Apple have now updated the developers Terms to state:

” Applications must be originally written in Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine, and only code written in C, C++, and Objective-C may compile and directly link against the Documented APIs (e.g., Applications that link to Documented APIs through an intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool are prohibited).”
This effectivly blocks the new development from Adobe and forbids users to create games in flash and export them to the iPhone platform.

Many developers, especially flash devs who want to get into the iPhone market without learning new skills are up in arms about this and “Apple’s evil closed system”

I think it’s a smart move by Apple…

1. They won’t have to deal with a dozen crappy tween animation apps for every good/great one.
2. They won’t have to deal with script kids hassling them about “you are teh gay for rejecting my App! It’s awesome lol”
3. Keeping the bar raised for entry means that developers must be at least fairly competent and so (sh)/(c)ould understand Apples UX guidelines.
4. It stops people developing for 2+ platforms at once – i.e. Android or win mobile. Single development, targeting multiple devices often water down the experience as it caters to the lowest common denominator.
5. It’s a win for Apple and a win for it’s users. The only people who get screwed around are developers and we all know we’re whores who’ll work for whichever technology is exciting and has a paying audience.

Screws Adobe and CS5 badly though.

It was a highly publicized move with a lot of press coverage and many many developers complaining about the unfair treatment.

Unsurprisingly our app/game Bongo Babes was one of those affected and pulled from the store. Thankfully this wasn’t one of our main income generators so we didn’t feel the effects as strongly as some developers.

In fact, I’d almost say we’re not too bothered, it’s possibly even a good thing for MBXGames for many reasons:

• * We developed the app to get experience of Objective-C
• * We had a showcase piece on the iPhone allowing us to confidently offer it as a service to clients.
• * We specifically chose a topic we knew would be hard to get into the app store – this meant we experienced the full pain and hoops of a difficult submission process to Apple.
• * We ran the app for most of it’s life at various price points and could measure the effect on sales.
• * The final few weeks before it was pulled we made the app free and downloads increased a hundred fold. For advergame type software, “free” is clearly the way forward to get your brand in front of as many users as possible.
• * Bongo Babes was hacked and appeared on torrent sites within a few days – we now know how to raise the bar slightly higher to avoid this for a longer period after launch.
• * Following it’s removal, we’re looking at the jailbreak scene and maybe releasing on there – just to see what else we can learn from this one piece of software…
• * We had fun making it.

We always knew it may not have ever been accepted, and once it had, it may be pulled – that’s part of the very restrictive set of rules Apple makes you agree to when you sign up.

I may not agree on a personal level with the way Apple is cleaning out the store and removing anything adult related, but I can see from a business case why they are. I’ll post more thoughts on that and what Apple should really do, in the next few days.

Most of the initial coverage has been from pundits in the tech world who’ve collectively responded with “Meh, it’s OK but not what I wanted”.

Being totally honest, that was my initial reaction too.

Since then however, the idea of the iPad has grown on me and when it’s released in 56 days time I’ll probably be buying one, it will be fantastic to have lying around in the living room for quick browsing and email checks – currently a role taken by an aging EeePC netbook…

The really exciting thing for us at MBX though, are the new possibilities that this multi-touch, large screen device open up for novel games. We now have a device that can support some truly innovative game play and user input that currently could not be replicated on ANY other platform.

With that, I’m pleased and quite excited to announce:

This weekend we have begun development of a game that will ONLY be available on the iPad and could currently only work on the iPad.

More details coming soon!

It’s taken nearly 6 months of backwards and forwards communications and submissions to get the content deemed “acceptable” but that’s a subject for another, very lengthy, post…

Get it from iTunes on the app store here

View the about page for the game.

If you work for a review site and would like a voucher code for a free version – email us with #bongobabes in the subject.

P.s. Thanks to Richard the reviewer at Apple who finally game some useful feedback and approved this!