Booooo! I want a damn decent baseball title to mash on already! Show me some love today app store for the recent string of crap I've purchased!
What exactly is Apple's process? It can't be censoring for offensive material because I've seen enough on the store, for better or for worse, that suggests they have a blind eye on that subject....And it sure as hell can't be scanning or testing for bugs cause hell 1 out of every 4 games I purchase have bug(s) that make them un playable in my opinion. That said, the holding up and delays in this process reminds me of the high school hall monitor who weilds super cop authority over their little patch of hallway. Or it's a common and easy excuse for developers who are always delayed. Either way the smart ones are those who just keep their mouths shuts about projects until they're ready to deliver. It's hard enough to make a quality game, it's even more difficult when expectations become so high from being drawn out that no matter how great your game is it will fail to match the unreasonable expectations stringing along brings. Same goes in raising the expectations of investors, I'm sure the developers release tid bits to the press to also show investors "hey we are hard at work, your money isn't being wasted" but it again can set unreasonable expectations of return profit. It is amazing to me that software developers don't understand the value of hiring marketing or sales people who know what they are doing in this regard. It's an old one but true, engineers are the worst marketers and sales people.
I've been wanting to say something like that but didn't want to take the time doing all that typing but either way your right, stop promising what can't be delivered and they should shut up until it's time to put up.
Lydia, as I said above, or to clarify my rant, it seems Apple is the one with the hall monitor with a badge complex, not the developer. Apple's arrogance as a company is what nearly killed it 10-15 years ago and sooner or later will bring it back down again. History does repeat itself unfortunate as it is, considering I love their products. In questioning the inner working of the Apple approval process for it's store, I also brought up the thought since it doesn't really seem it's for quality control hence why the "back-ups", could it be an excuse that is an easy out for developers? Personally I don't request this info before hand either, I come on a site like this looking for reviews of what's out now. I am human though, and when my eyes cross something interesting on here such as an upcoming title I'm going to take a look. The delay in release issues in the software industry is a problem and has been for years. More so than what would be acceptable business practice for almost any other industry. This might be due to unique issues a simple minded person like me isn't aware of, that are specifc to this industry, but honestly, it's been around long enough to have addressed those issues. By the way, how long has this game been rumored, delayed, thought dead, etc.? As a marketing employee of Freeverse or any developer those are issues you must contend with. I'd suggest to market and not defend, as that would be someone higher ups responsibility such as a President or owner in a public forum such as this. And even then it should be done with a humble tone. I'd also be sure of the details of what you've read before addressing them, as it makes no sense to make the hall monitor suggestion about a developer who has no input in this process. Toughen up, because to do marketing and be a messenger in this industry you better get used to jabs about delay.
While I understand your frustration Natron with the delayed release, the quote above was unnecessary and an overreaction. In hindsight, it may have made sense for Freeverse to give a broader release time period instead of a specific date knowing Apple's approval process. Either way, comments such as yours don't do anything but inflame. Telling Freeverse marketing to be thick skinned about your immature comment is short sided at best. No one will unfairly take abuse like that.
Freeverse announces that their game will be available May 3rd. Apple gets backed up with their approvals, causing it not to be released when said. Natron explodes in a rage, first at Freeverse's marketing, then at Apple's review process. Big deal. You have to wait another day or two for the game to come out. Get your panties out of a bunch. People complain when they don't know when a game is coming out. A developer says the date. Apple causes that to be pushed back. Big deal. Get your panties out of a bunch. It's a game. It's not like your life depends on this being released in the next 30 minutes, whether or not the developer said it would be. What's the point in complaining? You're either A)going to buy it anyway, or B)spend the money somewhere else, at which point, your opinion on the game is unnecessary at this point. You're just complaining for the sake of complaining.
I agree with you, I'm losing no sleep over this not being released yet but that has nothing to do with the part I agreed with or the basis of the last statement as a whole.
I think all you people who are defending the devs should read through all the post again. Releasing info on a game is good but the big problem is that we are given dates that are never met. I could think of a million examples to put this into a perspective that all of you could understand but because ( it's only a game ) it's no big deal. I haven't seen any post on this forum that is immature except for the post's that try to tear apart someone elses comment.
Something to consider is that the incessant complaining and bullying of developers that constantly takes place around here as mob mentality takes over as people grow more and more impatient for games isn't encouraging anyone to post any information at all. If I were a developer, and I had the choice between posting nothing, or posting and getting scolded by armchair marketing experts like Natron... I'd choose posting nothing.
100% correct, that's a marketing problem as the devs do not know how to market a product and give the wrong info like dates and other promises that for sure won't be kept. The devs bring it on themselves and yet they still keep making the same mistakes. I personnaly would like no info at all but yet I frequently visit this site. A good example would be daredevil Dave, that dev gave info and a timeframe and kept us in the loop as to why thing were happening the way they were all the way to him submitting his app. He gave to much info but didn't leave us hanging when things weren't going as planned. The result is that if you are going to give info then give it all.
When did anyone make any promises? They told me that's when they thought the game would be out, I posted that's when it should be out in the preview, and that's really all there was to it. I haven't seen any posts or press releases anywhere that says "We promise Flick Baseball will be in your hot little hands on May 3rd by no later than 10:00 PM central time."
A specific date should never be posted unless the game has already been approved and waiting for the switch to be turned on (so to speak). At least that would be the practical thing to do in my mind. Deal with certainties not uncertainty. To go by the law of averages and speculation that since other apps are being approved within X amount of days and stating that your app should release on this specific date just puts your back to the wall. And when unforeseen circumstances happen such as what is going on right now with backups, people get upset because a specific date was given. Guesstimating specific dates is never a good idea. Now saying that Flick Baseball will release sometime in May/June of 2010 and you give yourself a big window to work within. Guesstimating it would be out by May 3 since it was submitted on April 26 (or whatever date) sets yourself up for disappointment because you can't control how Apple operates. An even better solution would be to post the submission date and leave it at that. Make it Apples fault if it takes months to go through. You take the burden off yourself in that example. Doesn't Gameloft announce specific dates once their apps have already been Apple approved? That seems to be the way to do things as far as specific release dates go. I will add the TA front page article stated it should be out by May 3 so that told me (being the practical person I am) it hasn't been approved yet. However the Freeverse website states from April 28 "Available on May 3rd, 2010, this full 3D baseball simulation game brings the excitement of America's favorite pastime to your palm or pocket for anytime fun!" freeverse site Again not a good idea when the app isn't approved yet. I am not attacking anyone here, just suggesting a better way to go about posting release dates. A way that takes your company out of the cross hairs and puts it squarely on Apples shoulders.
You guys complain and complain about these "evil" devs and their giving-us-information. I hope devs just stay quiet from now on, like the Deliverace guys, just so you guys can stop your complaints. Hodapp is completely right, you're like an angry mob. Either they give you info, and you attack them for it, or they give you nothing, and they attack you for it. Whether this game comes out tonight, or a week from tonight, this event won't have any effect on your purchase choice. So what's the point in complaining about it?
You can bet now that Freeverse will never give information here on their games again, and I can see other devs doing the exact same after how you guys are being.
Either way, I think people overreact when a game has a delayed release. It's pretty ridiculous to be throwing tantrums when a game doesn't show up on time. Get over it already.
