Hey I recently sparked an interest in creating an iphone game, and I already created an awesome idea that I think would actually sell really well. I just wanted to hear some other develpoers experiences, so whether it is worth it to commit on this type of project. I really wanted to know what steps you need to take in this process (ex. contacting artists, coders etc., creating a team, the apple process) If I could get some advice that would be awesome. Thanks.
This is just my opinion and ONLY my opinion. Hopefully someone will come along to counteract my opinion. Ideas are a dime a dozen, and nobody has a shortage of ideas. Within the iTunes App Store, there is no such thing as 'an awesome idea that will sell really well'. Unless you are a coder or an artist, I really don't see how you could hold a team together unless you are paying them a salary (then they will pretty much do whatever you want, even if the project is never completed). Now it IS possible to get the interest of an inexperienced coder or artist, someone who is interested in trying the waters with you. But it is unlikely that you will find an artist or coder who has experience with iPhone. The sole reason I got out of Graphic Design is because I was tired of 'idea people' that had no idea what they were talking about but had all these great sales pitches and big ideas. No, I don't want to work on your project that is 'like Facebook only BETTER'. My suggestion is to learn to code. In this day and age, there is no excuse to not learn this on your own (I am completely self taught, no CS degree and I released Flickitty). If you have a knack for art, then give that a try and fine tune your work.
Flickitty is right. If you don't have any skills to bring to the project, a lot of money will be required.
This is SO true. You can have the worlds greatest game and the most stunning graphic design the world has ever seen, have entirely new and unique gameplay and do things no one has ever even thought of before and still not sell 10 copies on the app store. In addition to getting your app created, which is an involved process (game design, graphic design and programming to name the BIG THREE), you have to get your game noticed and purchased by enough people to gain some traction in the app store. The marketing efforts are just as if not more important than making the game if you want to achieve some measure of success. This, I think (just my humble opinion, Flickitty), is unnecessarily discouraging. If you can assemble to right team of people who all see the potential in your game idea and who you can come to a reasonable agreement with in terms of financial compensation, I think this is possible. That said, it's certainly NOT EASY and you're likely to talk to a lot of amateur developers who say they are interested but will wind up flaking out on you or just don't have the chops to actually develop what you're creating. This is a great idea. If you've got the right mindset, learning to code is the way to go. Again, not necessarily easy (though it comes much easier to some than it does to others), but rewarding. All in all, what you're trying to do isn't easy, but if you work hard at it and surround yourself with others who are dedicated to the project and you can be intelligent and reasonable and patient, it can be done. Q
I actually disagree with the first two replies (although, unlike myself, they have each released successful apps, so probably best to listen to them.) I think even if you have very little skills in the ways of creating the app yourself, if your IDEA is really special, and you've gone through and drew up basic sketches of the app, and have a well written design document, along with a marketing strategy, I believe you can get artists and programmers on board with you. You do need to put your own effort in, and show to the artist and programmer that you are bringing something of worth to the table other than just an idea in the back of your head… you really need to make sure it's well developed. If you're a bit unsure about the concept and details of your idea right now you may actually find it easier to just dive straight into programming yourself, like suggested. If you own a Mac you can go to the Apple developer website and download the SDK along with an iPhone emulator, and some basic tutorials on coding some simple applications and games. Definitely a very good way to get into it, especially if your idea is quite simple. At the end of the day, the questions you're asking about contacting artists, managing a team, and the apple submission process are all questions you can find answers to online; Software project management, game design, even just lurking this developer forum each day will give you a wealth of knowledge in how you should proceed.
And I actually welcome that disagreement. I'm not the authority on everything. My post wasn't designed to be discouraging, it was designed to be realistic. Now I know for a fact that those who are headstrong and dedicated will ignore what I said and follow YOUR advice. Which is exactly the way it should be, and exactly why I encouraged counterpoints. Some people simply cannot be stopped and they will do whatever it takes to follow their dreams. I am one of those people that cannot be stopped.
Yeah if you're gonna try and gather a team based around an idea you're still gonna have to have some sort of portfolio that really delves deep into what it's about, why it's unique, why it's fun, how it can be done... you really need to prove to people that it's not just one sentence scribbled on a napkin. Not an easy task.
Thank You thanks everyone for the comments, I really appreciate them. and who knows, If I don't go through with the idea I'll probably just give it to a good developer as a recommendation. Thanks Everyone!
I second the 'ideas are a dime a dozen'. I have huge lists of ideas that I think would rock the app store but will never get to. That said, I do play a lot of Flash games to get new ideas, and read a few indie game review sites. Oftentimes, I'll borrow concepts that I like from those games. I'm willing to listen to and implement cool ideas, but I'd not be willing to pay / split for them.
does anyone know where i can learn C-Objective i am brand new to iphone development and i have no experience whatsoever in coding... im looking for some kind of book/website/blog that can give me absolute beginner info bout coding... thanks in advance
first thing to learn - how to google. http://gnustep.made-it.com/BG-objc/index.html http://developer.apple.com/Mac/library/documentation/Cocoa/Conceptual/ObjectiveC/index.html second thing - get a mac and download the development kit. third thing - you dont need to use objective-C 100% - it can be mixed with C/C++ as well; which means you only need the main UI to be written in objective-C. if you know C, objective-C isn't hard for you to pick up. i personally learnt it in a few hours.
The point that needs to be made here is someone like mobile1up or myself may be able to pick up Objective-C in a few hours, but that's because we have 20+ years of programming experience on a wide variety of hardware. One more language or platform variant is not a big deal. To those asking how to get started and know *nothing* about programming the amount of time it will take you to learn could range from months to NEVER depending on your own personal aptitude for logical thought, syntax, etc. This can't be under-stated. If programming was easy, everyone would be doing it Still, anyone who wants to try, be my guest! You may find a new hobby or career. Or if nothing else you may find new respect for people who can write good code!
