Am I the only one who's concerned that IUGO have a whole feature category to themselves on the App Store? Way to go IUGO - some great games! But I can't help feeling conncerned about what's next... Can indies still compete? Maybe its time to band together?
I don't see how that would be a problem. And if indy devs band together, they aren't really indy devs anymore, are they?
I guess the main question for me would be: How did this come about? If Apple simply decided to feature a prominent developer/publisher I have no real problems with it. (And I actually believe this to be the case). If they've started to sell ad space to the majors it's something completely different and it should at the very least be clearly marked as an advertisement.
I don't think they purchased the space, they sound as suprised (pleasantly) as anyone to have their own feature category.
That thread is about giving IUGO well deserved congrats, this thread is about why we think Apple is doing something new and how it impacts indie devs.
I think the App Store ecosystem has redefined what "indie" means. At a minimum, it seems there are two levels of indie. There are level 1 "indies" who are doing it part-time with 5 people or less. There are also level 2 "indies" who are doing it full-time with actual offices and 5 or more staff. IUGO definitely seems to fit this category (and BTW, they have made some great games). Then there are the big boys like EA, Gameloft and Mind Juice Media.
My god. Perhaps if you spent more time developing your game instead of debating how indie you are on forums, you wouldn't be a "level 1" indie or whatever idiotic classification you are giving yourself.
I think it's great to see IUGO get the promotion... they should certainly be considered "Indie" by most definitions which is why I was glad to see them there rather than EA or Galmeloft. It's a huge breakthrough to see that Apple is willing to help promote one of the more serious indie companies out there, they have some great titles and definitely deserve it.
It' a little hard to detect sarcasm when 90% of threads like this end up in an argument over who is more indie.
Agreed. I hope we see more of this. I just hope EA and Gameloft don't get all ornery and demand to have their turn. They get enough exposure as it is.
I'm seeing a lot of this lately... the conversation is going fine, everyone is being civil then one guy enters and it's all "Hey **** you, this is only gonna start ****ing arguments, are you ****ing stupid? We all know this thread will only lead to trouble! ****!"
Yeah I'm pretty sure I saw something similar in another thread earlier today but can't remember which one. Some people really love the power they think they gain from anonymity I guess! But regarding the topic at hand... I think it shows the advantage of having a quality portfolio big enough to fill your own feature category! If Apple are going to continue to do this for smaller outfits then it would certainly be advantageous for us to expand our portfolios. Says the guy with one game on the store
