I'll replace the GS loading image in your apps for $50/app

245

Comments

  • quantumsheepquantumsheep Member Posts: 8,188
    Hey Photics,

    In general, you've been a lot calmer than I thought you would be. Maybe looks are deceiving? ;)

    Analogies kinda work, don't they?

    You go into a coffee shop.

    They sell coffee and muffins.

    Coffee is $.99 - Muffins are $20

    You have a coffee. $.99 seems reasonable to you. But you really want a muffin too, but $20 is more than what you're willing to pay for a muffin.

    The market dictates that muffins should be less than that. It's what you expect. And yet these muffins are on sale for $20.

    Would you barter with them? Would you argue that that's too much for a muffin?

    Maybe. But the shop has the right to stick to its pricing. It believes its muffins are awesome, and nobody's forcing you to buy one.

    Generally, when you go into any shop, you pay the price that the shop dictates for the product you want.

    Or you go elsewhere. Try and find the same or a similar product cheaper.

    You wouldn't steal the bloody muffin when the shopkeeper isn't looking because you didn't agree with the price, would you?

    WOULD YOU???

    QS :D

    Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
    Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io

  • ChaserChaser Member Posts: 1,453
    For the same reason their are jailbroken iPhones where people add features they want then apple follows in their ideas and adds the same functionality. I don't think GS says you can't alter your game after it's given to you. While I'm at it don't tell me I can't take my VW logo off my car and put a ford logo in it's place.
    I say go for it
    And while your at it can you figure out iAds and game center
  • AfterBurnettAfterBurnett Member Posts: 3,474
    Depends... how hungry am I? Am I homeless at the time?
  • Rob2Rob2 Member Posts: 2,402
    @QS by their lack of communication it has been GS that have done the deceiving, why didn't they say from the outset that iAds would be a pro feature and not mislead all the young devs who have been looking forward to it, it is pretty obvious that gamecentre and every other future real development will be pro too.
  • AfterBurnettAfterBurnett Member Posts: 3,474
    And isn't what Photics is saying is that he'll give part of his muffin to someone else? He already has it, doesn't he?
  • ChunkypixelsChunkypixels Member Posts: 1,114
    So the mob is out, and its anarchy in the streets.... next we'll be eating each other! :)
  • AfterBurnettAfterBurnett Member Posts: 3,474
    Again, that depends... how hungry am I at the time?
  • chosenonestudioschosenonestudios Member Posts: 1,714
    Chunkypixels said:
    So the mob is out, and its anarchy in the streets.... next we'll be eating each other! :)

    At least we'd all be good zombies ;)
  • synthesissynthesis Member Posts: 1,693
    @ QS...
    Your analogy is a little off...
    here is one more appropriate to the issue perhaps...

    Coffee = $.99 - Raisin Cookies = $2 - Chocolate Chip Muffin $20
    You want a coffee and you want a Chocolate Chip Cookie because you hate raisins.

    Store won't sell you a chocolate chip cookie. You really want it but they say tough...spend $20 and you can have a chocolate Chip muffin.

    So you buy the coffee and the Raisin cookie...because $20 for a muffin is absolutely ludicrous...especially if all you want are the chocolate chips.

    You go to your table and pick out the raisins. Then you reach into your bag and you get out a half eaten bag of M&M candies. You smash the M&Ms into the cookie and throw away the raisins. Mmmmm. Good cookie now.

    Did you break a rule? No...you just modified the Cookie...THAT YOU PAID FOR...to your liking. No theft...just improvisation...and a little extra labor on your part.
  • ChaserChaser Member Posts: 1,453
    QS
    He is definitely not getting the whole muffin nor stealing the whole muffin.
    I'd say he's just changing his coffee by adding a sugar (GS logo) but first licking the cube before he gives his coffee to apple.
  • quantumsheepquantumsheep Member Posts: 8,188
    Rob2 said:
    @QS by their lack of communication it has been GS that have done the deceiving, why didn't they say from the outset that iAds would be a pro feature and not mislead all the young devs who have been looking forward to it, it is pretty obvious that gamecentre and every other future real development will be pro too.

    Oh, I absolutely agree that their 'iAds is coming' post was lacking in detail. They could have said there and then 'for pro users only' for sure.

    Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
    Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io

  • design219design219 Member Posts: 2,273
    quantumsheep said:
    Oh, I absolutely agree that their 'iAds is coming' post was lacking in detail. They could have said there and then 'for pro users only' for sure.

