Had this idea, dunno what you think? https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/56760890/thedesolationofsmaugLWPlivewallpaper.apk It's quite image heavy and feels to always be on the verge of crashing on HTC One X. Would be interesting to hear what happens on other devices. GUI still needs to be a bit slicker, it's rough in places. Won't be going on gplay...
Link in OP is updated, sorry about that. I put the LWP items/backgrounds/action_items into a picture gallery and slider puzzle game - trying to extend the use of the existing image assets without growing the size of the apk too much. I sort of had the idea of trying to make LWP settings more interesting with additional stuff, which might also justify using Leadbolt's re-engagement notifications. Not sure if the concept is sound or not? What do you think Vas?
Fixed a NPE, should work ok now https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/56760890/thedesolationofsmaugLWPlivewallpaper.apk
Upgrading your settings activity is a good idea. There aren't many ads that you can put into the live wallpaper itself, so exploring the possibilities of the settings activity is the right direction. I would suggest to make the splash activity as engaging as you can, since users can access it through the shortcut on the home screen. Include the link to the wallpaper and its settings, or maybe some other extra links. I would also suggest to check out Mobilecore for your ad solution. They have some sort of slider ad unit (that I haven't played around with yet), and some really nice interstitials. Their rates aren't too bad either. Check them out www.mobilecore.com?ref=4DA49 (referral link)
Thanks Vas, yeah the settings activity appears to be the key. I've only got experience of LWP's as a user and I know developers have only got about a 10 minute window to earn money off me while I'm playing with the settings, so I get bombarded with eula's, pop ups, interstitials, ad after ad after ad. It's a horrible experience, but from a developer point of view I can understand why it's done, as once the setting are looked at once or maybe twice, that's the end of the earnings. So my thinking is to make the settings more engaging so I can use less aggressive advertising and hopefully get returning users. ...That's the idea anyway!