Why We Are No Longer Developing for the iPad • Hacker News Board

Re: Why We Are No Longer Developing for the iPad

#71

Post by Mithaldu » Thu, Apr 16, 2015, 10:32 PM UTC

aresant wrote: post #31

It is fascinating how much the "micro-transaction" model on the iOS platform continues to bury everything else. Spiderweb throwing in the towel I would guess has a lot more to do with their #1 point "Competition on the App Store has risen to a frenzied level." than the others. The top two grossing games - Clash of Clans and Game of War - receive metacritic scores of 74 and 67 respectively. Whereas the most recent Spi…

> It is fascinating how much the "micro-transaction" model on the iOS platform continues to bury everything else.

It's not only iOS, it's exactly the same thing on Android. Some companies also tried it on Vita and PS3 with games like Rainbow Moon and Destiny of Spirits, but ultimately failed. Interestingly i've also been able to get people to completely drop free-to-pay games by getting them other hardware like PS Vita or Nintendo 3DS.

So basically the only platforms where this happens are the two primary cellphone platforms.

Re: Why We Are No Longer Developing for the iPad

#72

Post by GFK_of_xmaspast » Thu, Apr 16, 2015, 10:32 PM UTC

MarkG509 wrote: post #68

Back in the time-frame of the Leopard to Snow Leopard transition, I visited an Apple Store (for the last time), where upon I informed a 'genius' that on Windows, I had code that I needed to (or was required to) run everyday that was older than him, and that Apple's complete disregard for backward compatibility lost me (and everyone I know) as a customer for ever.

Good job for getting upset a retail clerk making not much more than minimum wage for CEO-level decisions?

Re: Why We Are No Longer Developing for the iPad

#73

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Apr 16, 2015, 10:32 PM UTC

aresant wrote: post #31

It is fascinating how much the "micro-transaction" model on the iOS platform continues to bury everything else. Spiderweb throwing in the towel I would guess has a lot more to do with their #1 point "Competition on the App Store has risen to a frenzied level." than the others. The top two grossing games - Clash of Clans and Game of War - receive metacritic scores of 74 and 67 respectively. Whereas the most recent Spi…

[deleted]

Re: Why We Are No Longer Developing for the iPad

#74

Post by jblow » Thu, Apr 16, 2015, 10:35 PM UTC

eridius wrote: post #62

jblow wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are massive differences. For example, in the Windows world you are allowed to find out who likes your stuff and build relationships with them.

Relationships? What are you talking about? I can't recall the last time I ever felt I had a "relationship" with a game developer, on _any_ platform. The only way I can meaningfully interpret your claim is by replacing "build relationships with them" to "and market directly to them", i.e. being able to email your customers with marketing messages. And I'm glad Apple doesn't give my email address to everyone I buy an a…

It's not about giving your email address to everyone (I wouldn't want that either), but it's about having the friction-free option of doing so. There are a number of game-makers for whom I absolutely want to be emailed when they make something new, because I love their stuff. That doesn't happen on iOS very easily.

Re: Why We Are No Longer Developing for the iPad

#75

Post by charlesdm » Thu, Apr 16, 2015, 10:35 PM UTC

[deleted] wrote: post #73

aresant wrote: post #31

It is fascinating how much the "micro-transaction" model on the iOS platform continues to bury everything else. Spiderweb throwing in the towel I would guess has a lot more to do with their #1 point "Competition on the App Store has risen to a frenzied level." than the others. The top two grossing games - Clash of Clans and Game of War - receive metacritic scores of 74 and 67 respectively. Whereas the most recent Spi…

[deleted]

Supercell is based in Finland, which is an EU member state.

Re: Why We Are No Longer Developing for the iPad

#76

Post by rinon » Thu, Apr 16, 2015, 10:35 PM UTC

[deleted] wrote: post #73

aresant wrote: post #31

It is fascinating how much the "micro-transaction" model on the iOS platform continues to bury everything else. Spiderweb throwing in the towel I would guess has a lot more to do with their #1 point "Competition on the App Store has risen to a frenzied level." than the others. The top two grossing games - Clash of Clans and Game of War - receive metacritic scores of 74 and 67 respectively. Whereas the most recent Spi…

[deleted]

Supercell is in Finland, an EU country. From my understanding Supercell actually pays much higher than prevailing wages.

