Hi, I have a question to the experienced developer here at TA. How many days before the release date Apple contacts developer regarding a feature in the App Store? We're funfungames.de, a new indie developer from Hamburg in Germany, and will publish our first iOS game Circlestances at App Store tomorrow. We don't expect to get featured by Apple for this game, but I want to know how it for future releases. When can we quit pressing thumbs and hoping for a feature at release week? Thanks for your help. Regards Marcus funfungames.de
Features that require no additional art (think 'best new games' categories and similar) probably won't have Apple contacting you at all. From my experience, larger banner features and editor's choice would be one or more weeks in advance.
The easiest way to not get in trouble time wise is to have your game ready before the madness starts. That means everything is done, your final release version is approved and everything. Then you have to pitch your game at least 4 weeks before your official release. Normally you will get noticed by Apple 5-7 days prior to release with their promotional art request email. Then you have to create the banner art and submit it to them. All of this will not guarantee a feature but it's a good sign if Apple is interested in your game. Having a direct contact at Apple is obviously the best way of contacting them about your game, but you can also use their pitch email: [email protected] Seeing that you are from Hamburg you should check out Indiearena.de which is the biggest German community.
We didn't get any warning before our title was featured on Best New Games, first we knew about it, it was there on the front page of the store. For the banner feature spots Apple might ask for additional art.
Thanks for your replys, very helpful. Then please press all thumbs for us and hope, our new (release tonight) arcade game Circlestances (https://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/circlestances/id984982071?mt=8) is getting featured in Best New Games... finger crossed... And thanks for the tip, Tinytouchtales
If they want to feature you in a category that just lists the icon, then they won't reach out. If they want artwork for a major or subcategory banner feature, then they usually do that between the Wednesday to Friday the week before release in our experience.
For us, it was about 2 months from when they requested banners from us, until we saw the app feature. We'd actually given up at that point!