    And gotten the bitching over with by now. Maybe.
  • quantumsheepquantumsheep Member Posts: 8,188
    And this is why I say 'morally bankrupt'.

    You all KNOW this is wrong. ALL OF YOU.

    And yet you can happily justify it to yourselves somehow because you feel hard done by.

    I'm sorry you feel like that. I really am. I'd love to see the price of pro come down too as mine runs out soon and I'll be going indie. It's not worth the 2k in my opinion. Others feel it is and have invested in it. That's great.

    If you can't see it... well. We part ways here I think.

    QS

    Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
    Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io

  • quantumsheepquantumsheep Member Posts: 8,188
    design219 said:
    And gotten the bitching over with by now. Maybe.

    Very true!

    Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
    Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io

  • ChunkypixelsChunkypixels Member Posts: 1,114
    I think the problem is that people are basically talking about bypassing an area that Gendai is structured to make its money from.

    If you offer the services discussed, then no one needs to buy pro.... making it redundant, or unfair to those that actually paid for it.

    I know this is what your driving at, and I can see your argument based on the current price of the pro membership, but its still not really the right way of going about things, and is going to do more harm than good.
  • PhoticsPhotics Member Posts: 4,172
    quantumsheep said:
    Hey Photics,

    In general, you've been a lot calmer than I thought you would be. Maybe looks are deceiving? ;)

    I'm not feeling anger right now. It's more disappointment. I was waiting for iAds. My experience with Android tells me that advertisement based games do better. I was looking forward to testing it here. But unfortunately, there were two major setbacks yesterday... Photics: Revisions "lite" isn't showing iAds and Gendai Games made iAds Pro. These were two moments that should have been exciting.
    POLYGAMe said:
    And isn't what Photics is saying is that he'll give part of his muffin to someone else? He already has it, doesn't he?

    That's right. Quantum Sheep's analogy isn't really accurate. Game Salad isn't selling muffins, more like muffin makers. I'm thinking that the rules for software are quite different.

    My main issue goes back to what I've been saying for a while... road map. I didn't know iAds would be a pro feature. They could have let the community known before it was released. So now, I'm sitting on a great app, trying to figure out how I should publish it.

    I see three scenarios right now...

    1) Give up on iAds - a lot of people are saying iAds are not a good idea for games. While I'd rather test that for myself, so far this path has lead to nothing but failure. Maybe I should just give up on iAds and continue publishing my games without iAds.

    2) Buy pro - If I could use pro to make apps and modifications for clients, $1999 per year isn't so bad. However, I don't know if I can do that with the Pro version. How does Gendai Games feel about Pro users changing splash screens for express users?

    3) Find a pro user - You have pro, right Quantum Sheep? Is it unethical if I paid you $50 to make quick modifications to my game? 1) custom loading screen, 2) add the iAds behavior to the actor called iAds and 3) Add a hyperlink to the company logo actor. That would take you what... 30 minutes?

    GameSalad ends up losing money if Pro users start doing that. I'm not sure if GameSalad can say no either. Is it really pro software if you can't make or modify apps for clients?
    quantumsheep said:
    And this is why I say 'morally bankrupt'.

    You all KNOW this is wrong. ALL OF YOU.

    I don't agree with the idea of hacking a custom screen. I see it as unethical. That's my opinion though.
  • ipwnuipwnu Member Posts: 19
    synthesis said:
    @ QS...
    Your analogy is a little off...
    here is one more appropriate to the issue perhaps...

    Coffee = $.99 - Raisin Cookies = $2 - Chocolate Chip Muffin $20
    You want a coffee and you want a Chocolate Chip Cookie because you hate raisins.

    Store won't sell you a chocolate chip cookie. You really want it but they say tough...spend $20 and you can have a chocolate Chip muffin.

    So you buy the coffee and the Raisin cookie...because $20 for a muffin is absolutely ludicrous...especially if all you want are the chocolate chips.

    You go to your table and pick out the raisins. Then you reach into your bag and you get out a half eaten bag of M&M candies. You smash the M&Ms into the cookie and throw away the raisins. Mmmmm. Good cookie now.

