You’d hope that the App Store’s own ratings and review system would sort these into some sort of structured order, but it seems to be struggling to cope under the sheer weight of numbers and equal prominence given to the misguided opinions of ten-year-old boys. Not to mention the recent withdrawal of thousands of Apps from the store due to alleged vote rigging practices known as astroturfing.
Cry for attention
A typical email response consists of an apology that my game cannot be reviewed due to huge demand then a kind offer to provide an “expedited review”… for a cash fee, of course
It seems there may be an alternative solution to try and get my App noticed online; the App Review sites. These websites, rapidly growing in popularity, provide a sort of guided shopping tour of the App Store, rating and reviewing Apps so you don’t have to. Unfortunately, many seem to be cashing in on the desperation of developers such as myself to get their games noticed. A typical email response consists of an apology that my game cannot be reviewed due to huge demand then a kind offer to provide an “expedited review”… for a cash fee, of course.
Sadly, perhaps the money these days is in reviewing Apps rather than developing them. Such has been the negative impact of this gold rush that a few reviewers have recently formed the OATS alliance, which demands strict editorial independence when reviewing apps. Doesn’t mean you won’t still be in a queue behind thousands of other developers, though.
Undeterred, I have done my very best to get my app out there through more traditional methods – press releases, letters, those shiny magnets, and the all-important Twitter feed to add that contemporary touch. But in all honesty I’m sceptical about the impact, if any, I will have in such a saturated market. Perhaps it may even succeed based solely on merit. That is, as long as Apple don’t object to my massively shiny logo.
For more information on Carl’s game, Squarepeg, or a fridge magnet, visit Squarepeggame.com. Or download it from the App Store… perhaps.
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