How To Get Featured in the App Store?

As far as I've been able to determine, you just submit your app and somebody somehow involved in the App Store decides to feature it. Is that true, or can you submit your app for consideration for featured status?

I'm not talking about categories where there is lots of competition. I have an educational physics simulation app that would fit perfectly under the Physics - Forces and Motion featured category. In fact, it would be more appropriate than several of the items currently in that list (of a grand total of 12) that don't cover the topic area or are really games not educational apps. I'd think in featured lists that have so few items in them, like most in the education category, they'd want more apps to feature. Is there any way to bring my app to the attention of those who feature apps?

 

You can't actually send in your app for a feature tip. If so anyone would do it
You can however build contacts via networking with apple workers that have a saying in what gets featured.
Obviously having a hit game before helps getting featured (again) as well as apps that highlight certain features of a device (like cool icloud support) or the like.
On the other hand being featured in such a subcategory doesnt equal tons of sales, since there's a reason its not as crowded as others

 

The best that you can do is make a good game that get lots of press. After that, it is in the hands of Apple. There is not a separate submission that you can go through or anything like that.

Edit: Acumen beat me to it!

 

For games that sounds like good advice. Unfortunately, educational apps don't really get "press" the way games do. And since there is such a paucity of GOOD educational apps, you'd think they'd be going out of their way to at least find enough apps to make a decent showing in a particular featured category.

 

There are more actual featured categories than simply "featured apps". They invent new groups all the time. Right now they have Apps Starter Kit, Games Starter Kit, Summer, Education, Newsstand, Essentials, Apps for Kids, Game Center, @Work and Apple Apps.

If you have an educational game for kids, that's potentially at least 5 different places to be featured. Main feature, each group, Editor's Choice. There's also an app of the week (different for each country/region), What's Hot and right now at the bottom of the front page I see Well-Designed Weather (I think these stick around at least 2 weeks). Just make a good app and keep spreading the word.

 

My first and only game was featured by Apple and I did zero marketing back then and no websites even mentioned it.

So looks like someone and Apple just liked concept enough to feature it.

But I believe if game is good and generates enough noise on websites like Touch Arcade you have big chance of being noticed by Apple as well.

 

What is the best way to get noticed on touch arcade?

 

a popular forum thread is the best way I can think of. You'll get their attention and you'll build a fan base.

 

So just post a thread and make it cool? Hopefully people pick up on it etc?


Who frequents touch arcade? Everyone in the industry and gamers? just gamers? Just wondering.

:Thanks.

 

I believe Apple visits Touch Arcade as well from time to time.

 

Sweet.

 

i want to correct you. you don't need any press... just the good game/app part.

our game had a 0 euro marketing budget but i talked to alot of people on conferences, via forums and everywhere else i could. this somehow led to a two week front page feature. networking is everything.

our game was basically ignored by sites like toucharcade, slidetoplay and all others... it does not look like buzz there is a factor for apple.

 

I know of a developer who is certain somebody at Apple is watching for his new releases. He gets featured a lot in his region

Still not rich. But his marketing budget has done less than having a fan at Apple.

 

That's a good point. I didn't say that good press was the only way to get featured. Of course there are a huge number of ways, and networking is another one. Luck is also one. Being personal friends with an app reviewer is probably another. Some are easier to do than others.

 

Which brings me to a point. What do you guys think of the Splash Screen default in Unity free? Harmful to sales or not?

 

I don't see how it can be harmful. In fact I think it's more like a badge of honour these days.

Besides, once a player has the game and sees the Unity Splash Screen, they've already bought the game. How could they know about it before hand (which would be necessary if you are suggesting it will prevent them from buying your game).

I don't know about you, but I would never base an app purchase on something as trivial as a splash screen.

 

One of the crucial things to get the slightest chance of being featured nowadays normally is also usage of the latest of Apples offerings iOS feature wise.
If you are missing a feature that would have fit into your title, then that commonly cuts any chance for being featured as Apple wants the list as a way to promote the great things their OS offers, not as a way for you to generate piles of money

 

I agree 100% ...

You also have to have an extremely polished UI ... Your educational physics simulation app sounds like a good ideal ... Just make sure your User Interface Design (icons, assets, experience, etc, etc) is extremely.. polished. They look at that very closely...

Good Luck!

 

And what would those features be? Game Center, Retina Display?

 

You might be over-thinking it a little. It's not like Apple has a checklist and if you don't hit all the bullet points, you get thrown in the circular file. When Battleheart was selected as game of the week last year, it had no Game Center features (even though GC had been around for a while) and didn't suffer for it. The bottom line is that they promote things they're confident people are going to buy. That could mean any number of things - the developer is "known" already, the game is getting buzz in the press, or its just undeniably well executed. They're not going to dismiss a great app just because it doesn't support the gyroscope, but its certainly in your best interest to implement the features that genuinely improve the final product.

 

@MikaMobile,
What is your opinion on the default Unity Splash?

 

As far as Apple goes I just watched a game I helped with get featured and it had no press.

It is just a good game (Disclaimer: my contribution was miniscule).

Unfortunately Apple is all to aware the overabundance of internet sites allow for alot of things to get wrote up and I don't think you can count on that being helpful unless it's a top tier write up (Fortune 500 owned or one or two other sites). So find out what those sites are and get a review from them if you can (you won't have to pay) and mention the reviews (if they are positive of course) in your app description when you submit to Apple and they just may actually review those reviews and play your game and feature it on the Featured Apps page.

No rocket science or need to get John Nash and modern game theory involved.

 

Are you suggesting asking a company, Internet game site, like Touch Arcade to review the app? If so, what are these other sites?

 

Sure I am if that's a reputable (non-paid) heavily read outlet. Do meaningful research to get the top 5 as each site has a vested interest in claiming their site is top 5. I just did a search of 'top game review sites' on Google and it was just spammy stuff on page 1 of the results. Nothing I think Apple would consider seriously. I mean Top 5 in sustained traffic (staying at a site and reading more than one article, returning to a site, number of unique users that have bookmarked a site / google results are spammy and unrealiable for anything commercial. Which should serve as notice: for the most part the Fortune 500 ignores Google and that means most of their earnings must be coming from Joe Average trying to get rich quick.). I'd research it myself for you if I was close to releasing too but I'm not.

After getting you hair wet at one of those sites I would research media outlets owned by Fortune 500 companies first. I know the NYT and most media outlets (newspapers for some reason carry alot of cred although the inappropriateness of google and flash ads on some of those sites makes me cringe) know have dedicated techies writing columns.

A review from any major media outlet (news paper or a AOL tech acquisition site (TechCrunch and some others) is worth way a lot.

Obviously the game has to be prime time. That's something you have to feel yourself playing it. And that's the advantage of writing a simple game that is fun that you have tested alot because it was fun playing. Most game bugs are found because the games aren't that fun to play.

Worst case they say no but certainly depending on were you live visit the local newpaper (write and ask permission first) and try to get some game play and a write up from them. If you live in NYC or a big place where you're likely to get ignored try to arrange and visit small town newspapers in the surrounding areas. Newpaper columnists will usually give you an honest opinion of your game.

Before YouTube, MySpace, the Artic Monkeys and such the way to get noticed was to start locally. With the internet so bloated with look-at-me sites there is too much static.

Remember, if you are old enough, music scenes from Seattle, Chicago, Deep Ellum (Dallas) and the way a locally popular band got national coverage? That's the way nature works. Your neighbors help you and maybe you become a big success and then you turn around and are able to help your neighbors. These bands play at every rinky-dink bar in every small town in their area. They're obviously somewhat talented to get that opportunity but as they do that they improve their craft and some get good enough to get national notice.I think by now, everybody that's spoke one word to any of the Beatles or been to any of their concerts has been extensively interviewed for a Beatles Bio of some sort.

This is my opinion.With so many games out there on the market you need a strategy that is more contructive than a international marketing crap shoot since you lack an international marketing budget.

 

Thanks goat,
That makes sense. I never thought of approaching new papers, large or small, but here in Toronto, our major local, major weekly, and national all do review apps. I am sure they would prefer to review a local. Only makes sense.


Very cool stuff man, thank you.

 

Also, I just thought of this but a town the size of Toronto should have one or more 'artsy independent weekly scene newspapers'. You know the newspapers that come out on Fridays and that's how you heard of Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians to begin with.

Consider also, placing ads (I think some are free) in those freebie brick-a-brack and local manual labour weeklies (you know the thin newpapers people pick up at the convenient when they need a one-off job done, looking for a flea market, yard sale, or just odds and ends for sale in the local area.

In such places your ad is likely to be the only one for a game which helps your chance of being noticed. If the game is any good word of mouth takes over. Certainly better than the current approach I see most of you attempting (bad advice from vested interests in my opinion).

 

Heres an interesting article I came across earlier in LinkedIn which relates to this topic.

http://www.businessinsider.com/ex-a...-to-get-apple-interested-in-their-apps-2012-7

 

@goat,
Great advice again. Thank you.

@Forge Vault
Great read, thanks for the link.



These will all come in very handy I am sure over the next month as I make the final push to release, Brains Vs Dummies.

 

Thanks for that, It didn't cross my mind about using new iOS features.

The BI tip about meeting Apple Employees is a tough one for most of us though. I've been wanting to visit Califonia for a long time to see the Red Woods, Sea Lions, and Sea Otters so maybe I can time a vacation there when I'm ready.

 

It's irrelevant. Apps have been featured that have the default splash, and your users definitely don't care (they already bought it before they knew it was there).

 

right, so you think i am paranoid?

 

I wouldn't worry about the splash screen unless your using an orientation that makes it upside down.

Anyways, there was another article about App Store Featuring I came across awhile back which for the life of me I cant find right now. It seemed to imply that Apple wont feature you unless you have a successful history in the App store, or your project has won awards etc.

 

Our very first game we ever made was featured by Apple on "What we're playing now" that was back in 2009. We have no idea what caught their eye.

 

How did that effect sales?

 

I can tell you an app that was recently featured in the iOS App Store has over 33,000 users and climbing. Last I checked (about a month or so ago) they were #71 in one the Games genres.

 

Anyone know what kind of numbers the various app store positions pull in over x time, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly?