Rumor: Premium Gaming Section Coming to App Store

[AppleChic]

There are new rumors circulating that a new section of the App Store dedicated to top-notch gaming titles may be coming soon.

Sources say that the section will cater to titles in the $20 plus range and that games will have to meet stringent requirements for quality and value as decided by Apple.

You would think that this would help with the issue some developers have with Apple's policies stifling innovation in the App store by promoting cheap apps. But AppleInsider reports that "Oddly, however, the report claims that the initiative will be open only to a restricted number of commercial game publishers, shutting out the thousands of smaller developers responsible for helping the App Store thrive from the onset."

In an interview just this week, Apple vice president of iPhone and iPod product marketing Greg Joswiak talks about this: He defended the existing system by which games and applications get to prime placement in the App Store, pointing out the App Store's reviews "because if a small guy makes a title that gets good ratings, it tends to bubble up: the cream does rise." He further said, "You get the one or two-developer shops like the Pangeas, who are doing a great business, with anecdotal stories like paying off their home mortgages after a month or two of being in the store."

The rumor speculates that the idea of the premium game shop would be to get iPhone users to spend out of their comfort range (which Joswiak thinks is between $7 an $14) to try out the very best in mobile device gaming.

I think a section for premium gaming would be sweet, but I think they should open it to little guys too, or else they're not giving smaller developers a chance to "rise." For now it's all just rumors though.

source: AppleInsider | Rumor: Apple planning premium game section of App Store

[cpjr]

God I hope so. We need more "quality".

[wannagotopopeyes]

I think its a good idea, but I swear if there was a way to download a preview app that is exactly the same as the $10 apps, no lite versions, that only ran for like 10 minutes, there would be many more sales and much less disappointed customers who wasted money on an app that sounds cool and turns out hard to use or poorly made or something.

[chinosoflyy198]

we need more quality. Are you serious? Look at games like brothers in arms, hero of Sparta, tiki towers, bugdom & bubble bash pretty good quality. I know games like tetris & pacman suck big time on the iPhone. My point is we have quality as is. More power to get more brand games in hopefully like mario would be nice. But we do have quality in the appstore

[catfacts]

There are also apps like iFart, can we just make a "crappy app" category and then allow users to filter them out? I'd go for that over creating a high quality section. (gotta have your priorities)

[cpjr]

we need more quality. Are you serious? Look at games like brothers in arms, hero of Sparta, tiki towers, bugdom & bubble bash pretty good quality. I know games like tetris & pacman suck big time on the iPhone. My point is we have quality as is. More power to get more brand games in hopefully like mario would be nice. But we do have quality in the appstore

Yeah, I can name probably 10 "quality" games in the appstore.....

Out of THOUSANDS.

Not very good odds.

[cawaker]

What game is that in the screenshot?

[Hyperextension]

What game is that in the screenshot?

Bubble Bash

[JStraitiff]

i think it is a good idea but i dont know how many people are going to want to pay that much for an app

but this is definitely a step closer to apple's claim to have the ipod touch be a revoloutionary gaming device

[football001170]

i agree

[kainisable]

great idea, now i can find the ones worth getting, i hate scrolling though all those cheap worthless apps

[sayam]

great idea, now i can find the ones worth getting, i hate scrolling though all those cheap worthless apps

Same!
I hate crap apps!!!

[luksoccer]

yeh i agree so many pointless apps on the apple store. Hopefully they release an premium game section, I'm sure peoeple wouldn't mind spending over 10 dollars on games if there great quality

[Cody Overcash]

premium gaming section meh.

how about a premium appstore free from the 15000 crap apps?

[cpjr]

^How about a quality "AppStore"......

and a "Crap" section

[Grassmasta]

can we just make a "crappy app" category and then allow users to filter them out?

I agree, some sort of filter for apps that are worthless would be of great assistance in appstore navigation. Honestly, I don't have time to sit and screw with my phone for hours sorting through thousands of apps. If an app gets horrible ratings for an extended period of time, they should force it to be free, and if the reviews are still horrible, they should just remove it. Kinda like a garage sale; if you can't sell something because no one wants to buy it, you offer it for free, and if there still aren't any takers you throw it away.

I do think that a high end section would be nice, but I probably wont be spending 20 bucks for any kind of iPhone app (unless it truly is amazing).

Also, is it just me, or does the phone in the screen shot look like it has a translucent frame? I want a translucent frame!

[ajl917]

I agree, some sort of filter for apps that are worthless would be of great assistance in appstore navigation. Honestly, I don't have time to sit and screw with my phone for hours sorting through thousands of apps. If an app gets horrible ratings for an extended period of time, they should force it to be free, and if the reviews are still horrible, they should just remove it. Kinda like a garage sale; if you can't sell something because no one wants to buy it, you offer it for free, and if there still aren't any takers you throw it away.

I do think that a high end section would be nice, but I probably wont be spending 20 bucks for any kind of iPhone app (unless it truly is amazing).

Also, is it just me, or does the phone in the screen shot look like it has a translucent frame? I want a translucent frame!

Agreed. There are so many worthless apps, I can see the need for a section like this, but the most Ive ever spent on an app was $10 for Asphalt4, $8 for Labyrinth and thats it. Apple had been rejecting apps because of copying the functionality of their apps (No Opera for iPhone) but they allow how many flashlight apps? Is ridiculous how many apps arent even worth being hosted in the app store. You want a flashlight? Open your Email!

[Happy Noodle Boy]

From what I've read elsewhere, this category is going to be for more full-fledged games (much more content and size, close to 1GB in some examples some rumors point). Apple is trying to chip in on the mobile market like the DS/PSP by opening up a spot where developers can throw full blown games on the iPhone for the appropiate cost without having to deal with the "everything is .99 or free!" mentality.

[cpjr]

^I look at it this way.......

Whether your gonna spend $20 on a game or not.....its just giving the user more choices and at least the availability of "better" apps. Whether you choose to use them or not, its not gonna hurt anybody from them being there.