    Did you break a rule? No...you just modified the Cookie...THAT YOU PAID FOR...to your liking. No theft...just improvisation...and a little extra labor on your part.

    u did break a rule, you missed the no outside food or drink sign on the door. there was a Seinfeld episode about bringing maple syrup from home to the diner and the owner threatening to kick them out.

    here is a better analogy of this. you go to a diner that has unlimited refills on sodas, and you buy one for yourself. your friends all get water and you are pouring soda from your cup to theirs once they drink the water from it and leave the ice
  • quantumsheepquantumsheep Member Posts: 8,188
    Photics said:
    1) Give up on iAds - a lot of people are saying iAds are not a good idea for games. While I'd rather test that for myself, so far this path has lead to nothing but failure. Maybe I should just give up on iAds and continue publishing my games without iAds.

    2) Buy pro - If I could use pro to make apps and modifications for clients, $1999 per year isn't so bad. However, I don't know if I can do that with the Pro version. How does Gendai Games feel about Pro users changing splash screens for express users?

    3) Find a pro user - You have pro, right Quantum Sheep? Is it unethical if I paid you $50 to make quick modifications to my game? 1) custom loading screen, 2) add the iAds behavior to the actor called iAds and 3) Add a hyperlink to the company logo actor. That would take you what... 30 minutes?

    GameSalad ends up losing money if Pro users start doing that. I'm not sure if GameSalad can say no either. Is it really pro software if you can't make or modify apps for clients?

    Photics, thanks for the response.

    I'll answer your three points directly:

    1. - aren't you already trying it out with Photics: Revision?

    2. - I'm pretty certain you CAN make games for clients using GS - some people have already done it.

    3. - I would consider it unethical to accept money from you to modify your work for you so you can bypass a service you don't want to pay for, yes. I would hope that other pro users would do the same.

    I had the opportunity, as an indie user, to bypass the GS splash screen when GS first went live. I found a way to do it. But I never exploited it.

    Gendai have to make their money somehow. If pro users did what you suggested, we lose it all far sooner than even the scaremongers here suggest..

    Just my opinion.

    Cheers,

    QS :D

    Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
    Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io

  • design219design219 Member Posts: 2,273
    Yeah, it's like sharing off the salad bar. One person pays for however much he can eat, but he has not paid for someone else to eat... even if he himself is not really hungry.

    There is probably an insurance analogy that would work. If I don't have an accident, doesn't mean I can use my insurance to pay for my friend's accident.
  • design219design219 Member Posts: 2,273
  • ChunkypixelsChunkypixels Member Posts: 1,114
    quote "GameSalad ends up losing money if Pro users start doing that. I'm not sure if GameSalad can say no either. Is it really pro software if you can't make or modify apps for clients?"

    I think it depends on who your clients are....

    In this case people are talking about using Gendai's own software to basically steal their paying clients from them. I think this is where it becomes dubious and dishonest, and possibly even illegal.

    I think you'd be perfectly in your rights to create,develop and modify products for customers who arent also their customers, but whats being discussed here is different.
  • BeyondtheTechBeyondtheTech Member Posts: 809
    Wow, I post a justifiable rant and it stays hidden to the public - the topic remains closed and I can't even edit it. Yet, someone blatantly posts a dubious hack to get around the Express limitation of a GS splash screen and it's a hot topic.

    I don't know what's more wrong here, the community or the mods.
  • Rob2Rob2 Member Posts: 2,402
    @bt link? repost content here?
  • synthesissynthesis Member Posts: 1,693
    So we looked into this.

    We figured out fairly quickly what Bark is doing here...basically a command line script that reconfigures the binary to accept a new Default.png file.

    HOWEVER>>> READ THIS!!!

    If you do this...you DO violate the terms of service of Gendai's license agreement and are at risk of having your license revoked/suspended since you have actually modified the internal contents of the app file.

    So even though its fairly easy to do...Ask yourself...is it worth the risk.

    So my position is...Even though I don't believe its stealing (you bought the software and the game is your creation) and its not "morally" wrong...you still agreed to the software licensing terms when you installed GS and therefore must comply with those terms or risk loosing your license and ability to compile future games.

    Plus if Gendai really wants to be a dick...they could contact Apple and you could get blacklisted with them...shutting you down completely.

    My advice...DONT DO IT...no matter how tempting it is.
  • BeyondtheTechBeyondtheTech Member Posts: 809
    Rob2 said:
    @bt link? repost content here?

