Amazon today announced that its Appstore is now open for business across the pond.
Developers can now submit apps for distribution this summer in the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. Expansion to other locales are expected in the near future, Amazon said.
To start, developers can visit Amazon's Mobile App Distribution Portal, which will provide details on localizing apps with localized resource files for different regions, and other tips.
Developers can choose the countries in which they want to sell their apps and at what price. Those who have already signed on to the program will have their apps automatically added to the international marketplaces, though they can opt-out of doing so.
"We are thrilled at the success our developers have experienced on the Amazon platform in the last year," said Jim Adkins, vice president of the Amazon Appstore. "Some developers have seen revenue double since the launch of In-App Purchasing. We're excited to open the door to even more opportunity by expanding app sales outside the U.S."
The Amazon AppStore launched in March 2011 with exclusive early access to Angry Birds Rio. In April 2012, Amazon added in-app purchasing for Amazon AppStore purchases, and more recently, it extended its "Test Drive" service, which allows Amazon Appstore users to try out apps before buying.
Today's international expansion, however, does include an update to Amazon's revenue-sharing arrangement. Going forward, developers will earn 70 percent of the list price on each paid app sale instead of 70 percent of the app's sales price or 20 percent of list price, whichever was greater. Amazon said it has also added "more flexibility" around timing of app submissions so developers can better control which apps they will make available to Amazon customers, and when.
Angry Birds maker Rovio will be one of the publishers to expand internationally, as will Glu Mobile and Electronic Arts.
"Taking a successful platform like Amazon's and expanding it across the globe is going to give us an even broader customer base and create an opportunity to generate even more revenue – something we are very excited about," Niccolo de Masi, CEO and President of Glu Mobile, said in a statement.
"Amazon's international expansion marks an exciting opportunity to bring our interactive entertainment experiences to even more consumers around the world," said Bernard Kim, senior vice president of Global Social & Mobile Publishing for EA, pointing to titles like Plants vs. Zombies and Scrabble.