Negative news for Indie Developers

General (non-technical) Marketing and Monetization
#1

I just tried to post this comment under the recent blog entry:

http://www.coronalabs.com/blog/2012/11/30/friday-night-forum-a-holiday-of-app-ortunities/
Here’s the comment which I think everyone should be aware of:
Great post and very energising, but taking a poke from the harsh end of the reality stick is this:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/12/04/top_25_app_devs_earn_half_of_revenue/

Which states negatively:

“Given the huge volume of apps available in both major app stores, developers who don’t already have a strong brand presence will find it increasingly difficult to crack the market, the company says, citing discoverability as a particular problem.”

But also positively:

“To get ahead, Canalys says small developers – and makers of non-game apps in particular – should explore as many marketing avenues as they can come up with, including discounts, brand tie-ins, social media promotion, and in-app advertising.” [import]uid: 8271 topic_id: 33667 reply_id: 333667[/import]

#2

It’s what always happens as a market matures… expect things to continue moving this direction. [import]uid: 58849 topic_id: 33667 reply_id: 133835[/import]

#3

It’s what always happens as a market matures… expect things to continue moving this direction. [import]uid: 58849 topic_id: 33667 reply_id: 133835[/import]

#4

Once Chomp (formerly known as) comes online the ecosystem will change.

IMO, the App Store ranking system is WAY broken and forces most indie developers to go free just to stay visible on the App Store. It’s a real shame too, because it brings prices down for app, just to compete, and really sets up really terrible consumer expectations down the line.

It’s crazy. In our space, kids games (4+), I’m watching developers spam the App Store with FREE apps, but then slap in paid advertising to supplement revenue or to cross promote games (the later I agree with, in moderation). One particular developer puts a moving animal behind their paid ads, enticing little kids to click there (more ad $$$)!! Of course some parents notice and blast the apps (RIGHTLY SO!). So for them, to stay afloat, they sold out and have sacrificed their morals in doing so. That may keep them temporarily up there, but it seems like they are tainting their brand in order to stay afloat in the terrible App Store ecosystem.

Overall, the stuff I’ve seen developers do to stay visible just isn’t a sustainable business model. I really hope Chomp rolls out next year… at least they’ll be more opportunity for legitimately good apps/games to spread via word of mouth. [import]uid: 63276 topic_id: 33667 reply_id: 134353[/import]

#5

I don’t know if you’re referring to a new app or not, but Apple bought Chomp a few months ago and integrated their system into the app store. It rolled out with iOS6:

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/10/01/apple-removes-chomp-website-and-app-shuts-down-existing-app-installs/ [import]uid: 8271 topic_id: 33667 reply_id: 134356[/import]

#6

I’m referring to the company, not the app.

Just a guess, but I doubt they’ll throw it away completely. I’m guessing they are still phasing in features from their systems and just started with the UI portion of the transition. My hope is that they bring in all the features, including community sharing, into the AppStore. I’d guess that they are looking to move that sort of thing into existing infrastructure like the Game Center… or more of a tighter integration with Gamecenter within the AppStore itself.

Additionally, my hope is that their algorithms will be much smarter, allowing for this social component + previous purchase history to help dictate search and suggestions within the AppStore… not merely raw # of downloads, as it is now. That will surely help those not in the top 25…

discovery is a big part of search… and they can definitely get more useful in helping users find more apps to buy on the store. [import]uid: 63276 topic_id: 33667 reply_id: 134357[/import]

#7

Once Chomp (formerly known as) comes online the ecosystem will change.

IMO, the App Store ranking system is WAY broken and forces most indie developers to go free just to stay visible on the App Store. It’s a real shame too, because it brings prices down for app, just to compete, and really sets up really terrible consumer expectations down the line.

It’s crazy. In our space, kids games (4+), I’m watching developers spam the App Store with FREE apps, but then slap in paid advertising to supplement revenue or to cross promote games (the later I agree with, in moderation). One particular developer puts a moving animal behind their paid ads, enticing little kids to click there (more ad $$$)!! Of course some parents notice and blast the apps (RIGHTLY SO!). So for them, to stay afloat, they sold out and have sacrificed their morals in doing so. That may keep them temporarily up there, but it seems like they are tainting their brand in order to stay afloat in the terrible App Store ecosystem.

Overall, the stuff I’ve seen developers do to stay visible just isn’t a sustainable business model. I really hope Chomp rolls out next year… at least they’ll be more opportunity for legitimately good apps/games to spread via word of mouth. [import]uid: 63276 topic_id: 33667 reply_id: 134353[/import]

#8

I don’t know if you’re referring to a new app or not, but Apple bought Chomp a few months ago and integrated their system into the app store. It rolled out with iOS6:

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/10/01/apple-removes-chomp-website-and-app-shuts-down-existing-app-installs/ [import]uid: 8271 topic_id: 33667 reply_id: 134356[/import]

#9

I’m referring to the company, not the app.

Just a guess, but I doubt they’ll throw it away completely. I’m guessing they are still phasing in features from their systems and just started with the UI portion of the transition. My hope is that they bring in all the features, including community sharing, into the AppStore. I’d guess that they are looking to move that sort of thing into existing infrastructure like the Game Center… or more of a tighter integration with Gamecenter within the AppStore itself.

Additionally, my hope is that their algorithms will be much smarter, allowing for this social component + previous purchase history to help dictate search and suggestions within the AppStore… not merely raw # of downloads, as it is now. That will surely help those not in the top 25…

discovery is a big part of search… and they can definitely get more useful in helping users find more apps to buy on the store. [import]uid: 63276 topic_id: 33667 reply_id: 134357[/import]