Linking to the app store from our game
by Warthog · in iTorque 2D · 02/04/2009 (9:34 am) · 19 replies
Hi, has anyone worked out how to create a link to the appstore? We have a free version as well as the paid version, and on the Lite version, we need to have a link to the Full version on the appstore. I've seen this in other Lite versions of games, and it really is essential in making it easy to buy the full version.
Any ideas how to do this?
Thanks,
Andy
Any ideas how to do this?
Thanks,
Andy
#2
basically make a button with the gotoHtml() cmd to your link. you can get the link by going to your game (once its on the appstore) and right click on the icon to get the link. I'm not sure how to get the link before the game is out so may need to release your full version first.
Don't forget to apply the fix from this thread:
http://www.garagegames.com/community/forums/viewthread/83973
02/04/2009 (10:16 am)
Yes, Mat fixed it for us.basically make a button with the gotoHtml() cmd to your link. you can get the link by going to your game (once its on the appstore) and right click on the icon to get the link. I'm not sure how to get the link before the game is out so may need to release your full version first.
Don't forget to apply the fix from this thread:
http://www.garagegames.com/community/forums/viewthread/83973
#3
02/04/2009 (11:43 am)
Cool, I will make the fix and give it a shot. Thanks! 
#4
02/04/2009 (11:53 am)
You can probably also do some web wizardry to have the URL point at your own website to a known URL you setup, and have that URL redirect to the iPhone app URL when it is released. Until then you can do a Coming Soon page or something, then update your URL once the full VN is released.
#5
But, I think there is a simpler more elegant way to do this. When I am in other lite games and I click on the link to the full version, it doesn't open a browser, it goes right to the App Store.
Does anyone know how that works?
BUT, this solution does work, so I am very happy. Thanks to Mat for fixing this function, and thanks to everyone else here who has been so much help!
02/04/2009 (12:27 pm)
Okay, I made the changes, added the command and darned if it doesn't work! Thanks so much!But, I think there is a simpler more elegant way to do this. When I am in other lite games and I click on the link to the full version, it doesn't open a browser, it goes right to the App Store.
Does anyone know how that works?
BUT, this solution does work, so I am very happy. Thanks to Mat for fixing this function, and thanks to everyone else here who has been so much help!
#6
02/04/2009 (12:45 pm)
Dave, that's a good idea. Probably put a link to the web site anyway.
#7
02/04/2009 (4:59 pm)
In the thread that I've sent you there is a link to iPhone docs. I think I was reading there about a different html link that won't open safari but will go straight to the iTunes. I can't recall though. 
#8
itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=286106725&mt=8
That opens straight to the App Store in the device & doesn't stop in Safari along the way. Just change the number after id= to the id of your app.
FYI, that app just got approved today & contains a button on the setup screen that links to the full version. It did get rejected once though...for using the word "demo" in the app description.
Good luck!
02/05/2009 (12:39 am)
This is the link I use in my Air Hockey Free app:itms://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=286106725&mt=8
That opens straight to the App Store in the device & doesn't stop in Safari along the way. Just change the number after id= to the id of your app.
FYI, that app just got approved today & contains a button on the setup screen that links to the full version. It did get rejected once though...for using the word "demo" in the app description.
Good luck!
#9
Congrats on the release! Did you create Air Hockey with iTGB? Right now I can't try it, I'm keeping my phone at OS 2.1 for testing purposes.
How is the free version limited? Did Apple only object to the word Demo, or do they have rules about how crippled a free app can be?
02/05/2009 (7:02 am)
Bryan, thanks for the info, I'll try that out! Congrats on the release! Did you create Air Hockey with iTGB? Right now I can't try it, I'm keeping my phone at OS 2.1 for testing purposes.
How is the free version limited? Did Apple only object to the word Demo, or do they have rules about how crippled a free app can be?
#10
Great job on the air hockey. did you use iTGB for it?
02/05/2009 (10:22 am)
That's exactly what I saw in the docs. thanks for posting it Bryan. Great job on the air hockey. did you use iTGB for it?
#11
02/05/2009 (5:14 pm)
Tested changing http to itms and it works great! Thanks so much to all of you for getting us over the last hurdle. We are in Release candidate right now on the Paid version and if no one can break it by Monday we will submit it! Once we have an id number for the link, the free version will follow. Whoo hoo!
#13
Apple objected only to the word "Demo" in my app description - nothing else. Air Hockey Free is a scaled back from the $0.99 version. It only has "Kiddie" and "Easy" difficulty modes. The full version has 4 more difficulty settings. I also removed the option for changing table colors, etc. It seems like Apple just doesn't want to release free apps that are blatantly crippled. Things like grayed out buttons for removed features are a sure way to get rejected. Just leave no trace of the things you left out & you should be good with a free/lite version.
There were a ton of new free games that got pushed to the App Store over the past couple days. Everyone's trying to replicate what iShoot did with their free version.