    Here was my post:
    Let me start off by saying I like GameSalad. I really do. I've never played with a GDK that was so easy to use and fun to work with.

    That being said, I stand here with a growing amount of frustration.

    At best, we've seen updates about once a month, but the speed of development and lack of communication or path, and the ambiguity in press releases/blog posts really don't help us end developers at all. Much like how Apple descends upon the public with a new product or a refresh, we just sit here clueless until you spring us with a new build, and like an iPad without a camera, many times we end up wondering how something could have been left out or not addressed.

    For the last two years of its life, the App Store has proven itself to be an incredible competitive market over the past two years, and if you snooze, you lose. Missing key features can make or break a product and its sales potential.

    A few months back, I came up with a bunch of suggestions, some of which can't be all that difficult to implement. One of which was accessing the device's real clock (see http://gamesalad.com/forums/topic.php?id=3183 for more info). With the release of the iPad and its apparent lack of a Clock app, the developer of "Night Stand HD" was able to clock in 20,000 downloads in 30 days (see http://www.intomobile.com/2010/05/11/night-stand-hd-for-ipad-hits-20000-downloads-within-30-days-lack-of-a-built-in-alarm-clock-app-to-thank/ for more info).

    Fun and simple games is what GameSalad can make. But without an online scoreboard or networking features like OpenFeint or Plus+, we're pretty much playing alone in our own sandboxes, and the users can get rather bored after a while. By adding in an array or indexable Attributes, you can open up the doors to a ton more games. Plus, it appears now that iOS 4 allows you to directly access the iTunes library for your own purposes - imagine coming up with your own rhythm/DDR/Guitar Hero-type game!

    Many App Store customers are peeved at the whole "iPad games are priced with a premium" just because the screen is larger. If GameSalad offered the ability to merge two projects together into a single Universal binary to sell on the App Store, we could benefits from those missing sales. Same goes for In-App Purchasing.

    Until iAds was announced, people were making additional income with AdMob, which is still inaccessible to all GS users. Now, we're seeing that only Pro users can get iAds, which is a Catch-22 for struggling Express users, including myself. With the thought of one developer getting $1400 in a single day for iAds, I'm feeling more hopeless in my continuation with GameSalad, especially as an Express member (see http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-developer-brags-1400-in-iad-revenue-in-one-day-at-150-ecpm-2010-7 for more info).

    And I'm still mostly frustrated that there is such a price discrepancy between Pro and Express. I haven't made enough sales for all my GS apps to pay for Pro at its current price, but I would greatly consider and attempt to sacrifice what available monies I had if it was at its previous pricetag of $499.

    At $99, you'll grab a lot of amateur developers making mediocre apps with all the same limited functionality, and the lucky $1999 users will have a little more taste of secondary income. Wouldn't it be more fruitful to you and your GS users to open the doors a little bit more? Make it one membership with one annual fee of say, $399. Give a little more insight - a roadmap or development status on each of the most-highly requested features. Give a bit more access the pre-compiled code so we can access and embed features like the compass and map, the camera or microphone, push notifications, iTunes library, third-party anti-piracy protection, voice synthesis, etc.

    These are just some suggestions that I don't think I'm anywhere alone on this issue. Other platforms are starting to emerge and look more appealing.

    (I listed a bunch of alternative GDKs here)

    ...and just like the App Store, it can get quite competitive. Please give your current users a fighting chance. Really, I'm begging you.

  • design219design219 Member Posts: 2,273
    Sta
    BeyondtheTech said:
    Wow, I post a justifiable rant and it stays hidden to the public - the topic remains closed and I can't even edit it.

    Post a new thread. It's probably just a glitch. I remember the same thing happening to someone else a while back.
  • gyroscopegyroscope I am here.Member, Sous Chef, PRO Posts: 6,598
    I see it like this: Gendai are a business; they each have a salary; people already can download the app (OK, beta) for free, use it for as long as you want, fully featured. When you are ready, you can pay a modest $99 per year, which includes a lot of benefits added. Also includes the Gendai splash screen. So, some people seem to be almost ashamed of this being shown, it seems to me, as if it's going to downgrade the user experience in some way. It's like renting a car and wanting to rip the Ford/Mazda/Whatevah badge off.

