The not so perfect experiment! Willing to burn our fingers!

Discussion in 'Public Game Developers Forum' started by Syndicated Puzzles, May 14, 2011.

  1. Syndicated Puzzles

    Syndicated Puzzles Well-Known Member

    An odd build that actually removed us totally from our comfort zone.

    We took on a "pet project" Mac App called "Contact Bar" . Common sense told use that the app would be a maintenance nightmare and would require updates every week.) So it would have been a lot easier to walk away and build simpler apps that don't have the spiderweb effect of pulling in information from many sources.

    1.0
    We illustrated the app to the nines but the graphics basically killed the performance of the app. So we stripped down the app back to a plain Jane look and the app worked again.

    We submitted the app being at about 75% on the developers happiness scale. Bought each developer two pails and two bags of ready mix to put our feet in when the app hit the store, just to have a foundation when the bad reviews and complaints started to roll in.

    The release was a disaster for 10% of users since they didn't have enough memory to download their prop full address book in under two seconds. The result the app didn't load the address info. We tested Contact bar on many machines but none of our testers had memory issues. So this bug came out of nowhere!

    Nasty 1 star reviews and lots of angry emails later 1.1 was submitted quickly and the patch and update went live on the App Store yesterday.

    So now it looks like the app is loading for everyone including the guy with his powerbook.

    We have a lot of very use full feed back already from 1.1 the good and not so good has now been integrated into 1.2

    We added tonnes of new features and successfully added some of the graphics back and we are ready to release 1.2.

    We are fully aware that 1.2 will have users complaining about missing features and all kinds of other crazy things but for some reason we feel this openness and imperfection is the only way to build this ongoing project.

    The reason for my post is to describe the process of letting an app actually turn from a moth into a butterfly by letting it all hang out instead of this so highly sought after perfectionism developers always look out for .

    Contact Bar is going to use this process of using feedback and negativity to end up as the perfect app to find contact information on a mac.
     
  2. NickFalk

    NickFalk Well-Known Member

    While certainly interesting, I believe this model would be futile for most developers. A crap initial release would simply lead to few reviews and no sales. The app would simply be dead on arrival...
     
  3. MidianGTX

    MidianGTX Well-Known Member

    Jun 16, 2009
    3,738
    10
    38
    Not to mention the suggestion that gamers (who admittedly don't apply to this app) are getting increasingly frustrated with games being released unfinished with the assumption all of their problems can be fixed later. I guess it couldn't hurt too much with something like this, but try it with a game and I think you'll see different results.
     
  4. Syndicated Puzzles

    Syndicated Puzzles Well-Known Member

    Agreed Nick and Midian GTX!

    I think the subject matter is what might make this one fly. We actually need the users to get from A to B. Contact Bar is good don't read too much into the post it just needs to be perfect and the only way to get there is to let it grow by releasing new versions that listened to input from users. People have helped us enormously with really cool suggestions and ideas, very powerful tool.

    Releasing a bad game for example might not allow you to recover. With Contact Bar we are finding as long as we respond and interact we are gaining allies that are interested in helping. This is new to us as well but it has been enjoyable.
     
  5. mr.Ugly

    mr.Ugly Well-Known Member

    Dec 1, 2009
    1,673
    0
    36
    Berlin, Germany
    don't you exaggerate it a bit? you have exactly 2 reviews.. and you make it sound like youre being swamped with bad reviews.


    and i somehow don't get the point of your thread.. your indian guy released an unfinished product and you got one bad review for this.. now you fixed that bug for the macbook guy and now..

    you released a buggy product.. yes? not the first time you guys did.. so ? i don't quite get it what the "message" is, release something buggy and let your customers play beta tester for you so you can fix/improve the stuff that should have been working from the get go? i'm puzzled. :/

    take care guys.
     
  6. Syndicated Puzzles

    Syndicated Puzzles Well-Known Member

    Mr Ugly,

    If you simplify the world to the point where you, hunt food and sit in the bushes to get rid off what ever you have eaten and use a leaf to clean up the mess, then life becomes a very boring place. Anything can be simplified to the extent that it isn't interesting any longer. The in-betweens and the elements that aren't documented 100 % is what makes life and work interesting. I was waiting for your razor sharp statement but I am also worried that you see the world only in black and white. Great time to be doing what we do!
     
