App Rot
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App Rot
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Re: App Rot
#2Really interesting.
Anecdotally, I'm seeing people starting to abandon their iPads and go back to laptops (generally macbooks/ultrabooks) in meetings and the like. I think the keyboard is just too useful for most people. Smartphone usage is definitely not following a similar trend, though.
Re: App Rot
#3I always thought this was an interesting topic. I think it really leaves the door open for developers. I remember thinking a few years ago that most of the app ideas I had were already implemented, but now when I look for those apps I see that a lot of them have grown stagnant and opened the door for new players in the same space.
On the OP though, I think it is unfair to bash apple so much. Most of the apps I find are from curated groups like "Best New Apps", "Hot Puzzle Games", etc.
Re: App Rot
#4Seems like the centralized app store model with week-long reviews and free-to-play IAP-addiction-reliefs has lead to a proper race to the bottom. When you have to peddle your wares in a crowded spot next to a million clones which are free or $1-2, with no proper way to do trials or paid upgrades, and you also have to take the full risk of development upfront with a chance for being rejected during final review, it seems like everything is conspiring against indies wanting to invest a lot of effort into a project they really care about. It appears you either have to be a AAA megastudio or a cheap copycat to have a chance to make a profit in 99.99% of the cases. Or be someone like Facebook who can invest a bunch of effort into a super polished product like "Paper" just for fun.
For example: Imagine spending 6-12 months on your own dime developing a really neat bitcoin wallet app that you'd like to offer for perhaps $20-30. It'd be completely crazy. Who knows if "virtual curriences" are banned or allowed in the app store review process in 12 months?
Re: App Rot
#5I always thought this was an interesting topic. I think it really leaves the door open for developers. I remember thinking a few years ago that most of the app ideas I had were already implemented, but now when I look for those apps I see that a lot of them have grown stagnant and opened the door for new players in the same space. On the OP though, I think it is unfair to bash apple so much. Most of the apps I find a…
Those apps are abandoned because its increasingly hard to reach any visibility (and thus success) in the App Store, even if you sell for a ridiculously low price. The risk on not even making back what you invested in time to create a really good and polished app is immense when looking at the stats.
So yeah, there is room for new guys to find out its not a sustainable business these days, unless you have a superb app and get really lucky.
Re: App Rot
#6I use my iPad at least an hour a day before falling asleep, and I am pretty happy with the apps.
The YouTube app seems to be under heavy development, and while they often break little things, they also fix and add stuff quickly. I really enjoy YouTube on the iPad and I spend a lot of time there.
Likewise, the Google Maps app is great on the iPad. Most of what I said for YouTube applies to Google Maps.
Twitter and Tweetdeck work great. They don't change much, but they don't need to.
Twitch seems to be under active development. It works fairly well, and I use it a fair amount.
Kindle and Amazon Instant Video don't change much, but they just work.
Re: App Rot
#7Seems like the centralized app store model with week-long reviews and free-to-play IAP-addiction-reliefs has lead to a proper race to the bottom. When you have to peddle your wares in a crowded spot next to a million clones which are free or $1-2, with no proper way to do trials or paid upgrades, and you also have to take the full risk of development upfront with a chance for being rejected during final review, it se…
Why aren't developers choosing to build PC apps instead? Stardock said that their worst-performing PC game earned more revenue than most iOS or Android apps for which they could obtain revenue numbers.
On PCs, it is still possible for developers to sell from their own website, without paying a 30% fee to a platform app store.
PCs may be a numerically smaller (hundreds of millions vs. billions of devices) market, but customer perceptions of software value are reflected in an order of magnitude difference in price expectations.
Re: App Rot
#8Really interesting. Anecdotally, I'm seeing people starting to abandon their iPads and go back to laptops (generally macbooks/ultrabooks) in meetings and the like. I think the keyboard is just too useful for most people. Smartphone usage is definitely not following a similar trend, though.
Yep, that was always the main problem for me with Tablets. Be it 7" or 10", super thin and light, powerful like a gaming console i always feel crippled when using them. I own an older 2011 11" MBA which is still so much better for "around the house" usage while my main workhorse (13"rMBP) remains on my desk. My girlfriend, who isn't a pro user by any means, also finds the iPad to be very limiting and even uncomfortable to hold in most situations.
Re: App Rot
#9I always thought this was an interesting topic. I think it really leaves the door open for developers. I remember thinking a few years ago that most of the app ideas I had were already implemented, but now when I look for those apps I see that a lot of them have grown stagnant and opened the door for new players in the same space. On the OP though, I think it is unfair to bash apple so much. Most of the apps I find a…
Those apps are abandoned because its increasingly hard to reach any visibility (and thus success) in the App Store, even if you sell for a ridiculously low price. The risk on not even making back what you invested in time to create a really good and polished app is immense when looking at the stats. So yeah, there is room for new guys to find out its not a sustainable business these days, unless you have a superb app…
Well, the problem is too many people think an App is a Business. A really great app can create a business, but most apps are not sustainable businesses, and should not be confused as such.
That said, if you redesign each time Apple updates iOS you will probably have a good chance of getting featured in their store. Like I said, anecdotally, most of my purchase come from features and recommendations from friends and blogs, not top lists.
Re: App Rot
#10As a user I like the pay-once model, but for apps that provide continuous upgrades, a subscription model would make much more sense and I think Apple & co would do well to start actively supporting that model for apps. The ultimate guitar tablature iPad application does it via an in-app payment and I'm more than happy to pay the yearly fee. I could imagine doing the same for many other apps. The counterpoint here is that, as a user, I would then feel entitled to frequent and substantive updates which would increase the load on an indie even more.