But don't knock them for wanting to make something for their hard work.
Which one has the most fluff and garbage on those lists? Many apps show up on each list, but plenty are missing from WP8, and instead there are 3rd party knockoffs and lots of free wallpaper/ringtone fluff.
Where are the official apps from major sports leagues? MLS has one, but no NFL, MLB, or NHL?
Where are the streaming video apps? Crackle, Netflix, and Crunchyroll are all good, but where's Hulu, HBO Go, ABC/CBS/Fox/NBC, Xfinity, BBC iPlayer, WatchESPN, MLB.tv, or NHL Gamecenter?
Official banking apps, only a few so far. Official airline apps, ditto.
Also, how many of the apps are just placeholders? I still consider Yelp to be a missing app, because even though it is in the store, it has almost no features.
So this is a problem, and it does need to improve.
I don't know if it's a VZW or Nokia exclusive, but I have both ESPN and NFL mobile on my phoneIt's not about quantity, it's about quality. Things will likely get better, but right now, the app ecosystem is a big downside to this platform. Take a look at the "top free" lists for each platform:
Android
Windows Phone 8
Which one has the most fluff and garbage on those lists? Many apps show up on each list, but plenty are missing from WP8, and instead there are 3rd party knockoffs and lots of free wallpaper/ringtone fluff.
Where are the official apps from major sports leagues? MLS has one, but no NFL, MLB, or NHL?
Where are the streaming video apps? Crackle, Netflix, and Crunchyroll are all good, but where's Hulu, HBO Go, ABC/CBS/Fox/NBC, Xfinity, BBC iPlayer, WatchESPN, MLB.tv, or NHL Gamecenter?
Official banking apps, only a few so far. Official airline apps, ditto.
Also, how many of the apps are just placeholders? I still consider Yelp to be a missing app, because even though it is in the store, it has almost no features.
So this is a problem, and it does need to improve.
I'm not - they can charge for their apps, or put ads in their apps, but I think the "freemium" app only exists to trick people (kids) into unknowingly spending actual money.
Why does Gameloft, for example, have to charge $0.99 for Asphalt 7, and then have TONS of in app purchases for, yknow, nitro boost and different car colors and stuff? They're GAMELOFT, presumably very profitable, and they could charge $2.99 or whatever for the app instead and just give you the entire game. They're trying to intentionally trick people who play the games (again, mostly kids) into giving them more money than they'd get just by charging a fair price for the app in the first place.
And, the freemium model wasn't a problem before, but now way too many apps in iOS are using it, including non games. Its infuriating. [/COLOR]
You're right, but I don't get the knock. If I search for any sport, I can find at least 2 or 3 decent apps to give me scores, team info, league info, etc. Who cares who designs and codes the app? If the same functionality is there, its there.
Again, you're right, but you've named a total of 14 different ways to watch sh*t on your phones. I know people in New York and Boston think the world revolves around them, but not everyone lives in a city where nobody drives and sits on commuter trains watching their phones all day long. I rarely, RARELY, ever see people in public watching TV or movies on their phones. And can you not watch some of these things through their web app equivalents? I'm genuinely curious because, again, I watch TV, yknow, at home. On my TV.
Yeah, I don't fly that often. But some people do, I have friends who fly every couple weeks. Unless they fly Delta or American Airlines, they have no options. And those apps are very useful for keeping track of bag tags and gates.Ok. If you're like most people, you fly like once a year. So I can't get my official Hawaiian airlines app the one time I go to Hawaii. Great.
Again, my point isn't that there ISN'T an app gap, because there IS, its just not as bad as all the reviews make it out to be. A handful of missing apps does not mean there's a HUGE HOLE in the WP marketplace. Its like saying there's a huge GAME GAP on Playstation because it doesn't have Halo or Gears of War. Its just....untrue.
It's improving, but its a small problem, and overblown, like the "tank" jokes about the 920. Its uh, not that heavy, and not that much bigger than every other phone, but the weight and size issue is everywhere, because tech journalists who do nothing but review phones all day have to come up with SOMETHING to b*tch about in their blog posts.
I'm not - they can charge for their apps, or put ads in their apps, but I think the "freemium" app only exists to trick people (kids) into unknowingly spending actual money.
Why does Gameloft, for example, have to charge $0.99 for Asphalt 7, and then have TONS of in app purchases for, yknow, nitro boost and different car colors and stuff? They're GAMELOFT, presumably very profitable, and they could charge $2.99 or whatever for the app instead and just give you the entire game. They're trying to intentionally trick people who play the games (again, mostly kids) into giving them more money than they'd get just by charging a fair price for the app in the first place.
And, the freemium model wasn't a problem before, but now way too many apps in iOS are using it, including non games. Its infuriating. [/COLOR]
Most devs aren't trying to "trick" people. It's just another way to monetize a game.
It depends. In-game purchases should always be clear that you are spending money, and distinguish between free and paid features. If there's no "are you sure" for a paid upgrade, it sure feels like a trap.
I agree with that.
But let's not make blanket statements about all devs who create freemium games.
Some are bad and some are good, just like any business. You'll find bad and good games in regular paid games also, where some unethical devs might try to make a game sound much more robust and awesome than it really is.
I want to use Spotify on my WP8.
Splashtop is another example.