Can app store screenshots contain added text/captions?

Discussion in 'Public Game Developers Forum' started by Adams Immersive, Mar 9, 2009.

  1. Adams Immersive

    Adams Immersive Well-Known Member
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    Are you allowed to include captions and markings superimposed on the screenshots for your iPhone app?

    That would seem very useful in explaining what a game is--but I don't think I've ever seen it done. (On the other hand, it could open the door to devs doctoring their screenshots and misleading buyers.)

    Just curious. I'm not (yet) a registered iPhone dev so I don't know if this is covered in the docs.

    (Leaving aside how strange it is that Apple doesn't have a place for text captions below the images--or better yet, allow videos.)
     
  2. jaemcsd

    jaemcsd Member

    Feb 19, 2009
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    Sure you can, I have seen it before. Just know that not everyone reads English.
     
  3. Adams Immersive

    Adams Immersive Well-Known Member
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    True. Multiple languages would be doable--for short phrases anyway.

    Another app page question: do you get to pick a background color/image for your app's store page? I see some game pages have their own special background. Or is that something that Apple contacts YOU about if they want to feature the game in that way?
     
  4. InsertWittyName

    InsertWittyName Well-Known Member

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    Spot on.
     
  5. indyraider4

    indyraider4 Well-Known Member

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  6. Adams Immersive

    Adams Immersive Well-Known Member
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    Ah yes--thanks. Good example--and the captioned images do show useful info.
     
  7. Diablohead

    Diablohead Well-Known Member

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    I seen people squeeze 4 screenshots into one image by shrinking them down, loses quality but it was their choice to show off more footage then the limited 5.

    If you do add text to an image though I think you should at least keep one or two of the 5 image slots as clean, unedited game screenshots.
     
  8. To my knowledge, no one checks the screenshots or anything...maybe someone does to prevent obscenity...but I think you can just post a 320x480 picture of anything and its fine.

    Not going to test that though...
     
  9. Adams Immersive

    Adams Immersive Well-Known Member
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    Thanks. Just curious. I was thinking about FPS control schemes (I think I have worked up a good one) and how totally unclear they would be in an unmoving screenshot.

    (Although if/when I make an iPhone game, I won't be tackling an FPS--at least not for starters! But as a desktop FPS fan, I can't help contemplating the prospect.)
     
  10. BrettArchibald

    BrettArchibald Well-Known Member

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    Rolando is one example of that:

    [​IMG]

    Another interesting thing they have done which might be relevant to the OP is showing a dummy finger interacting with the screen, showing how certain elements work (in this case, rotating that cross-thingy) — this overcomes any language issues...

    [​IMG]
     
  11. Adams Immersive

    Adams Immersive Well-Known Member
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    Ah yes, the finger--the universal gesture!

    Off topic (apologies to the O/P) but I'm always impressed when devs make a demo video on a 3D phone model, showing tilt, with 3D fingers added. What a pain that has to be!
     

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