  7. mr.Ugly

    mr.Ugly Well-Known Member

    Dec 1, 2009
    1,673
    0
    36
    Berlin, Germany
    ..does not answere a single one of my questions..

    as for my b/w world ;) .. well having some ethics could help.. but for alot of people ethics quickly fades away when they hunt for $$$. But what else to expect from cheap knockoff software made in india, definatly not quality.. even imaginary ones you speak off.

    as for razor sharp debates.. what for.. once people disagree with you in a debate you delete your posts .. this and other odd behaviour already gave me a pretty good look at your face and your ethics as a developer.. make a dump and point to others to blame for the bad smell.. awesome..

    and you still did not answere a single question..
     
  8. Syndicated Puzzles

    Syndicated Puzzles Well-Known Member

    Say what,

    We don't make knock off software. ILifeTouch has been creating really good unique apps from day one. You are the only person that constantly has an issue with "Made in India". The programming might be done in India (amazing people to work with) but the planning and creativity is done in the UK and Canada.

    All our apps have a tonne of content and are pushing creativity and originality. We are also heavily into diversifying our portfolio of apps iPicture and Live Dock Weather and iTube that is going live in a few days are just a few examples of good solid creative fun.

    And, yes the hunt for dollars is important when four developers need to get paid every 14 days. I have been financing this venture too long it has to start paying for itself or why bother?

    Mr Ugly iLifeTouch is definitely not what you think we are. The teamwork and energy of our team is awesome at the moment and we are aiming to publish even better products in the near future.
     
  9. BlueDog

    BlueDog Active Member

    Mar 4, 2011
    39
    0
    0
    Indie Game Programmer Extrordinaire
    Rhode Island
    I am so confused
     
  10. mr.Ugly

    mr.Ugly Well-Known Member

    Dec 1, 2009
    1,673
    0
    36
    Berlin, Germany

    how many clock apps do you have using the same, code, art and interface?
    how many alarm apps do you have using the same code, art and interface?
    how many weather apps do you have using the same code, art and interface?
    how many variations do you have from thoose 3 variations mixed together?

    if you really think what you do is tonne of content and pushing creativity.. pal you are absolutly delusional and must be as creative as a rock.

    which is actualy sad.. str8ts was actualy something unique, twist on soduko like puzzles.. and coming from there to making a dozen nearly identical clock apps is pretty sad, and now you get a new weather app wow.. thats 4 weather apps now.. creativity is rising up like the morning sun..

    what i see since "you" is that you push the same crap in different formats into the store, there is NO difference as in making the 10th image slider puzzle with a different image.. so yes this is a typical made in india knockoff production and has nothing at all todo with quality.

    no matter how much you want people to believe its not.. but apparently our work ethics are so different that i hardly doubt we even find a common ground here. but its really weird how a someone can ever see that you guys do "quality work".. thats troubling..

    so take care of the next 50 "creative" clock and weather apps.. and now that you tapped into the adress book api looking forward to see more of thoose too..

    i'm out of this thread.
     
  11. Ovogame

    Ovogame Well-Known Member

    Sep 25, 2010
    570
    0
    0
    Game Developer
    Morestel, France
    #11 Ovogame, May 16, 2011
    Last edited: May 16, 2011
    *** removed ***

    jc
     
  12. Ovogame

    Ovogame Well-Known Member

    Sep 25, 2010
    570
    0
    0
    Game Developer
    Morestel, France
    I've removed my previous message because I should only take care of my business.

    JC
     
  13. Syndicated Puzzles

    Syndicated Puzzles Well-Known Member

    Mr Ugly,

    My heart almost dropped out of rythm when a read yesterday that you yourself have no apps on the store. Are you kidding me! You have been bashing almost everyone who posts on the developers forum and you have no apps for sale. Are you even a developer? Who are you ?
     

Share This Page