For every popular game, you find at least one payed "guide" app. I'm not sure if people need to ask permission from the original game developers to make money off their game like that, but it's kinda cluttering up the app store, and can be confusing at times. Sometimes they use the same original app icon from the game with just a minor tweak. Sometimes it looks like they're fishing for accidental purchases, like that one app that Tiny Wings HD guide that sold for $1.99 (If I were drunk, I would have purchased it thinking it was an HD version of the game). Anyway, sorry for the rant. I'm just curious what everyone thinks of this.
I would never even look twice at one of those, except for when I got angry at the devs for making a cut the rope holiday edition guide (which is free) for 99c with the same icon that got well into the top 200 paid charts. Or maybe I was mad at all the not so attentive people who bought it and supported this sort of thing with their money. A fool truly shall be parted with his money, and the opportunistic shall be waiting. Edit: But some nice well written guides to many (at least four or five big titles) different games in a very well organized UI might have reason to sell.
Aren't they supposed to get permission from the game developers for something like this? Especially if they're going to use the same icon, or a modified version of it?
I'm bothered that someone would be dumb enough to buy one. Craaps are abound. It's just the way it goes. Likely they are all guilty of copyright infringement.
great point. i will release an official guidebook app for FREEwhen i release Tiny Q . then people won't be fooled around.
Meh, the App Store is full of crap like that. Wish they'd clean it up but... Well they're not going to.
Its like being bothered by billboards on freeways, "Argh! These billboards drive me crazy! I don't want anything they are selling, Remove these billboards NOW!" Filter the noise, you don't need it or want to buy it, someone else might be willing to, so the market is there, not with you.
Are you annoyed by this thread? Cuz I would find that quite ironic. The thing that bothers me most is that many of these are made by scammers fishing for accidental purchases, particularly those who copy the original icon to make it look similar to the original game. Then there are those who just copy and paste some worthless tips and slap it onto an app, knowing fully well that it's completely useless, but also knowing that people will buy it nonetheless. It's a cheap and unethical way of making money. Anyway. I was merely interested in knowing what people thought of this. This wasn't intended to be a whining thread.
I think they're a cheap, boring and lazy way to make money, but the only ones that actually annoy me are the ones which obviously try to deceive the public into thinking it's an official game or app. The rest I'm happy to ignore. If people want to waste money on a quickly thrown together guide rather than browse the web that's their business.
I only know I have never used one of these "guides" and I will never use them, also if they are free (and some of them are free).
Yup, completely agree. Plus, it's bad enough that there's a ton of junk already on the App Store. It's even more annoying when I search for a game and it's buried amongst a bunch of trash "guides".
Its the same thing with the phone finder apps and mirror apps. They get into the top grossing apps and still manage to keep the 4 star ratings. I dont find it annoying but i do enjoy laughing at the stupid peoples reviews of the game.
I think most of those guide books made are aware that many people don't even read the game descriptions and taking advantage of this. They shouldn't be even listed under games but listed in the reference category, maybe some are.