. Location permissions will allow certain ad networks to have better / higher priced ad fill, but come at the cost of privacy. We'll leave it up to you decided whether to enable it. It's disabled by default.

As always, almost all Generated App issues are related to these RCs and not to the version of Creator you're using, so leave notes on bugs here first!

Next up, we'll resume work on expansion file loading!

Comments

  • NoobDevNoobDev Member, PRO Posts: 37

    Im getting the "To add in-app products, you need to add the BILLING permission to your APK." message in my google dev console. I've uploaded an apk using the Rc build, copy/pasted the license key and checked the google box. On my developer side I have my payment methods and merchant account already set up and have other apps (not built with gamesalad) that have in app products. is there anything else I need to do to unlock the ability to add products? also yes my release is rolled out into alpha. I posted here since iap for android was mentioned. thanks

  • BaguvixBaguvix Member Posts: 54

    I'm having the same problem. Can't set up IAP in Google Play Console because it says the apk doesn't have the billing permission. This happened with a new app I recently added. Previously added apk that had IAP already set up is working fine.

  • adent42adent42 Key Master, Head Chef, Executive Chef, Member, PRO Posts: 3,034

    okay... i wish google would make up it's mind... we're using Google Billing 3.0 which docs say do not require billing permission... we removed it because it was causing a false positive on their check for older AIDL billing SDK usage. I'll add it back in, but please let me know ASAP if you get the Google Billing warning.

    Thanks.

  • adent42adent42 Key Master, Head Chef, Executive Chef, Member, PRO Posts: 3,034

    Okay, updated.

  • NoobDevNoobDev Member, PRO Posts: 37

    That worked. Thanks!

  • adent42adent42 Key Master, Head Chef, Executive Chef, Member, PRO Posts: 3,034
    edited March 2021

    Because I'm excited gonna share expansion file progress for the next RC. I have a game loading from an expansion file now.

    I've also done some work to slightly reduce memory used when loading a large game and some of the time required to load tables (the test table I was working on went from 17 seconds to 14 seconds, so it's still not great, but it's better and now I'm starting to get an idea about why loading tables takes so long and can hopefully fix it).

    Because of the rewrite of game loading, we have a bit more testing to do before the next RC:

    • Loading encrypted games
    • Loading encrypted games from expansion file
    • Install and run expansion file game from google play
    • Resuming games after expansion file downloads (requires us to actually push the test game to Google Play).
    • Update publishing to set up expansion files. (on QA)
    • Confirm expansion files work from publishing on QA when installed from Google Play
    • Make sure loading code works fine in iOS.

    Despite the long dump on different ways to handle expansion files I think we're just gonna keep it simple. Game will appear to be loading (yay loading circle) if expansion files are not installed. Game will download the expansion files and load like usual once the game is downloaded.

    It's not ideal, since we really want to let the user know download progress but I think that's where I'll end things.

    Google wants to deprecate APKs and Expansion files in favor of App Bundles, so we think our time would be better spend upgrading our build system to handle that instead.

  • BaguvixBaguvix Member Posts: 54

    It is working now, but yeah, the false positive Google Billing warning is back

  • adent42adent42 Key Master, Head Chef, Executive Chef, Member, PRO Posts: 3,034

    Just an FYI to anyone looking, we're looking good to launch expansion files this week (we want to do a bit more testing).

    Publishing will be updated with a checkbox for expansion files. The will be an extra button below the Download APK button labeled "Expansion OBB".

    The flow will be:

    1) Build RC & Sign the apk like usual.

    2) Download the OBB file.

    3) Create a new release of your app. In the release add the obb.

    4) Profit (?)

    Looking forward to releasing this long awaited and labored over feature!

  • ArmellineArmelline Member, PRO Posts: 5,327

    Looking forward to making use of it! You've got it ready before we've finished our game though!

  • adent42adent42 Key Master, Head Chef, Executive Chef, Member, PRO Posts: 3,034

    For people keeping track, we found some issues with the upcoming expansion file build and have corrected them, we're still in a testing cycle and hope to have a release out by the end of the week.

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