Re: Why We Are No Longer Developing for the iPad

#77

Post by GFK_of_xmaspast » Thu, Apr 16, 2015, 10:36 PM UTC

GFK_of_xmaspast wrote: post #72

MarkG509 wrote: post #68

Back in the time-frame of the Leopard to Snow Leopard transition, I visited an Apple Store (for the last time), where upon I informed a 'genius' that on Windows, I had code that I needed to (or was required to) run everyday that was older than him, and that Apple's complete disregard for backward compatibility lost me (and everyone I know) as a customer for ever.

Good job for getting upset a retail clerk making not much more than minimum wage for CEO-level decisions?

And were you seriously running binaries from 1987 (+/-) because you might as well stuff that thing in a dosbox.

Re: Why We Are No Longer Developing for the iPad

#78

Post by thechao » Thu, Apr 16, 2015, 10:36 PM UTC

freehunter wrote: post #5

I own a couple of Spiderweb Software games on Windows, and play them on my Windows 8.1 tablet. They almost play like they were made for a touch screen (and they run great on the ancient dual-core Atom and stupidly non-existent video card in my Thinkpad Tablet 2). Actually the only thing I need a keyboard for is if I have selected a magic spell and want to cancel casting it. Then I need to pair my Bluetooth keyboard j…

I enjoyed the heck out of developing drivers for that thing—it was a constant uphill battle to even get correctness, nonetheless, the pretty decent performance we got. In the end, my tablet's battery died, and it now sits in a drawer, forgotten.

Re: Why We Are No Longer Developing for the iPad

#79

Post by olefoo » Thu, Apr 16, 2015, 10:36 PM UTC

ThomPete wrote: post #45

eridius wrote: post #12

> Competition on the App Store has risen to a frenzied level. This is a curious argument to make. The platform is too popular ? Would it have made any sense at all if anyone made the same claim about, say, Windows game development? I suspect what this really means is "there are more games than ever, and the iOS App Store is becoming increasingly difficult to rely on as a discovery mechanism, thus requiring advertisin…

The problem isn't that it's popular. The problem is that it's not designed to it's current popularity. 5000apps added every day yet no way for developers to build meaningful relationships with their customers or creating trials make it a very irrational platform to be on. Its nothing like how Google deals with popularity and quality. It's a huge problem Apple will have to solve. On the mac app store they completely g…

Apple doesn't necessarily want to solve that problem.

Apple is working hard to commoditize the complements to their hardware [0]; namely the software, games and media that make their hardware useful. Software in the app store is a viciously competitive low-margin market; just like most other commodity markets. Which is why you need to treat it skeptically and work on building a name outside the app store before you are putting money into it.

Look at Twitter as an example. They give away their app to drive usage of the service, and in the early days they were totally OK with other developers making and selling twitter clients. This was because twitter clients are a complement to Twitter the service and their money comes from selling the analytics and advertising that the service enables.

0. http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/StrategyLetterV.html

Re: Why We Are No Longer Developing for the iPad

#80

Post by takasc2 » Thu, Apr 16, 2015, 10:36 PM UTC

quietplatypus wrote: post #43

takasc2 wrote: post #10

I follow Ipad gaming quite closely because it is perfect for my commutes. I would consider myself as close to a hardcore ipad gamer as it is possible to get - I read specialist sites like pockettactics and spend well over a hundred dollars a year on ipad games. I had never heard of this company or its games before. The ipad is a marketing platform in the best and worst way I can mean that. Looking at this company the…

Do you think there is still the chance for a well-made, expensive up front iPad game (we are talking like $10 to even $30) to make it based on word of mouth from hardcore gamers and Gamespot/IGN/etc. ? I know that the ecosystem itself optimizes f2p, but still.

Games which target iPad first inevitably make design and marketing compromises that harm their other platform performance & experience - whereas games which target other platforms then are adapted can typical make far less painful and less compromising changes (which can work against them or for them).

Yes, it is possible but not easy - look at for example Shenandaoh's Desert Fox / Battle of The Bulge). But I don't know if that is a long term model for success. $19.99 is the highest price point you can set for a game and then you are competing with things like FMC2015 or Xcom (heck, you can get GTA San andreas for $6 or so - is your game better than GTA?!?) which are full PC ports. Clever developers will I think make a game for more established platforms, and if successful port to iPad for additional revenue. The iPad has millions of active premium gamers, but a tiny number compared to any non-portable system.