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IPhone Developers Go From Rags to Riches

blog.wired.com — The iPhone is a revolutionary handset. But it is also the key to a virtual gold mine: The iTunes App Store, where independent developers can become multi-millionaires in just a year.

Who dugg this? Made popular Sep 20, 2008

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  • BrendanSheehan, on 09/20/2008, -6/+76"Trism is essentially a version of Bejeweled using the iPhone's accelerometer."

    Essentially this is inaccurate. Trims is "WAY" more than that description. Way more! It's like a modern day Tetris, without in-any-way copying Tetris. And to top it off Steve is also a nice guy; which I think is important. When the game was on jailbreak I exchanged a few emails with him and I have nothing but good things to say about him since. He was respectful, helpful, and he went out of his way. Compare that to the ignorance of Mac developers like Dave Watanabe.

    I hope he makes those millions - you deserve it Steve.
  • jjpertusch, on 09/20/2008, -2/+39I bet that Koi Pond d-bag is rolling in money
  • AriaStar, on 09/20/2008, -1/+34Why did that "I Am Rich" app get taken down?
  • HappyScrappy, on 09/20/2008, -1/+31"If sales continue at this rate"

    And that's the trick, isn't it?

    This reminds me of the Palm apps scene. It went like gangbusters for a while, because people just wanted to accessorize their phones. They were buying apps simply because they could. But after a while they slowed the rate at which they bought new programs, because the Palm came with the apps most people needed.

    Games will continue to do well (but perhaps not at as well per device in the field as so far), but I don't know if I see a healthy app market for the iPhone. Heck, people don't even buy nearly as many apps for computers as they used to. Most customers just use a browser, email/chat program (both free) and an office suite.
  • Mootabolife, on 09/20/2008, -4/+28Do you do infomercials?
  • ShuttleXpC, on 09/20/2008, -0/+22250,000 That's pretty awesome considering how short a time the App Store has been open.
  • xptweakerntn, on 09/20/2008, -0/+18I thought people stopped this stuff 20 years ago.
  • atgmac, on 09/20/2008, -12/+28It's great until apple destroys your whole business with the press of a key. Too much power is a bad thing.
  • Gosroth, on 09/20/2008, -6/+20Heh, I know this guy! (steve) Bay Area WOOT! trism is great! oh and can I borrow a dollar?
  • ModeSeven, on 09/20/2008, -0/+12Yeah I'm in! You take care of the coding, graphics and sound and I'll do the rest.
  • opticwind, on 09/20/2008, -0/+12Are you criticizing someone who made $8,000 for less than a day of programming? It was brilliant BECAUSE it was expensive. Nobody's gonna give $50 to show people "I'm not rich, I'm just bad at clicking the application I meant to."
  • Logal, on 09/20/2008, -0/+11Dugg for Watanabe jab. That guy is a prick, he and his ***** nagware can suck it.


  • manitoba98xp, on 09/20/2008, -0/+10It makes sense because the iPhone is based on OS X. If you have a link to Microsoft's official Mac SDK for Windows Mobile, I'd be interested to see it.
  • GliTCH82, on 09/20/2008, -0/+9His point is that just like you can't download the iPhone SDK for Windows, you can't download the .NET Compact Framework to develop Windows Mobile apps on a Mac.
  • Onyxblaze, on 09/20/2008, -1/+9go on myspace or facebook and add about 5 girls to your friends list.
  • ceruleanocte, on 09/20/2008, -1/+9time to download the sdk and start messing with it. with any luck I'll make a couple bucks
  • rumblestrut, on 09/20/2008, -4/+11More important, I think, is how the I Am Rich developer was in his thinking. His price was so high, that he only made $8,000 for an app that does nothing. He might have able to get away with a $50 app and made a lot more money like those in the article.

    Hmmm ... time to learn how to write apps for the Mac.
  • DiggetteUK, on 09/20/2008, -0/+7For someone to create something that sells and continues to sell well on the iPhone then good luck to them. Closed platform or not there is a lot of crap in the store and to get to a point where you actually have a sales contract is a long process. The free contract that allows you to "sell your apps for free" you get instantly but if you want to charge then that's a whole load of form filling and it's not quick. 4 weeks in and they still haven't processed my tax forms supposedly.

