http://www.iphonedevsdk.com/forum/business-legal-app-store/26233-one-year-ago-i-quit-my-day-job.html
Interesting to see that making many small apps can be much more efficient than working on one app (except if it's stickwars).
Interesting "quit my day job to make iphone apps" feedback
(15 posts) (9 voices)-
It is interesting and sad I suppose.
He's working to the AppStore's strengths, and releasing new apps rapidly at minimal cost for his development time. His Apps are mostly 'garbage' if you read some of the reviews. Going through about 20 of his apps the average star rating is around 1 or 2.
Just a couple app reviews I clicked on with the australian store...
"Loops really bad and screwed up my other music making it loopy. Nice sounds but way too loopy."
"...This app is really bad. What is the point in providing 1 word every 24 hours? ..."It's churn and burn. Which works I suppose when you look at the figures of how many apps are being released on the store each week.
He mentions his worst app was a video game he created which took him 3 weeks to write and has given him the worst amount of cash thus far. Games I suppose are one of the hardest apps to write 'cheaply'.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I just read through the thread. I can't help feeling angry at the junk-pumpers like this. They pump out huge volumes of junk apps and hope to make a few hundred per app update and flood the market with more and more and more. I hope Apple fixes the problem as they are the ones that setup the appstore to allow this sort of exploitation. Maybe there should be a developer fee/signup per app? Maybe a different section for really bad looking crap apps? I don't have the perfect solution, but something needs fixing/changing.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I really hate junk devs, from all of these 60k apps I can say that at least 80% are junk apps that bury our apps....
The appstore should be filtered in a way, or renewed, as it certainly is a junk yard...
I really hope the appstore will get a fresh start and that Apple will find a way to somehow filter those junk devs, although I disagree with the fee/per app method.Posted 2 years ago # -
I would def. prefer a submission limit over a submission fee (as it would suck to have to pay a submission fee with no guarantee of profit). Limiting accounts to two app submissions (as in, through the review process -- people should still be able to reject a binary prematurely if they find problems they want to address) per month (new app submissions AND updates would count as a submission) and one Lite version of an already submitted app, let's say, wouldn't really change things for developers who are actually trying to make quality apps. Oh, wait, yeah it would -- maybe review times wouldn't be as long as they are now (because there are so many apps for review in the queue)...
Posted 2 years ago # -
I like your idea of X apps per month. Something has to change to up the quality of the apps and discourage mass publishing of junk.
Posted 2 years ago # -
vutronic
MemberMaybe Apple should set up a voting system, where users can vote either "Junk" or "Fun" for a game. If a game has more than..let's say 500 junk hits it should go in the Junk list. People still able to browse the Junk list in the app store. and after a period of time junk games will get deleted automatically, just like how the Junk folder works in your mail box :)
Posted 2 years ago # -
No matter what, people will do anything for money. Look at who we have for examples - Wall St. and politicians. Whatever Apple does, will have short term effectiveness and then somebody will find a way to exploit it. All you can do is make quality apps, make accurate descriptions and screenshots, use free marketing tools and hope for the best. I believe if your app is good enough it will rise to the top. I can't name any amazing games with wide appeal that haven't been in the top couple pages at some point. Possibly (and ironically) because I haven't hear of them though :(
Posted 2 years ago # -
jd, until recently I really thought you were right that quality apps will rise to the top. Any maybe eventually they will. I have been watching pretty closely the releases using cocos2d and there have been a couple over the last few months that should have done better than they have. One recent example that comes to mind is WheelieJoe. It is clever, fun, well done. Is it the absolute best that has hit the appstore, no. But it is top50 material for sure, maybe higher for a short run. It hasn't gotten enough exposure in it's release or first update. The only choice the developer has is to keep those updates flowing and hope it isn't insta buried by 100 ringtone apps, game-guides, or joke apps. Getting seen during your time on the new release section seems to be 99% of what determines if an app makes it.
Posted 2 years ago # -
@jptsetung, You should get 24 hours to return an app for full refund. If it was a week or longer, being a developer would be frustrating. There are few games I'm not bored of within a week - probably because I may overplay them initially. I still wouldn't return most of them but once again I think people would take advantage.
@friken, I haven't played WheelieJoe but from what I read on here it's fun and addicting. That's part of the reason I didn't get it - I need to spend all my time getting my own game out the door. But from the odd description and seemingly purposely lower tier graphics in the 2 screenshots it's not going to appeal to a huge audience. I'm not knocking it, I'm playing the role of consumer. I prefer fun over graphics any day myself. I hope I'm right about what I said. Please be right.
Posted 2 years ago # -
"(except if it's stickwars)."
w00t!
Seriously though, I agree with you guys. I disapprove of pump and dump apps once every two weeks to the app store. Will it make money? Yes. Remember that Indian guy who had 20 guys putting in like 3 apps a day and got banned finally? They were making hundreds of thousands a month. And ruining the experience for many, many people, customers and developers included.
I'm not saying the above guy is doing it at this level, but it is actually a pretty wide line, and some people are slowly working their way to the wrong side.
I could pump out more games and probably make a decent bit more money (I can start and finish a decent game in ~1 week), but I'd rather take the time to create really enjoyable apps.
Posted 2 years ago #
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