This week at Europe’s GDC (Game Developer Conference) Bigpoint CEO Heiko Hubertz claimed the iPhone App Store is headed downhill. He states that the profits boasted by Steve Jobs aren’t put into perspective. However, according to TUAW, Hubertz also acknowledged Apple as a flagship of mobile space. So which is it? A bit of each can be true.
Perhaps you have noticed that the average price of apps (especially games) has trended downward. Why you ask? The reasons for the decline are probably more intricate to explain in just a simple article so we’ll leave that alone. However I think that the CEO is generally off-base in his declaration. With record number of iPhone owners, there has never been a better time to cash out in iPhone development. More people equals more potential revenue.
The very nature of the App Store wasn’t to support huge pre-existing gaming corporations. Quite the opposite is true. Allowing every Mac owner the opportunity to help create apps for the product they use was the point, and in that respect the App Store has surpassed these owners expectations. Every time we hear of a kid creating applications, Apple looks like the hero.
There are plenty of platforms for big corporations to thrive in gaming. iPhone developing can be another but that isn’t the purpose of it. Do you agree with Heiko Hubertz? Has the App Store maximized itself, or have we only seen the beginning of the App Store’s capabilities? Let us know in the comment box.