Why We Finally Decided To Develop for WP and not iPhone

[Nerdy Woman]

Apple has always had a masters-of-the-universe attitude. From AppleTalk to Facetime to hardware (eg, headphone jacks are configured differently), they choose to go their own way, sucking users into their ecosystem. As Bee Mon mentioned, even the programming language is unique to their OS.

The language in this agreement is obviously intended to be casual, but it reminds me of communique with my clients after I've been up for 36 hours straight and am a bit punch drunk -- I am sometimes less than courteous. It definitely is cliquish, elitist, and non-professional.

A dev trying to break into the A-store -- even if they've got a great track record in other marketplaces and category-killer apps -- would have to deal with Apple's capricious selection process. Potentially, the app may be rejected simply because it might steal market share from an Apple-preferred dev.

While WP's market share is small, recent reports (there's an article here on WPC about this) show that Apple only has 11.x% of the global market. Bee Mon and company have a better chance of being noticed in the smaller WP store and, with Microsoft's plans to make apps work on all Windows devices, a good opportunity to sell in the PC and tablet store as well.

 

[TechFreak1]

Damn... those two points are just insulting, like you said every app developer was a newbie once upon a time and likewise all newborn must learn to walk before they can run.

If you need a beta tester - I'm in in .

 

[Silviu Bogusevschi]

Wish much luck in supporting this awesome platform

Regarding Apple's policy. Meh..

 

[Paul May]

Wish you guys luck. The WP community needs good developers who care about the apps they make and who they make them for.

 

[jlzimmerman]

I think it's the tone and language used in the clauses that as affected Bee's decision here more than the actual content. In using those words, they're promoting an "us and them" mentality that sides with the cool cats of Apple and established developers.

While I entirely support the use of plain English, this kind of language is for me unacceptable in this kind of agreement document. If I was faced with this, I'd be disinclined to agree to the terms as well.

Exactly. It is completely unprofessional to write terms and conditions like that. Were I a share holder I would be most displeased.

 

[1101x10]

Windows Phone store is open for anything. Want a Hello World app? Here you go
Hello World App | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)

 

[berty6294]

Windows Phone store is open for anything. Want a Hello World app? Here you go
Hello World App | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)

Best Hello World app I have ever used! Well designed and personal. Thank you! Will suggest to all friends looking for a Hello World app!

 

[Nerdy Woman]

Best Hello World app I have ever used! Well designed and personal. Thank you! Will suggest to all friends looking for a Hello World app!

I like it! I think it's a great encouragement for new devs. And who knows? Soon we may be referring to Aman Mehara by first name only, as we do with Rudy.

 

[Bee Mon]

It is not the purpose of our topic here to enable or encourage hate on Apple. If you are not a indie developer or someone who wishes to enter this field, these changes won't actually affect you. We have left it behind us already so we hope you all can leave further angry Apple posts out of this discussion. It is better to focus your energy to do more positive things to help out the platform that you love. Please be kind to beginner developers, they have to start somewhere, even Rudy Hyun. Their first few apps would definitely suck and they know that. I'm not talking about garbage apps where programmers are deliberately lazy and put trash on a store to earn a few bucks sometimes by misleading the user. We're talking about potentially talented people who never given a chance to do something that they are enthusiastic about. They may have good ideas just poor execution at the start. You don't have to buy their apps but at least try them out. Instead of slamming them down, give them your genuine critique. Offer encouragement if you think their idea is good and tell them where you think they can improve. If you chase them away, you could lose someone that could have potentially written a killer app for your platform.

 

[Bee Mon]

Windows Phone store is open for anything. Want a Hello World app? Here you go
Hello World App | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)

Well that's just plain lazy. Tell him that you know he can do better and he should do better.

 

[DalekSnare]

They rejected my hello world app (which I only submitted to activate my student developer account). But it didn't have as much functionality as this one.

 

[Bee Mon]

No excuse, you can definitely create a better Hello World using Microsoft's App Studio. Its' free.

Windows App Studio - Microsoft

Look at some of the beautiful and useful apps you can create using App Studio:

Jamestown Revival | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)
Integrative Mom | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)

 

[emperor_skull]

Just make the in app purchases like that done on dark lands, where you can either pay through the normal MS way or through your carrier, is a all easier paying through your carrier here in my country

 

[Bee Mon]

Just make the in app purchases like that done on dark lands, where you can either pay through the normal MS way or through your carrier, is a all easier paying through your carrier here in my country

We'll consider all cases. It's always good to provide multiple pay options in your game/app. You have a far better reach.

 

[Phone Guy 4567]

I am quite aware that it takes "a" (lol) hard work to develop apps and I have indeed put in "many" hard works coding (not apps, mainly network engineering).

Regardless. Choosing the platform which has a pathetic 2.5% market share (and declining) whose most popular phone is the dirt-cheap 520 is not a good idea for any developer, especially those that are starting out. Even more foolish if you have a good product and all you need is to port it... you do have a quality app, you do have the skills needed to develop and maintain it. And now, due to some childish tantrum at Apple's terms (which are unlikely to affect you even), you choose WP. And why not Android? Because you 'hate' (it is your opinion and I respect your right to it, however you must also respect my right to call your opinion stupid and shortsighted.

While I agree with you that not choosing Android because you hate Google is not a good business decision, the way you have chosen to describe WP shows you are just as biased against MS as the OP is biased against Google.

 

[Ceejay1]

To the Developers who posted here. I pray for your success, I saw honor in the way that you treat or look at the platforms and the firms. I will purchase most if not all of your quality product, and I'm excited to see your games!

 

[Greywolf1967]

Bee Mon

Pay no mind to the Negative Nelly's around here!!!!!!

A few points to take to heart......Yes WP is a small market share 2.5% - 3%...however it can be grown. This is not Palm, caught in the death throws and hanging on by it's nails to the edge of a grave. Add Universal App support, and that Market explodes to only the "Largest Market in the World" PC's.

You will find Windows Phone users to be a loyal band of people.........Rudy could release a "Hello World 6" app and it would be downloaded hugely in a day or two. Just track his downloads for 6Snap and 6Tag. If you serve up something people like they will come!!!!!

Let me finish by saying Thank you for having a vision to make our small Family more interesting !!!!!!!

All the best in what you do !!!

 

[crystal_planet]

I think OP has completely misunderstood Apple's policies.

I think "we have a lot of serious developers that do not want their quality apps to be surrounded by amateur hour." leaves little room for interpretation.

 

[Nerdy Woman]

I think "we have a lot of serious developers that do not want their quality apps to be surrounded by amateur hour." leaves little room for interpretation.

LOL. It is fairly clear that Apple doesn't want "amateurs" submitting apps. But there's no way you'll ever convince me that they have more than 1 million apps that are all developed by "serious developers."

And as for small, niche markets... I read an article a couple of weeks ago about people who were contacting the dev begging to have an app removed from their purchase list (which might be seen by parents/partners/employers). The app's sole function was to use the haptic feature of the phone as a personal satisfaction device. A true entertainment category killer.

 

[Nabkawe5]

I would've thought you choose WP because its the most hack free OS out there, It took some guys 2 years to hack it ( they still couldn't create a way for other people to hack it) and the funny blow to the head to those guys was!!! A huge new update got introduced rendering their hacking obsolete, So unless someone goes into great length and converted his phone into a developers phone, he will not get to install an app out of the store, (which voids the warranty btw) it also means In App purchase models in WP are the best out there because Android users with root have access to ram, meaning many apps can be played with no actual profit, (since these apps are free to install and don't feature ads) and that's how I basically destroyed my friends love for Candy Crush