Asset Store Wish List - Documentation!

I think the asset store is awesome and I've purchased a few assets there. My biggest issue though is the lack of quality or in many cases ANY documentation for assets. Reviewing of documentation should be part of the asset store submission process and if a package doesn't have documentation, it should be rejected until the developer writes some docs (a link to a screencast on YouTube is not enough).

At a minimum, assets without docs should be marked. It would also be great if you could browse docs before purchasing an asset.

 

Is an intool documentation ok? I mean something like a question mark beneath a function and when you click it a description will be shown.

 

In my eyes a detailed documentation is a feature, at least for the more complicated apps, so I expect that a smart publisher will announce any good docs as a feature (well, at least I would do so). Also making documentation available to the public (Web, PDF) could become a way to convince future customers.

 

I agree with Jake L., public documentation can help to sell better the apps...

 

For me documentation is more than feature - it's a hard requirement. Where I work, if developer releases code with no documentation we file a bug on them. Not releasing docs with your code is sloppy.

But this does bring up another interesting point. The stuff is presented on the asset store is all wrong. It's like clone of the iTunes app store and Unity is trying to sell code like apps. That's not the right model. As a developer I want to know about documentation, performance, demos, etc. A bunch of marketing copy and few screenshots really doesn't cut it. Here's an example of what I mean.

For art packages I want to know the following
1) Number of draw calls
2) Number of polys/tris
3) I'd like to look at the model in a web player
4) Number and size of textures

For code I want the following:
1) Documentation - if I have to dig through the code to figure out how the thing works the money I save buying the code is lost with the time I spend trying to figure out how it works.
2) If there's a read me in the package, I want to be able to read it.
3) Is it written in JS or C#?

I'm sure there's more, but that's a start.

 

I fully agree, Pneill! This is actually what has withheld me from ever making any real purchases in the store, it feels to much like a gamble. I do LOVE the one where you get to try models in your actual scene before you have to buy them - that's the way it should be done!

 

What I think Unity should do is help bridge the gap between developer content and business content. Provide REQUIREMENTS and "business tutorials" to anyone who wants to sell content. It will HELP them by TEACHING them.

Obviously, just as with anything (especially developing video games) one person may be a very talented artist or programmer, but be absolutely awful at business or the other aspects of making a game.

How often do we see great game designs, great programming, but horrid graphics and a non-sensical unintuitive User Interface and lack of tutorial? As a professional gamer, I can say I see it all too often, especially in indie games.

I do not think indie developers need to have swarms of beta testers or professional consultants. They just need to learn a bit of common sense.
Documentation for selling programs is one, artistic information for graphics is the other.

People in general, not just in Unity Asset Store or Indie developed games, but in all things, just seem ridiculously Sloppy.
I know many would say I over-do it, I'm perfectionistic, I go overboard, or I'm too detailed. Yet whenever I show off something, I get high praise and respect for it. Why? I took the time to say "Okay, it's ready, but what will people think?" I ask myself common sense business questions such as "Will people be able to find my game in a search engine? How easy will it be? Is there anything that would turn them off that I can fix?"

I know someone who has a great game, good graphics, good animation, good gameplay-- just a quality game. However, it's been downloaded only 1 FREE copy in 1 month in the android market. 0 sales. Their second game has 0 sales and has been out awhile too. Why? The ONLY way to find the game, is to type the EXACT name of it, which is a purposeful misspelling of a rare word. I told them about it, and they haven't fixed it. Understandably other things are more urgent, but making sure you are making money from your games is vital before doing anything else. Should be a #1 priority.

This is what I'm talking about. Great programmers, great artist, great game-- horrible marketing. No marketing. No social media, no advertisement on forums, no search visibility, no sales.

I guarantee you developers in the Asset Store here at Unity3D who have low (or no) sales are wondering why they don't make as much as some of the more popular assets. With a thread devoted to complaining about the lack of information and documentation-- no wonder!
I'd never buy something without at least seeing an example, reading what it is, and probably asking the developer a question if it isn't answered.