Comments on: The Developer-Friendly AppStore http://johnehartzog.com/2009/06/the-developer-friendly-appstore/ Programming projects and sample code Wed, 16 May 2012 04:00:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Eric http://johnehartzog.com/2009/06/the-developer-friendly-appstore/comment-page-1/#comment-1890 Eric Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:08:04 +0000 http://johnehartzog.com/?p=348#comment-1890 I wish I had a magic solution for you, but there is basically none that I know of. Either the market in the AppStore picks up your app and drives it to the top 100 and you do well, or you fail to break through that barrier and never gain much visibility. The best advice I can give is keep trying to create apps that 1) are something new that isn't already in the store and 2) are something that bring something really unique and fun that is easy to pick up and enjoy. With StickWars, I didn't really have to market or promote it, the AppStore took care of that after the first few days. I wish I had a magic solution for you, but there is basically none that I know of. Either the market in the AppStore picks up your app and drives it to the top 100 and you do well, or you fail to break through that barrier and never gain much visibility.

The best advice I can give is keep trying to create apps that 1) are something new that isn’t already in the store and 2) are something that bring something really unique and fun that is easy to pick up and enjoy.

With StickWars, I didn’t really have to market or promote it, the AppStore took care of that after the first few days.

]]> By: juan pablo http://johnehartzog.com/2009/06/the-developer-friendly-appstore/comment-page-1/#comment-1889 juan pablo Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:03:41 +0000 http://johnehartzog.com/?p=348#comment-1889 May name is Juan Pablo, I´m a struggling iphone app Developer from Argentina. For about 2 months I have been working on my apps and i have been having lots of problems with distribution and marketing. I found it really difficult to make my apps notices. I really loved what you did whit stickWars and the amount of publicity you got from it is phenomenal. I am basically asking for a rome… Could you point me in the right way concerning App marketing and awareness. Pleas check my apps, i would love to hear what you think about them. WWW.iphoideas.com Thanks! Juan Pablo Luchetti iphoideas May name is Juan Pablo, I´m a struggling iphone app Developer from Argentina. For about 2 months I have been working on my apps and i have been having lots of problems with distribution and marketing. I found it really difficult to make my apps notices. I really loved what you did whit stickWars and the amount of publicity you got from it is phenomenal. I am basically asking for a rome… Could you point me in the right way concerning App marketing and awareness. Pleas check my apps, i would love to hear what you think about them.
http://WWW.iphoideas.com
Thanks!
Juan Pablo Luchetti
iphoideas

]]> By: Eric http://johnehartzog.com/2009/06/the-developer-friendly-appstore/comment-page-1/#comment-1805 Eric Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:20:06 +0000 http://johnehartzog.com/?p=348#comment-1805 I agree that it is a delicate issue, but understand that apple DOES pay favoritism with some apps. While StickWars was sitting there waiting for a very needed update to go through for 3-4 weeks, other larger companies had their updates approved in a matter of days. I assume this is because they have more direct contact with Apple. It needs to be one way or the other...either Apple treats everybody the same, or shows a little favoritism towards all the apps that say have over a million users, not just the apps from the bigger companies. I agree that it is a delicate issue, but understand that apple DOES pay favoritism with some apps. While StickWars was sitting there waiting for a very needed update to go through for 3-4 weeks, other larger companies had their updates approved in a matter of days. I assume this is because they have more direct contact with Apple.

It needs to be one way or the other…either Apple treats everybody the same, or shows a little favoritism towards all the apps that say have over a million users, not just the apps from the bigger companies.

]]> By: SP http://johnehartzog.com/2009/06/the-developer-friendly-appstore/comment-page-1/#comment-1804 SP Sat, 25 Jul 2009 05:13:01 +0000 http://johnehartzog.com/?p=348#comment-1804 I don't agree with your suggestion N1. No developer should receive more attention based on popularity of the app. The only reason your app is so popular is it managed to get into top10. There are many other apps no any worse than yours that don't make it top 10 simply because they are cut off from exposure. Im sure if your wasn't in top10 you wouldn't in your honesty give an advice like that. But the game is done well. Very respectable. Congratulations! I don’t agree with your suggestion N1. No developer should receive more attention based on popularity of the app. The only reason your app is so popular is it managed to get into top10. There are many other apps no any worse than yours that don’t make it top 10 simply because they are cut off from exposure. Im sure if your wasn’t in top10 you wouldn’t in your honesty give an advice like that.

But the game is done well. Very respectable. Congratulations!

]]> By: Cramzy.com http://johnehartzog.com/2009/06/the-developer-friendly-appstore/comment-page-1/#comment-1692 Cramzy.com Thu, 18 Jun 2009 18:53:43 +0000 http://johnehartzog.com/?p=348#comment-1692 We are at the same place you are, except the payments one since we are holding them on purpose. But we have 18 000 Cool Jokes in review for over a month now, and Ananga Ranga for 2 weeks. I emailed a dozen of times, I called them on the phone 3 times and nothing. It's just Apple... they tolerate big companies but no the small ones. See Star Defence- the night it was announced by ngmoco, it was live on the App Store. I wonder if Apple will ever have the smarts to realize that if they continue to treat developers differently, it's just a matter of time before the only publishers there are the big fishes. And I wonder how the iPhone users will feel having 4-5 new apps coming per month, because all the smaller developers decided to go to a better organized place. We are at the same place you are, except the payments one since we are holding them on purpose.
But we have 18 000 Cool Jokes in review for over a month now, and Ananga Ranga for 2 weeks.
I emailed a dozen of times, I called them on the phone 3 times and nothing. It’s just Apple… they tolerate big companies but no the small ones. See Star Defence- the night it was announced by ngmoco, it was live on the App Store.

I wonder if Apple will ever have the smarts to realize that if they continue to treat developers differently, it’s just a matter of time before the only publishers there are the big fishes. And I wonder how the iPhone users will feel having 4-5 new apps coming per month, because all the smaller developers decided to go to a better organized place.

]]> By: Qing Wang http://johnehartzog.com/2009/06/the-developer-friendly-appstore/comment-page-1/#comment-1690 Qing Wang Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:22:54 +0000 http://johnehartzog.com/?p=348#comment-1690 As someone who's witnessed this process from the beginning, I agree that from a developer's standpoint, Apple makes it really difficult to monitor your own game's progress. This is not a major market where developers can hire some consulting agency or market research company to give a detailed report on their product. Instead, Apple controls the market and therefore holds monopoly power on what developers and gamers can do. They need to have someone create a better method for handling all these new apps, because without good updates, people are going to just lose interest in the countless useless apps. Apple has historically distinguished itself on quality and it doesn't seem like their applications database is being run very effectively...there's no feedback, no indicator of how long an approval will take, etc. They need to ensure that the top apps receive some level of priority because of the massive number of players. These are also the most talented programmers who are constantly being recruited by Apple competitors. It would be VERY unwise to ignore their top programmers. As someone who’s witnessed this process from the beginning, I agree that from a developer’s standpoint, Apple makes it really difficult to monitor your own game’s progress. This is not a major market where developers can hire some consulting agency or market research company to give a detailed report on their product. Instead, Apple controls the market and therefore holds monopoly power on what developers and gamers can do. They need to have someone create a better method for handling all these new apps, because without good updates, people are going to just lose interest in the countless useless apps. Apple has historically distinguished itself on quality and it doesn’t seem like their applications database is being run very effectively…there’s no feedback, no indicator of how long an approval will take, etc. They need to ensure that the top apps receive some level of priority because of the massive number of players. These are also the most talented programmers who are constantly being recruited by Apple competitors. It would be VERY unwise to ignore their top programmers.

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