    As for having to pay for join the program £50 or $99 is nothing as I went into this knowing that I'd have a paid app but before that I got the SDK from the usual places and played around with it. Good luck to these guys after all this is what every developer hopes for and those bitching about the $99 to get on the program then please don't join the program that's one less program to compete with, however they will pay it (after complaining here that they wont) after all you really really want the same success of Trism.
  • FasmTrout, on 09/20/2008, -0/+6Want a cookie?
  • HolyChimp, on 09/20/2008, -2/+8I'd rather have 2.1 and pay for the occasional app.
    2.1 fixed so much ***** that was wrong with the iPhone.
  • InorganicMatter, on 09/20/2008, -1/+7But you see, the iPhone does have a specific OS...it's based on Mac OS X. It's no small OS either, so don't try and act like the iPhone is a generic phone you should be able to develop for on any platform. Do GNU developers write their software on Windows? Don't think so.
  • phatbyte, on 09/20/2008, -4/+9Two different things.
    One thing is developing for an especific OS, another one is developing for a piece of hardware, in this case a cellphone.

    It's completely ridiculous that the SDK will only work on a Mac, and plus, you have to pay it.

    At least Microsoft has .net express for free.
  • cardyology, on 09/20/2008, -0/+5Haha, so wait....

    I'll get kissed, I'll die in the next two days AND if I press F6, ALL my crushes will appear on the screen?!?!?

    *****, I'd best get copying & pasting, hadn't I.

  • inactive, on 09/20/2008, -0/+5Good point. I have had the SDK from the start and I have made lots of small programs for my own use. I love having the ability to quickly write a program I can run on a handheld computer that I can use to help me with day to day tasks. I may pay the developer fee someday if I write something I think others could use, but I am certainly not counting on it as a source of income.
  • inactive, on 09/20/2008, -0/+4i've added more girls on my list, but they didn't add back
  • rumblestrut, on 09/20/2008, -1/+5@opticwind

    Your correct; for a short-term get-rich-quick stunt, the I Am Rich app was pretty clever. But now it's taken down and his rep is tarnished (at least in Apple's eyes). There is a cost associated with that.

    But creating great software and selling it at a reasonable price can lead to a renewable income, and a lot of personal freedom with it.
  • alex7575, on 09/20/2008, -0/+4My grandma still sends me snail mail with ***** like that...
  • doctordbx, on 09/20/2008, -1/+5I think time will tell to see if the millions do indeed come rolling in.
  • inactive, on 09/20/2008, -0/+4$50 is nothing when you gotta let em know you're rich, bling bling
  • sjmulder, on 09/20/2008, -5/+9Please show me where I can download the .NET Compact Framework SDK for Mac.
  • fr0mundacheese, on 09/20/2008, -1/+4Because it was misnamed. It shoulda been named "I am a dumbass for downloading"
  • surfernerd6987, on 09/20/2008, -2/+5So uh yay, anyone interested in helping me develop the next big game, haha.
  • ArchAngel21x, on 09/21/2008, -0/+3Now I wish I had taken the opportunity to learn how to program a lot more seriously.
  • username7410, on 09/20/2008, -0/+3Sarah Palin Tentacle Porn app?
  • sluddy, on 09/20/2008, -4/+7OMG!! I can't even begin to imagine how much money that app tht turns your iphone into a glass of milk must be making! Billions seems likely.
  • Nosyn, on 09/20/2008, -0/+3Wait for the Android platform and gtfo.
  • BoneStamp, on 09/20/2008, -1/+4If you can't spell the word "genius", then you're not allowed to use it.
  • alex7575, on 09/20/2008, -0/+2Phail!
  • Aitese, on 09/20/2008, -4/+6Google has an SDK for their phone OS if you're interested
  • championchap, on 09/20/2008, -2/+4It's like a really slow version ov bejeweled wth tilt control.
    It's a lot harder than bejewled.. and a lot less fun.
  • mrBitch, on 09/23/2008, -0/+2RE: " In order to get the application to run on a real iPhone you need to jailbreak your iphone and bypass the code signature using the command line. Here is a page that explains it better.
    http://www.saurik.com/id/8 "

    Thanks, great info & this is the tipping point for me to download the SDK. Thanks again.
  • jamesmudgett, on 09/21/2008, -0/+2as soon as flash for the iphone is released this could soon be over
  • colinodell, on 09/20/2008, -0/+2Or "I Was Rich"
  • ToddAndrews, on 09/20/2008, -0/+2Develop a Sarah Palin iPhone game and earn millions
  • Twee, on 09/21/2008, -0/+2Can you use Mac OS X to develop applications for Windows mobile?
  • cheez124, on 09/20/2008, -0/+2trism is great, now we need to get rid of all the flashlight apps on there
  • ThisCommentSux, on 09/20/2008, -0/+2Well do something about it then...
    http://tr.im/noapple
  • mrBitch, on 09/23/2008, -0/+1how are you not an idiot?
  • TheRealMisterd, on 09/22/2008, -0/+1Is there a Windows version of it?
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