02/05/2009 (11:54 pm)
Thanks! Air Hockey & Air Hockey Free are coded from scratch (no iTGB). Hand-coded physics, sprite & touch handling, etc. Air Hockey's been out forever...Free is the new release (yesterday). However, I have built Air Hockey in iTGB to test iTGB's speed.Apple objected only to the word "Demo" in my app description - nothing else. Air Hockey Free is a scaled back from the $0.99 version. It only has "Kiddie" and "Easy" difficulty modes. The full version has 4 more difficulty settings. I also removed the option for changing table colors, etc. It seems like Apple just doesn't want to release free apps that are blatantly crippled. Things like grayed out buttons for removed features are a sure way to get rejected. Just leave no trace of the things you left out & you should be good with a free/lite version.
There were a ton of new free games that got pushed to the App Store over the past couple days. Everyone's trying to replicate what iShoot did with their free version.
#14
If Apple won't let you indicate the stuff you left out, how can you promote the full version? We are currently limiting the amount of times you can play it, but we are thinking of reducing the dictionary instead (it's a word game), but either way we want to remind people that the full version is out there.
Is there someplace that Apple details what they expect, and what is and is not allowed in games for the app store?
Has Air Hockey been successful for you?
02/06/2009 (6:42 am)
I figured you hadn't written it in iTGB because the file size was so small, but wasn't sure. How is the performance of Air Hockey executed in iTGB?If Apple won't let you indicate the stuff you left out, how can you promote the full version? We are currently limiting the amount of times you can play it, but we are thinking of reducing the dictionary instead (it's a word game), but either way we want to remind people that the full version is out there.
Is there someplace that Apple details what they expect, and what is and is not allowed in games for the app store?
Has Air Hockey been successful for you?
#15
is the new app getting as much exposure as the original one?
do you get a lot of customers that are buying the sequel?
02/06/2009 (7:53 am)
I had the original air hockey on my phone before iTGB was released. I remember playing with a friend on a flight untill I almost ran out of battery. He kept loosing and didn't want to quit untill he wins :) is the new app getting as much exposure as the original one?
do you get a lot of customers that are buying the sequel?
#16
02/06/2009 (2:34 pm)
Yep, just got my free version denied. Like Bryan said, don't add grayed out buttons.
#17
The $0.99 version of Air Hockey has done extremely well (I am still under GG's indie rule though). The free version has done well so far, but time will tell. Digging through the App Store lists, it looks like it's at about the #250 free apps position right now after a day & a half in the store. Hopefully it'll continue to climb. I'm very interested to see if I got the feature list right in the free game to drive people to buy the $0.99 version. Having the full version take off again would, well, rule.
All I did in my free game is put a link to the full version on my setup screen. You can download Air Hockey Free to see how I meched it. Just start a game & double tap on the logo.
As for features in a free app, you have to give the users enough of the game to get a feel for it & the desire to play it, but not so much that they don't want more. It's a tough thing to nail.
02/06/2009 (3:59 pm)
I rebuilt Air Hockey entirely in script with iTGB & it ran about 10-15 fps on my iPhone 3G. I did it mostly to get a feel for iTGB's speed. That's about as dead simple of a game as you can make with iTGB. It'd be considerably faster if I changed the script to code, but I haven't messed with that yet on that project.The $0.99 version of Air Hockey has done extremely well (I am still under GG's indie rule though). The free version has done well so far, but time will tell. Digging through the App Store lists, it looks like it's at about the #250 free apps position right now after a day & a half in the store. Hopefully it'll continue to climb. I'm very interested to see if I got the feature list right in the free game to drive people to buy the $0.99 version. Having the full version take off again would, well, rule.
All I did in my free game is put a link to the full version on my setup screen. You can download Air Hockey Free to see how I meched it. Just start a game & double tap on the logo.
As for features in a free app, you have to give the users enough of the game to get a feel for it & the desire to play it, but not so much that they don't want more. It's a tough thing to nail.
#18
Are there any published (or anecdotal) guidelines for promoting the full app within the free app? For instance, would apple get cranky with me if I popped up an ad for the full version every 5th time they played the game? Would Apple get annoyed with me if the free version stopped working after 20 startups? They really need to publish some guidelines. Maybe they have and I'm just too dumb to find them, but I have spent hours today searching everywhere for guidelines.
02/06/2009 (4:17 pm)
Thanks, Bryan, for all the info! I will download Air Hockey Free (and buy your game) to check that out as soon as we are done submitting, right now I need to keep my phone at 2.1 OS and AH Free doesn't run on 2.1. This is killing me, but I am shooting for compatibility with 2.1 and up.Are there any published (or anecdotal) guidelines for promoting the full app within the free app? For instance, would apple get cranky with me if I popped up an ad for the full version every 5th time they played the game? Would Apple get annoyed with me if the free version stopped working after 20 startups? They really need to publish some guidelines. Maybe they have and I'm just too dumb to find them, but I have spent hours today searching everywhere for guidelines.
#19
Here's what my setup screen looks like:
http://acceleroto.com/airhockey/pix/airhockeyfree_setupscreen.png
That's the only place I try to push my full version. Not sure if that's the right way to do it though. :)
02/06/2009 (4:24 pm)
There are others who've popped up ads in between games. Advertising on your Default.png is another place I've seen it.Here's what my setup screen looks like:
http://acceleroto.com/airhockey/pix/airhockeyfree_setupscreen.png
That's the only place I try to push my full version. Not sure if that's the right way to do it though. :)
Torque 3D Owner Marc Dreamora Schaerer
Gayasoft
but to do so you just openUrl the appstore link of your app