Wow, I knew they took a lot but didn't know it was that much. 30% to Apple, 50% of the remaining 70% to Chillingo and then tax on the income of the remainder. Thats less than 30 cents per dollar for every dollar sold. Quite a dismal picture for the hard working indie devs! Tis no wonder they drop them.
All valid points, But to make it simple, look at another industry, Movies: still entertainment, but how many of you reading this have been to see an Indy film lately? Did the last 1 or even the last 10 movies you watched have universal, paramount or FOX at the start. I bet it/they did... A nice comfort blanket is what we look for when we buy things... brand recognition.. simple as that...
In a market like games having a well known publisher who has connections and can market your game is worth whatever percentage they might take, in my opinion. That developers choose not to renew that relationship when they no longer need the publisher for marketing just makes good business sense. I don't really think these decisions are of a personal nature, more so just what makes sense from a monetary and business stand point. I would certainly use Chillingo myself but getting a foot in the door with a publisher is not as easy as it may seem.
