With two book updates published, and possibly two more in the near future, I seem to have a lot of book projects lately. I started wondering about the Kindle. Am I choosing the right format for my books? That’s why I started the Kindle Experiment. The aim of this experiment was to test the Kindle as a viable alternative to Apple’s iBookstore or iTunes App Store. I’ve learned a lot about the differences of the two platforms. I think I’ve gathered enough data to make a solid conclusion. I’ve chosen a clear winner.
Fall 2011 Roadmap
The plan for the Fall is to learn Stencylworks and watch it improve. If I feel confident enough, then I can publish another book — The Unofficial Stencylworks Textbook. While creating games for the Photics Arcade, I can gather good material for the book. The problem right now is that I’m burned out on game creation.
Experiment #4 – The Photics Store
If my content is on sites powered by Facebook, Google, Amazon or Apple, am I limiting the potential of Photics.com? I think so. The goal should be to build up Photics.com. To do that, I’ll have to be able to sell my books and games here. I’ve been researching options to manage digital downloads. I was using Lulu to sell my sound effects, but it seems that Lulu is moving away from CDs, DVDs and digital downloads. I’ve been looking for a new home for my digital content. I was considering the GameSalad Marketplace, but I don’t know when support for sound files will be included. It seems that a good experiment would be the return of the sound effects files to Photics.com. If this works out well, I could include additional content for game developers.
Enough work in these four areas should be completed by Christmas time. That’s when I can review the progress on these experiments. So the roadmap for the Fall of 2011 is to find the roadmap. Which direction will this website take?
Projections…
- More Novels — If Kindle project is successful, or the possible relaunch of Revisions on iTunes is successful, the focus will be on the creation of books.
- Photics Arcade Online —The App Store is great now, but I don’t know if it’s a long-term solution. At some point, HTML 5 and competitors will start eating away at Apple’s walled garden. That means the childhood dream of running an arcade might actually be the most logical move at this point. These games will most likely be portable to mobile devices, so I don’t have to abandon the App Stores. The point is to move beyond the app stores, or at least have a hedge against their potential collapse.
- Stencylworks Textbook — Stencylworks could be the tool that’s used to start build the Photics Arcade. If this is successful, it’s very likely that a new Photics textbook will be created. Again, this is another hedge. GameSalad is great software, but I can’t build my entire site around one SDK.
- Online Shop — The Photics Store could be a good idea, but it would have to be a good experience for customers. If I can implement the right e-commerce technology, I can bring a store online. If this is successful, then there will likely be more resources for developers at Photics.com.
Does Apple Earn Their 30%
And yet, with all of those good things, I am reminded of the fact that the App Store hasn’t made me rich. Instead of trying to find success on the App Store, what if I should be looking elsewhere? Maybe I should be selling books on Amazon’s Kindle. Maybe I should be making Android apps again. Maybe I should be focusing on my own website more? That is when I can see the negatives of Apple’s App Store…
Annual Fee — I don’t like the annual fee. Even though it’s not a lot of money, it’s a yearly reminder to gauge Apple’s importance. If their usefulness fades, then I might not renew. While Apple is doing great now, what about the future? With the Android Market, there is no such limitation. The $25 that I paid years ago makes me a registered Android Developer today.
Slow reviews — I don’t like Apple’s slow review process. This hurts my sales because it delays my reaction time. Getting apps rejected for stupid reasons is also frustrating. And when an app gets rejected, Apple doesn’t work to quickly resolve the problem. You get bumped to the back of the line. It’s like the bread lines in communist Russia. Perhaps a better comparison is with the DMV. I spent less time waiting to get a driver’s license than getting an app approved. With a car, people can die. What is Apple doing that takes so long? The most valuable company in the world can’t speed up the process? They can’t afford to hire some more people to review apps?
Stupid reviews — I think 99¢ games have spoiled a lot of people. The expectations are too high. Squeaky toys for dogs can cost more than an app. Even if I went to a local dollar store, I wouldn’t find much entertainment in the toy section — bubble soap, plastic kazoos, balloons and other simple items. I worked for six months on BOT, but some of the feedback was like I killed the family pet. Is there really much sense in competing in this market — a market where chucking birds at blocks is a popular pastime?
…but overall, I’m probably going to renew my developer registration next month. If I didn’t, it would be like throwing money away. For now, Apple’s App Stores are the best around.
GameSalad Updated to 0.9.7
At some point, the GameSalad developers are going to run out of numbers. With the 0.9.7 update, the software is inching even closer to the 1.0 mark — out of beta. According to the GameSalad Roadmap, the software is supposed to leave beta this Summer. With less than a month left in the season, will the schedule stay intact? After checking out 0.9.7, I’m a bit skeptical. Only three new features were introduced — iOS Keyboard, Device Clock and Debugger. Although, these additions do create new possibilities for game creators.
Stencyl – More Tools For The Developer’s Toolbelt
There’s something that I see a lot of in Game Development communities. It’s the US vs. THEM mentality. I don’t think it makes sense to get too attached to one platform. I learned that early on in life. In my pre-teen years, I made games using BASIC. It was lots of fun, but obviously the world has moved on. I worked hard trying to understand that programming language. But suddenly, it became obsolete. I had to learn new stuff to grow. That’s what I’m doing now. I’m learning about Stencyl.
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