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RIM promises $10k to devs if BlackBerry 10 app earns $1k

devblog.blackberry.com

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Re: RIM promises $10k to devs if BlackBerry 10 app earns $1k

#21

Post by ajross »

dfrey wrote: post #12

RIM must be very confident that nobody will earn more than $1000 from a BlackBerry app in order to make an offer like this. Either that or they are just trying to pump up their stock price for the BlackBerry 10 launch so that the executives can dump their stock before the company goes bankrupt.

Actually, this sounds like a good idea to me. The BB ecosystem, broadly, has the system architecture to compete with Android and iOS but it lacks the app availability to make it attractive to customers. Apps have a long tail: there are a small number of hits (Angry Birds, say -- or things like the Facebook app) which have the cash available to develop on multiple architecture already. These will get an extra $10k, which they don't care about and which RIM can afford (who wouldn't pay $10k for Angry Birds on their platform?).

Then there are the junk apps that live at the bottom of the list. These come in huge hordes, and are worthless. RIM doesn't want to pay for them and doesn't care about having them. They provide no value to Apple or Google either.

But then there's a comparatively small group of "cool" apps that make everything work. This is the stuff that potential RIM customers notice is "missing". And the authors would love to see an extra $10k in sales, maybe enough to consider a port. And there aren't that many of them -- maybe a few thousand at most. So RIM is betting that if they blow a few million dollars on seeding this market that they'll make that back in extra handset sales in the near term. It might work.

But I don't think they're at risk of losing a ton of money. How many apps actually make that much even on "first tier" platforms?

Re: RIM promises $10k to devs if BlackBerry 10 app earns $1k

#24

Post by vandahm »

It is entirely possible that I don't know what I'm talking about, but I don't understand how this plan could possibly work. If developers thought they could make money writing Blackberry apps, wouldn't they already be writing them? Since I don't think $10,000 can cover the cost of developing a native app, I don't see how RIM's bounty would influence a developer's decision to develop for their platform.

Am I missing something?

Re: RIM promises $10k to devs if BlackBerry 10 app earns $1k

#25

Post by serge2k »

dfrey wrote: post #12

RIM must be very confident that nobody will earn more than $1000 from a BlackBerry app in order to make an offer like this. Either that or they are just trying to pump up their stock price for the BlackBerry 10 launch so that the executives can dump their stock before the company goes bankrupt.

or they are hoping apps that hit 1k will hit 10 (or close) on their own.

Re: RIM promises $10k to devs if BlackBerry 10 app earns $1k

#26

Post by dak1 »

ori_b wrote: post #7
kyt wrote: post #3

So what's the incentive to promote your app past $1,000 in revenue?

Presumably, the ability to make more than $11,000.

Actually, it looks like RIM is offering to pay the difference between what your app earns and $10,000. So if you earn $4,000, they'd pay you $6,000.

So if your app is not going to go past $10,000, there's literally no incentive to promote it beyond $1,000 (except the enjoyment of knowing so many people are using your app).

It's not clear what the cutoff date is, although presumably it's the Blackberry 10 launch. So to maximize profit, you should promote it enough to earn $1,000 just prior to launch, take your $9,000, then promote it further.

Re: RIM promises $10k to devs if BlackBerry 10 app earns $1k

#29

Post by ghshephard »

RossDM wrote: post #4

Build $1 app; purchase 1000 copies; profit!

Alas, the last time they mentioned this program, you app had to be "Certified" - presumably they verify it's not crap. It now sounds like they've added a second restriction - it not only can't be crap, it also has to sell $1000 worth as well.

Re: RIM promises $10k to devs if BlackBerry 10 app earns $1k

#30

Post by abk »

delinka wrote: post #18
chc wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't follow your point. Is it that you think the glut of free apps will make it hard for paid apps to compete, or what?

Because free apps can't earn $1K, there is no additional incentive to port free apps as they'd never receive this $10K prize.

I skimmed the article, but it sounds like free apps that make money through in-app purchases are still eligible.
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