After 5 weeks it's finally approved! I just wanted to see how far along some of your folks would open up a thread there. I've been working on my first shot for a couple months now, so it's not at ground zero. Tomorrow, when the account is set up I'll be able to hardware-deploy and get more functionality moving. There are bugs, but it should be semi-playable once I hook in the accelerometer.
I start it when I'm sure I will release it. I have a graveyard of half finished projects -- no sense in announcing if you might just scrap it. Sooner is better though, to help build awareness and get feedback.
I would be careful about announcing it pre-maturely. You don't want to wait to long though. I announce my game Bullet Skater a year too early, and development went on and off constantly. Thankfully, it's now done.
That's exactly the problem I've had with years of past projects! My HD is littered with apps/interfaces/etc that I started and never got far enough. I'm pretty determined to just get something released that's not embarrassing like a lot of the 99c apps.
My two cents (and totally opinion - your mileage may vary). You should also create an upcomming games thread no later than a week before arrival in the AppStore. It's ok to create an upcomming games thread long in advance of actually completing the game, but you'll need at least a handful of attractive screenshots. These screenshots can be 100% real, or partly mocked up. If you have a handful of works-in-progress, you can use upcomming games threads to gauge mainstream interest (and help choose which project to focus on) or to solicit ideas for gameplay/controls. Or you can do both - create an "upcomming games" thread long in advance of completion. Then update the thread with video when the release is eminent.
Thanks Stroffolino. I've actually got an alpha going on hardware now with some preliminary graphics. I'm thinking once I get the basic gameplay functional I can start asking for feedback (pricing, modes, etc). Still not sure how I'll do a 'lite' versus 'full' version other than ad-supporting the lite which I'm hesistant to do.
I'll echo everyone else with "when you're ready" ... building up some steam for your release is a great step! Just make sure you're going to follow through and actually finish the game. I'd say the best time is a few weeks before you plan to release it, that way you can continually update the thread with progress and have more people view it. At least that's my plan for our new game... coming soon!
Wait until the graphics are finalised. I certainly wouldn't make a post displaying the placeholder graphics.
Howcome? It seems like there are some 'upcoming' threads that literally started in the concept phase. With good concept art, but still! I don't think the placeholders I have in are bad - just not what I had in mind for the final app.
If you have great concept art then that's fine. But the placeholder graphics, no Are you using OpenGL or UIKit?
Great, OpenGL is the way to go. But seriously, I would hold off on the preview thread until you have something decent (and somewhat final) to show. The premise being that if you show poor to start with, the potential buyer will associate that with the end product without even looking at it. Strange, but true.
Well, it is probably nice to start a preview thread, however there is a chance that somebody steals your ideas. Have you taken this also into account?
I used to be worried about this, but just ideas are nearly worthless. Executing the idea is 90% of it! Anyone with the skill to execute the idea faster than I can finish likely has their own ideas to implement.
Hope you're right. (I just started a thread and put an ingame video our upcoming game in the "Upcoming games" forum. )
