Appy Days THE APP SECRET FOR AN APPY GAME SUCCESS...
THE SEVEN CRITICAL APP MISTAKES
... AND HOW TO AVOID THEM By Richard HoямАmann
Acknowledgement The acknowledgement goes to my parents, as I would not be here to make a dent in the universe. Also to my wise sister and all my great friends on this unique planet. Without them I would not be the blessed and truly wealthy person that I am already. And finally to my creator, whoever you are and wherever you are; I appreciate your friendship, your tenacity and patience to guide me through this Roller Coaster ride and unpredictable path of the heroes journey I choose to walk on.
About the Author
He is fluent in most languages like C#, C/C++, Objective-C, Java, JavaScript, Lua, PHP, Visual Basic, SQL as well as English, German, Spanish, French, Russian and only one word in Klingon and Estonian. If he is not in this natural ‘Geek Mode’, he is possibly inventing a new idea for a game or dances / teaches Argentine Tango to the ladies (if they want or not)., or kicks some [FILL GAP] in Martial Arts, if there is some room in his busy schedule.
I have to admit that it is still an awkward feeling to ‘pitch’ myself to others in third person. Anyways, Snaps down, here we go. Richard Hoffmann is an Indie Game Developer, IT Consultant & VR Evangelist with over 15 years (that is more then 5500 days!) of experience in the IT and games industry. He worked for big corporations like IBM, Penguin, Ricoh, Continental AG as well as SME’s and Startups. He is developing mobile apps and games since 2009 for iOS and other devices.
Last but not least he played video games for over 30 years starting with Pong on Atari, Pac Man clone on Commodore C16, Falcon on C64, Turrican on Amiga 500, Wing Commander on PC 386 / 33 MHz (anyone remember those?) and so on. Ah those were the days... Last but not least, he tried ‘successfully’ a Stand-up workshop, but had to stop after people actually told him he is funny for a German. He hopes he can add his new found talent to this book too...
Chapter 1
What is this book about ‘You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards.’ - Steve Jobs (2005) - Stanford Commencement Speech
Section 1
What is this book about As a mobile Apps and games developer in (iOS/Android/etc), a lot of people come to me with their app and game ideas. It usually starts with "Oh you are an App developer! I have an idea for an App/game etc...". The problem is not usually the idea, rather that it is a 'premature idea'. The purpose of this book is to help those good ideas mature further, so that I do not need keep explaining the first steps needed to bring an idea to market. Like many people today, I live with exciting projects and tight deadlines in a highly competitive, aggressive market place. Good developers have not got time for recessions, downturns, crunch times. This means I don’t have a lot of spare time.
I feel a bit like an app developing dragon from Dragons Den sitting in a chair interrogating my friends as to whether they have done their due diligence on the App Stores or Google Play Store. You guessed it, mostly it is a mumbled 'Err No'.... Hence is my motivation to write the book for my friends as well as acquaintances and strangers who approach me now and in the future for advice. I can start the conversation by suggesting they read my book and do their homework before they jump on me with their ideas. Luckily not literally though!
Therefor this book is related to Apps/games and how game concepts (Gamification) help to make Apps more appealing to their users. Some examples are Apps such as CountDowner, Find Your Mojo, The Riffer and Eagle Eye Player. The last one was developed together with Chris Huelsbeck, who is know as ‘Hans Zimmer of the game industry’. This is just a summary. There are more Apps and games I am involved in at this moment in time. 4
In a manner of speaking, this booklet is an incubator to bring a premature idea to the point where it is possible to see whether it has what it takes to make in the world of apps and games
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Chapter 2
So you have an Appy idea... “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.� - Mark Twain
Why is your idea the next killer app or game?
So you have an idea for an App or a Game. Great, but ... First a word of caution: If you intend to develop your idea on Apples iOS platform, which includes iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, there are certain things you need to be aware of before you throw your hard earned cash at a developer. The Apple App Store Review Guidelines indicate what Apple likes and what is not allowed https://developer.apple.com/appstore/ guidelines.html Only registered Apple developers can access this link, however I will give you a few examples of what you should be aware of. If you want to create THE next novelty App just be aware that
are at least practical, even if they rapidly consume battery power and this might lead to reputation destroying, unfavorable reviews. Apple are protective of their technology. For example, a “Dimming App” that reduces iPhones background light to save battery power sounds like a good idea. As an registered Apple programmer some alarm bells went off as I heard that concept. Apple would not allow this App as you would need to use a private library to access this feature. A private library is a part of the software framework that is only officially accessible to the developers who work directly for Apple, Google or alike. Ordinary Joes are not allowed to wander that far into the clockwork. You might get away with distributing it on pirate stores such as Cydia Stores but at present that is a limited market.
Apple likes cool original apps. Yet another Fart App or Flash light App is unlikely to be in that category. For example: One of our clients had a good idea for an App, but at What Wiki says to the word novelty: Novelty is the quality of being new, or following from that, of being striking, original or unusual.
the end of the development Apple did not allow to publish (rejected) it on the App Store. In this App case the revenue should come from PayPal which was integrated in the App. in this particular case Apple would not have
Although fart apps and other novelties had huge download rates in the early stages of the iPhone / iPod Touch and made alot of people smile, that was last year. A sound board with a range of
made any money from any transaction going through the App. At that time Apple also introduced their own In-App purchase. This is just a guess, as we have not received a clear statement why.
press button eructations is no longer novel or original. Flash lights 7
Apps out there in the App Store and stop it getting cluttered with What Wiki says about Cydia: A software application for iOS that enables a user to find and install software packages (including apps, interface customizations, and system extensions) on a jailbroken iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad.
all the rubbish apps on for example the Android Play Store. Apple has removed dozens of clone games. They are looking for games that will keep their increasingly sophisticated audience entertained. If you develop a game on a number of platforms Apple may be more likely to accept it, unless it is a direct copy of
As I said, that is a limited market.