    I'm going to be pleased that Gendai will be putting a splash screen on my game in four or five months time. An excellent game-making app, its creators doing a bit of advertising, as they deserve to do.

    iAds isn't going to be a financial saviour of the majority of games: the majority might sell between 20 copies to 10,000 copies a year. Even those that sell 10,000 and every single iAd is clicked on, you'd probably earn an extra $50 per year.

    That's my thoughts anyhow.

    ""You are in a maze of twisty passages, all alike." - Zork        temp domain http://spidergriffin.wix.com/alphaghostapps

  • design219design219 Member Posts: 2,273
    synthesis said:
    So my position is...Even though I don't believe its stealing (you bought the software and the game is your creation) and its not "morally" wrong...you still agreed to the software licensing terms when you installed GS and therefore must comply with those terms or risk loosing your license and ability to compile future games.

    But you didn't buy the software, you bought their compiling service, so I think it is stealing. The software is free to download and use.
  • PhoticsPhotics Member Posts: 4,172
    quantumsheep said:

    1. - aren't you already trying it out with Photics: Revision?

    It's not working. I'm not sure why. Is it because Apple has no ads to display, or is it because I did something wrong? I'm not sure. I wrote to Apple and I'm waiting for a response. Hooray, more waiting.

    It seems a bad idea to spend $1999 on a feature that may not work correctly. Even if I put iAds in my GameSalad games, that's no guarantee Apple will be able to fill those ads. With thousands of developers, all jumping on the iAds bandwagon, I might have already missed the boat with this one.

    ...and I have used AdMob before, with some of my iTunes apps. It wasn't that great. It was decent, but not better than Commove sales.
    quantumsheep said:

    2. - I'm pretty certain you CAN make games for clients using GS - some people have already done it.

    This is a tricky area. Ethically, I think you should be able to use GameSalad to create apps for clients. However, if that is ethical, why is it wrong to bring users the rest of the way?
    quantumsheep said:

    3. - I would consider it unethical to accept money from you to modify your work for you so you can bypass a service you don't want to pay for, yes. I would hope that other pro users would do the same.

    This is where it gets really gray. Unethical behavior sparks more unethical behavior. Go to the source. Is it ethical to charge $1999 for a beta?
    quantumsheep said:

    Gendai have to make their money somehow. If pro users did what you suggested, we lose it all far sooner than even the scaremongers here suggest..

    If Gendai Games said, "Mike, you can use your apps to make games for clients. However, you cannot use your Pro license to bypass the limits for express users." I would say, OK. Put that in the license agreement. Make the rules clear. They should add more contrast to these issues.

    Gendai Games needs to keep the lights on in Texas. That's cool. When you have guys like tshirtbooth making tens-of-thousands of dollars, it's not unreasonable for Gendai Games to ask $1999 for their software. However, it creates an issue "for the rest of us"... where $1999 is a serious gap to jump. If Gendai Games doesn't start building a bridge, people are going to find unscrupulous ways to meet that goal.

    I'm not one of those people. My thinking is this - if Gendai Games says it's OK to provide a logo removal service with a pro version of GameSalad, then I don't have any ethical issues with it. If they're against it, then I don't want to do it... even if legally I could.

    Obviously, proved by the existence of this thread, not everyone is going to think this way... that's why I think Gendai Games has an opportunity to protect themselves and make the community happy...

    ...Monthly payments for pro...

    As for people cramming a bunch of apps in one month... that's great... but what happens next month when you want to update your game or there's a new feature? (GameSalad updates about once a month, so such a pricing plan would encourage them to stay busy every month. Frequent and regular updates are good for the community.)

    As for the idea of crap apps flooding the market... why should you care? With pro, the splash screen can be removed... not associating failures with GameSalad. With a $199 monthly subscription fee, a serious enough deterrent is there to weed out bad apps. Bad apps are going to hit the iTunes app store... with or without GameSalad.
  • chosenonestudioschosenonestudios Member Posts: 1,714
    synthesis said:
    So we looked into this.

    We figured out fairly quickly what Bark is doing here...basically a command line script that reconfigures the binary to accept a new Default.png file.

    HOWEVER>>> READ THIS!!!

    If you do this...you DO violate the terms of service of Gendai's license agreement and are at risk of having your license revoked/suspended since you have actually modified the internal contents of the app file.

    I figured out an easier way to do this... It takes less than 30 seconds and DOES not modify the internal contents of the app...

    Not saying its right though...

    Although I'm not sure in the TOS is says you cant modify it..
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