Help with sales strategy - release date vs. approval date

scitunesscitunes Member, Sous Chef Posts: 4,047
edited November -1 in iPhone and Android Publishing
I just had an app approved. I set the release date way into the future. What should I do now? I think most people go in and change it to two or three days into the future. For me that would be the beginning of the week. Should I set for next friday? With today being saturday, if I change it to today will it show up on the new releases page?

Thanks guys. I'll post promos soon.

Comments

  • scitunesscitunes Member, Sous Chef Posts: 4,047
    I sure hope not. I originally set to the end of april. From posts on this forum I was under the impression that setting it way into the future and then changing it on the approval date was the best bet to get it to show up on the new release page. I'm so confused about this!
  • jhaasjhaas Member Posts: 233
    In the past there were times when setting your release date into the future didn't have the intended outcome. Say you set your release date to April 1 and your app is approved on March 6th.

    Your app wouldn't show up until April 1st. But it would have a release date of March 6th AND you would be positioned back in the past with all the other March 6th releases. Buried several pages deep.

    How it currently works is anyones guess. :)
  • scitunesscitunes Member, Sous Chef Posts: 4,047
    So i totally screwed myself? Should I pull the app and reupload it? If so, what do I set the release date to when I submit the game?
  • jhaasjhaas Member Posts: 233
    Actually I'm just not sure.

    Apple's way of handling the Release Date has always been screwy. But I have noticed they sometimes adjust things based on developer feed back. (For instance the iPad requirement to support all orientations was backed off to a recommendation after everyone complained about it)

    As it stands now - I can only suggest going to the App developer forums as they have a larger experience base with app store issues. :)
  • FoleyFoley Member Posts: 37
    Having learned this lesson the hard way and subsequently exploring it a lot on the developer boards on my first app (which was xcode, not gamesalad), I think I can shed some light on this.

    Apple uses your date of release OR their date of approval - WHICHEVER IS EARLIER - as your release date for purposes of new releases lists. It makes no sense but that's the deal.
    That means you want to immediately move your official release date to the day of approval or at worst the next day.

    I delayed my first app by a week to coordinate a PR campaign with it, and I completely missed out on the new release exposure. Don't make that mistake. It's true that it takes time for your app to show up around the world in the different app stores, but even so I would not even set the date 2 days in the future- set it no more than 24 hours after you get that approved email. Otherwise you will find your app buried pages down on the new releases below the hundreds of apps that were approved right after you. Others may have had better experiences setting the release date to 2 days later but that's not my understanding.

    This is a pointless practice on Apple's part, but I assure you the developer boards wil confirm this. That said, Apple is notorious for changing how things like this work without notifying developers, so it could have changed recently but I have not heard anything about a change.
  • FoleyFoley Member Posts: 37
    by the way, the reason for setting the release date to far in the future initially is that the early release date would be used even if your app was not approved yet!

    So for instance you submit on March 1 and set the release date for the same day, but it takes 2 weeks to get approved. Your game would get released on March 14th but have a release date of March 1!

    Since many apps take much longer for approval than simple games (my first one took 6 weeks), developers set the initial release date as much as 6 months in the future to accomodate delays like a long review or a rejection of the app. then you just move it up when it gets approved.
  • scitunesscitunes Member, Sous Chef Posts: 4,047
    well this morning I changed it to today, but it has not shown up on the new release list yet. I'm still just seeing march 4th releases. thanks for the info
  • CrazybreadmanCrazybreadman Member Posts: 674
    I think if you set it to the current day it might not show up on time. It didn't for me. I would suggest setting it for a day or two later and be patient.
  • ckurt25ckurt25 Member Posts: 122
    Foley & Others,

    If I submit an app say on March 5th and expect it to take roughly 2-3 (business) days for review would it be better to set a release date the day it was submitted, for like the 11th and if it's approved on the 9th or 10th just leave it or set an original release date of the 19th then change the date for that or the next date once you get the approval email?

    Thanks!
  • KempProductionsKempProductions Member Posts: 139
    I submitted mine today and set the release date to the 14th. But I don't find a place where you can go in and change the date. Or do you have to wait until after Apple approves it.
  • KempProductionsKempProductions Member Posts: 139
    Thank you. So when I receive the email that its been approved, change the release date to the current date.
  • KempProductionsKempProductions Member Posts: 139
    Ok, how long does it usually take for them to start reviewing?
  • KempProductionsKempProductions Member Posts: 139
    Well it went into review today, but what happens if i sent the date to tomorrow, but its not approved til friday?
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