ANDROID USERS -- Help us fix our advertising problems

Announcements
1

We’ve been getting hammered on reviews about how the ads from our new ad provider, MoPub, have been blocking the screen, blacking it out, etc in Neighbourhood Necromancer and NOLA Is Burning.

These negative reviews have the potential to seriously damage us long term, and MoPub has been somewhat unhelpful in getting the problem resolved.

HOWEVER! You can help!

If you have access to an Android device, please download these two games (don’t worry, they’re free! In fact, it’s very important that you *don’t* pay anything, because if you do, you won’t see the ads anymore).

Start the game. Play through it a bit. If you see an ad that is abusive (meaning, it stops your ability to play the game), swipe your finger back and forth across the ad at least four times. That will automatically generate an abuse report email. The abuse report email will already have MoPub’s email address in the TO field. Please CC us on that email as well (support@choiceofgames) and then send it.

We’re mostly iPhone people, and Dan’s Android testing device isn’t producing the bug.

This doesn’t have to be from your phone; if you have a friend who has an Android device, grab theirs and do this. Not all Android devices will produce the bug. But send in reports, cc us on them, and help us get this problem solved!

2

@jasonstevanhill
I installed Neighbourhood Necromancer. I was able to bring up the adds 20 times. I had no issue closing the adds. I am using a Razor phone that is 2 years old. Not sure which version of Droid it is. When I get a chance I will try to do the same with NOLA Is Burning. I also have a tablet the is run on Droid will try it tonight.

3

@Lordirish yeah, that’s the problem. The bug doesn’t seem to be entirely with the advertisers, but rather the interaction of certain ads with certain phones.

But thank you for trying! And let us know if you find anything on your tablet.

4

Jason i could close nola adds both in my phone and tablet .No problem playing it.neighborhood i have it full so i couldn’t say

5

I tried experimenting with some versions of the android and this is what I encountered. I’m using a HTC phone version sensation series not the desire series since you cannot reset the Android of the Desire. Also using an Asus and Acer tablet for this experiment lols.

I didn’t add the Android Version Froyo, Éclair, Donut, Cupcake, Banana bread, Apple pie, and the Android 0.9 which has no code name. If anyone is still using these versions then they have absolutely no clue on how to use Android OS at all or they don’t know how to break the OS hehe.

I also want to take note that it is not guaranteed that your device can be updated to the latest version of Android OS.

Some of the earliest HTC Android phones, such as Legend, Desire, Hero, do NOT support live wallpapers despite upgraded to Eclair (2.1) or later. I notice that some advertisements can be closed and some cannot be on this device.

The original Google phone, the T-Mobile G1 requires the phone to be rooted to use. (Don’t do It if you’re not familiar with upgrading or else your phone shall die.) Some advertisements can be closed and some cannot be on this device.

Here is the data that I got after downgrading and upgrading my device to see the advertisments can be closed or not.

Android Version: Kitkat Android 4.4.3 – The advertisements cannot be closed at all if using a phone, but closed when I tried it on a tablet.
Android Version: Kitkat Android 4.4.2 – The advertisements cannot be closed at all.
Android Version: Kitkat Android 4.4.1 – The advertisements cannot be closed at all.
Android Version: Kitkat Android 4.4 – A little slow on closing the advertisements, but it can be closed. You just need to scream at for two minutes for it to continue.

Android Version: Jelly Bean Android 4.3 – Can close the advertisements and its functioning normally.
Android Version: Jelly Bean Android 4.2.2 - Can close the advertisements and its functioning normally, but it’s a little laggy once you close the advertisements.
Android Version: Jelly Bean Android 4.2.1 - Can close the advertisements and its functioning normally.
Android Version: Jelly Bean Android 4.2 - Can close the advertisements and its functioning normally.
Android Version: Jelly Bean Android 4.1.2 – Can close the advertisements and its functioning normally.
Android Version: Jelly Bean Android 4.1.1 – The advertisements cannot be closed at all.
Android Version: Jelly Bean Android 4.1 - The advertisements cannot be closed at all.

Android Version: Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0.4 - Can close the advertisements and its functioning normally.
Android Version: Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0.3 - Can close the advertisements and its functioning normally.
Android Version: Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0.2 - Can close the advertisements and its functioning normally.
Android Version: Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0 - Can close the advertisements and its functioning normally.
Android Version: Ice Cream Sandwich Android 4.0.1 - Can close the advertisements and its functioning normally.

Android Version: Honeycomb Android 3.2.6 - Can close the advertisements and its functioning normally.
Android Version: Honeycomb Android 3.2.4 – A little slow on closing the advertisements, but it’s possible to close it.
Android Version: Honeycomb Android 3.2.2 - A little slow on closing the advertisements, but it’s possible to close it.
Android Version: Honeycomb Android 3.2.1 - A little slow on closing the advertisements, but it’s possible to close it.
Android Version: Honeycomb Android 3.2 - Can close the advertisements and its functioning normally.
Android Version: Honeycomb Android 3.1 – Can close the advertisements and its functioning normally.
Android Version: Honeycomb Android 3.0 - Can close the advertisements and its functioning normally.

Android Version: Gingerbread Android 2.3.4 – Can close the advertisements and its functioning normally.
Android Version: Gingerbread Android 2.3.7 – Can close the advertisements and its functioning normally.
Android Version: Gingerbread Android 2.3.6 – Can close the advertisements and its functioning normally.
Android Version: Gingerbread Android 2.3.5 – Can close the advertisements and its functioning normally.
Android Version: Gingerbread Android 2.3.3 – Can close the advertisements and its functioning normally.

Android Version: Gingerbread Android 2.3 – Can close the advertisements and its functioning normally.

6

I have 4.3 and no problems with closing the advertisements or anything else in both games

7

Android Version: Jelly Bean Android 4.3 – Can close the advertisements and its functioning normally.

Ditto to above, I’m running Jelly Bean and have experienced no problems closing ads*
It seems very much like it may be a (primarily) KitKat related issue looking at @Aera’s awesomely insightful post.

*I do however get extremely annoying screen flicker in the free versions where the entire page blinks white every handful of seconds, which I suspect is related to the adverts as it disappears when I purchase a full version of the game. My most recent experience of this was in Neighborhood Necromancer.

8

Thanks @CJW hopefully this would help.

Kitkat is still unstable and majority of the phones do not support it yet. Sure you can upgrade to Kitkat, but the phone OS won’t recognize it thus the bugs and problems.

I forgot to mention that I didn’t play any of the games. My goal was only to test if the advertisements can be closed or not.

9

Using 4.4.2 on Neighborhood Necromancer and I have not experienced any issues. Everything seems to be functioning normally.

10

Is anyone still having problems with the ads on Android devices?

11

I use a Samsung Kitkat Android 4.4.2 version and i still cannot close the advertisements.

I did however downgrade it to Jelly Bean Android 4.3 and i was able to close it normally.

12

@jasonstevanhill right when I finished and started up neighborhood necromancer and started to play it it said I had to pay to get the no ad version, but when I just got on I got some strange ad asking me if I’m single and wouldn’t let me continue until I continued with the ad… Also I’m back!

13

Also I’m using a Next book 8 tab I believe kit-kat version