Word from the GDC is that with iPhone games, how well it does whatever you want it to matters very little.
Quote:
Adam Saltsman, creator of Wurdle, and the duo behind Fieldrunners — Sergei Gourski and Jamie Goch — each took a little time to share how their respective games were born, grew up and conquered the iPhone App Store. Then they took a stab at explaining just how it happened.
To hear them tell it, it's like an accident. Saltsman said his friend was screwing around over some weekends and convinced him to slap a layer of bright, colorful art on it inspired by a board game his parents wouldn't buy for him; Gourski and Goch just happened to like tower defense games and thought to make one that they liked.
But from their experiences, these guys have gained a key insight: "I think quality is largely irrelevant," said Saltsman, whose newest iPhone game is about popping zits. "I think the defining thing is how quickly you can describe your product to someone else."
The example they used was Galcon versus Mood Touch. Mood Touch is "a crappy mood ring for your iPhone. There, I'm done, that's it," said Saltsman. Galcon, on the other hand, took him 15 seconds to describe as essentially an in-depth, one-on-one real time strategy game. It's obvious which one had the better quality — but Mood Touch made the top 10 in the App Store while Galcon didn't even break into the top 100 (that Saltsman knew of).
As it stands, the iPhone has more shovelware on it than the Wii.
"I think quality is largely irrelevant," they'll go far with that attitude!
I guess it all depends on what they deem as "quality". If they mean "quality of graphics", then I agree. But if they're talking gameplay, then that's a little sad, as eventually it will be near impossible for a consumer to spot the good ones in the sea of crap, or a developer trying to get any real notice.
But whatever, I don't even own an iPhone. Peggle and Solitaire on my iPod however are good enough for my few commuting trips on the bus/subway.
50 Cent games are proof of this. McDonald's is proof of this.
Marketing wins. It's a fact of life that companies spend billions on marketing for a reason. That reason is, people are sheep and just need a little nudge in the right direction.
Yet FieldRunners is tops among the (many) tower defense games in the App Store due to -- you guessed it -- quality.
If I had a nickle for every time I heard: "I don't know why I bother working so hard to make a quality product; those guys over there turn out base crap and make a mint." I'd have a shit-load of nickles.
This is so true. The pricing market is crazy though, I know from experience. Devs can spend months to make a great game and they essentially have to release it for 99 cents in hopes of getting noticed... then watch it get trumped by an app that does nothing except make an annoying sound (Sound Grenade). Seriously? Then they watch while the few people that did buy their game write stupid reviews and complain about not getting enough free updates and shit. It's 99 cents! The same price you paid for a game with an annoying sound!!
I hate people...
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This is nothing new and is also not specific to the iPhone market.
It reminds me of the quote I heard some years ago. I don't recall who said it or the exact wording but it was roughly "Commercial success rarely goes to the best design". A variety or modern markets are prime examples of a generalisation of this idea.
www.slidetoplay.com will sort out all your iphone game problems, basically buy anything that gets a 4, and if you think its up your alley buy anything that's a 3.
Great site, hopefully this will quell some of the bitches here.
50 Cent games are proof of this. McDonald's is proof of this.
Marketing wins. It's a fact of life that companies spend billions on marketing for a reason. That reason is, people are sheep and just need a little nudge in the right direction.
Incredibly sad, but true.
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Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra
