Application Update:Strange Mail from Apple

[mingleboy]

Hi all.
I had updated my application from version 1.0 to 1.1.
After 15 days it appeared "Ready for Sale". I had made the application available date to current date.

But even after a week it is not displayed in the category list when I search by "Release date".

Then I wrote a mail to apple about it.

This is what they replied.


"The released date displayed on an application page is the date the latest version of that application went live on the App Store. This date will allow customers to be aware of the date this version was released.

On category pages on the App Store, when you choose to sort by Release Date, applications are sorted according to the date the first version of the app went live on the App Store. Sorting by the original app released date creates a list where customers can easily find the most recent additions to the App Store.

Both of these dates are automatically set in the iTunes system and cannot be edited in iTunes Connect.

For any future iTunes Connect issues, please contact iTunes Connect Support at itunesconnect@apple.com.


Regards,

iPhone Developer Program

"

Does this mean that even after some update, the application will be displayed in last pages when it was first Released.
If this is the case then how would new people would come to know about the application.

Please help to let me know it
Thanks

[Oliver Drobnik]

Originally Posted by mingleboy

how would new people would come to know about the application.

Not through iTunes, that's for sure. You have to do external advertising, reviews, word-of-mouth recommendations, etc linking directly to the app.

And well, one slight chance is to be found via keywords.

[thewitt]

Developers were going around the system, making pointless updates or no update at all other than a new version number and release date to get back to the top page on New Releases.

Apple changed the rules to no longer update the release date for minor version updates.

Yes, a few spoiled it for the many as usual.

-t

[Eludia]

Originally Posted by thewitt

Developers were going around the system, making pointless updates or no update at all other than a new version number and release date to get back to the top page on New Releases.

Apple changed the rules to no longer update the release date for minor version updates.

Yes, a few spoiled it for the many as usual.

-t

Yeah, Apple fixed that particular loop hole. I call it the "Pocket God" loophole because those guys did a whole lot of updates. Sure a few were something but there were a lot that were nothing.

It really stinks in a way because it was a great way to motivate developers to keep updating their apps. But now what we are going to see is instead of updates - we will see new titles with slight differences from old titles flooding the store.

Ultimately Apple just needs to figure out a way to provide exposure to more than just 25 apps at a time in the interface. Until they do developers will be doing whatever they can to try to exploit their system.

[e747]

Originally Posted by Eludia

Yeah, Apple fixed that particular loop hole. I call it the "Pocket God" loophole because those guys did a whole lot of updates. Sure a few were something but there were a lot that were nothing.

It really stinks in a way because it was a great way to motivate developers to keep updating their apps. But now what we are going to see is instead of updates - we will see new titles with slight differences from old titles flooding the store.

Ultimately Apple just needs to figure out a way to provide exposure to more than just 25 apps at a time in the interface. Until they do developers will be doing whatever they can to try to exploit their system.

Wow, that does stink. I've only just discovered this - my latest release appeared just yesterday so I did the usual date change in itunes connect then waited for it to appear - but it never did..

Something's screwy with their system though, currently in Utilities there's an app at the top with a release date of December 20!! It'll be interesting to see if it continues to stay at the top (ok I admit, I wish I knew how to do it!).

I can understand the need to change the rules to stop people exploiting them but, as you say, it was a good motivator for developers to keep coming up with updates.