Stephen Withers
Monday, 16 March 2009 06:00
Opinion and Analysis
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A fresh round of rumours is again suggesting that Apple has plans to introduce an upmarket section for the App Store. Such a move would increase the visibility of $US20+ programs.
By any measure, Apple's introduction of the App Store as the way of selling iPhone software has been highly successful.
We've even seen the companies behind competing platforms (Google and Android, and Microsoft and Windows Mobile 6.5) taking similar courses.
But that's not to say the App Store is perfect. For example, some developers have expressed frustration about the time it can take to get an application approved, and some decisions to include or exclude certain apps have seemed arbitrary.
Another problem is that the sheer volume of low-cost or free applications tends to swamp more expensive offerings.
There were reports earlier this year that Apple would set up a separate section within the App Store for premium games - apparently defined as those from established publishers and costing at least $US19.99.
While a one or two person operation may be able to make a good living from low-priced software (some developers have reported incomes in the tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars over a matter of weeks) complex game development is an expensive business.