“Angry Feathered Friends”.
There are also App Store Review Guidelines that deal with the Apples Human Interface with similar Guidelines for other platforms. As with Cydia, it is best to stay the right side of the guideline, if you want an App for the mass market. It is also important to keep costs down! Nothing you couldn’t afford to lose, if in the worst case scenario, Apple rejects your App and you have to publish it on Cydia for Jail broken devices. I
Trademark Guidelines This can happen to the best (and ignorant) of us. It is quite funny sometimes how certain brands become part of our lives.
have not used this store, so I cannot tell you how to publish Cydia Apps. In my experience as a developer a rejection does not mean the end of the world. First read the explanation carefully to understand why it has been rejected. Then see if you can make your App more useful by adding more functionality or more entertaining by increasing the fun factor for example of your existing app with added entertainment or functionality. You can always appeal if you disagree. State your case whilst being nice and polite to that person. They work hard to get good 8
Questions and Answers For example: I was converting an iPhone App to a Mac App and published it later. What happened was that Apple rejected it, because it had the “Mac” in the App title and description text. I was impressed because they had done some screenshots to show me exactly where I had to make the changes. I wanted my Mac App to distinguish from the mobile App with the
How do I know my app developer knows his stuff? Well, as always you need to interview your developer you want to hire for your work. You could even test them and ask them about developing a Fart or Flashlight App.
same App name, so that I can see on a glance on my App stats at
I also look for their track record, how many Apps have they
iTunes Connect which App sells and the download rate etc. Luckily I
developed and what kind of Apps? Check out their work on the
could still keep it in my App package name, otherwise I had to do the whole application process from scratch. This shows how pedantic Apple is and for certain reasons. What I found really fascinating is that for me the name Mac did not seem important because we are so used to seeing it. It was therefore in my blind spot as I could not spot the mistake to begin with.
App Store. Maybe they have done something similar to the App you want to create. You could even check the job market and approach a developer directly. I also look at the stars and reviews of their previous work. All this will give you clues and reduce the risk of a developer getting stuck in developing your App etc.
So to cut the story short, make sure you and your marketing team
This is a whole topic in itself and there are a number of good
checks the Guidelines for Using Apple Trademarks and
books just about this subject.
Copyrights. One book I recommend is App Empire by Chad Mureta. http://www.apple.com/legal/trademark/ guidelinesfor3rdparties.html
Check out also his website “http://chadmureta.com”. He seems to be the real deal.
These guidelines are free for non-developers as well as developers.
Another one is ‘Rich App, Poor App’ by Simon ’The App Man’ Williams. His website is http://appmansecrets.com . 9
Both have not come from a tech background like myself, and that
This depends on your business idea, business model and
is sometimes for the better not to get distracted by coding
business strategy.
yourself to much, but I have a build-in bulls... detector for programmers ;)
First, this is just my personal view, so don”’t chase me up if you don”’t agree or else. For those things you need to speak to an Accountant for example.
Can I check if my app violates apply guidelines etc? There is only one ‘real’ way. Register your own Apple Developer Account on the website https://developer.apple.com and check out the App Store Review Guidelines yourself. You could ask your developer to send you a summary of the App Store Review Guidelines. I am not a lawyer, but I personally would not send this to clients who are not registered on the program.
If you want just one App to promote your services, then you might be even better off finding an already registered and established App developer and do a joint venture etc. Only if it is important to see your name on the App Store and brag about it to your friends, will you have to have your own App space, which is fine. However if you want to create a serious business with several Apps to create a so called App network, then you need to set up you own company anyway. At a certain stage you might even
If you are serious about this business and your App, then you will
consider setting up multiple companies you might want to exit
need to register with Apple developers anyway and spend the 99
(sell) at a later stage in time.
USD per year. While wait? It will take Apple at least a month to set your own App space up anyways. The registration process will raise another question.
Which enrollment type should I choose? Individual or Company/Organization? 10
This is NOT the end as we know it, but it is the end of this example ‘teaser’ book. If you like what you read and learnt, then please support the author as he is one of the rare species of an starving artist.
Thanks for your support!
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More about the Author
Richard Hoffmann has helped many clients to get their App ideas to the App Store. In this easy to follow book, he guides you trough to publish your app or game idea.
Section 1
About the Author Richard Hoffmann
In my many years of creating software solutions for clients, I have seen a number of problems that come up over and over again. They are the problems that have the biggest negative impact on people. They are the fundamental problems that you need to get resolved to build an App that works for you. • What you will discover: • Preventing costly mistakes • Saving you time to figure out how to start • Guide to your App publishing
has helped many clients to get their App ideas to the App Store. In this easy to follow book, he guides you trough to publish your app and game idea.
• Give you Structure • Make it easier for you • 100 of pounds of consultancy in this book alone • Prepare you to get you ready for grilling other app consultants • Find / Building the right team • From App Idea to income • Take the pain out of the process for you 13