We wanted to do "made for kids" but seemed like a lot of drama. I think kids will find our game regardless but I understand why parents like to have guidance.
I've had apps rejected for a number of reasons. The "kids" issue (which made me decide not to go down that route at all), the lack of a restore button, including the ad framework but never actually showing ads (which wasn't true, they just didn't play the game long enough to see ads), and then one that was flat out rejected for abusive content. That game wound up being changed to not break that rule and, after a conversation with someone at Apple on what could work in the scenario of the game, came out to be something much stranger than what I had originally intended. Basically, every time I submit a game for review now I just keep my fingers crossed and hope that I didn't do anything wrong. I've been fortunate though in that in every case except for the content one the fixes have been easy. In fact, I've even gone so far now as to submit or call with questions before I submit if I think it is going to be a problem. In phone calls, they are usually very helpful. Almost always.
My personal favorite is "app uses the iOS Advertising Identifier but does not include ad functionality." It always happens if we don't spam the player with ads but humbly show them only after he or she has been playing for a while and only in certain cases.
I just 'Unpublished' this from the funky Windows Phone store, but I can not find a method to do it via iTunes Connect? edit: if anyone else is interested in deleting an app from the store, first you must manually deselct [all] countries it is sold in, then it is possible.
I assume you mean Windows Phone store by WP store? How was your experience there? Well I started indie/hobby gamedev on WP since I am a Windows dev professionally. I have released 6 games on Windows Phone and Windows 8.1 store. The good thing, since the store was new and still isn't as saturated as Android/iOS.. I got visibility and good downloads, Have over 5 million downloads across both. I did port 4 games to Android later.. but since I dint know the right avenues for how to promote / market on Android.. nothing much came out of it. And just last week I released my top game on iOS and porting 3 others now. 2nd one is in apple review. Again, i am very new to iOS world so I dont know the right avenues, ways to promote here. On windows phone, there is Microsoft DVLUP program and dev ambassadors I know.. who helped with featuring the games (the good ones) on Windows Phone store. On android/ios, I have no idea how things work. So for me.. 85% of revenue comes from Windows Phone + Windows 8.1. 15% from Android. over the past 3 yrs, I have cleared over 50K in total, bulk from Windows phone. Now I cant quit my full time job for that - but I think its decent for a part time endeavor. I probably would be doing a lot better if i had 5 million downloads on iOS or Android I think and if I put half as much time and effort in marketing/promoting.. which every dev hates! http://danglingneuron.wordpress.com @danglingneuron
We have had similar experience yet different outcomes with Windows (/phone). My experience there was useless to be honest, and I will say right now at the start that I dropped the whole 'store' thing on Windows, Windows Phone, *and* iPhone/iPad. Now I develop Win32 desktop...with the intention of converting to mobile after a Steam/GOG/ithch.io release on PC. Though if I had a Mac it would help! So yeah, I started serious gamedev on Windows at the turn of the century, though it was only a serious _hobby_...from the mid 80s until 4 years ago when I looked at 'the apple' (have gone full circle). More recently, and to answer your question, I gave Windows Phone Store a try around 6 months ago. It was like being invisible honestly! Total of <50 (.) downloads for a free game with no ads and no iap. Listed way down search results when exact name specified (broken store imo). Not at all promoted by ambasadors or cross-platform people (though both helped me with the smaller things). Total downloads for all apps on both mobile platforms in last four years is too embarrassing to reveal Basically I give up and can only hope that Steam's internal decision makers recognise my efforts more than Apple or Microsoft ever did. Basically being nuked on day 1 (still waiting for an apology) killed my ability to market ever since because I dared to mention it and nobody wanted to be associated with such a thing. The whole experience feels worse than any 'conspiracy' and it is very lonely not knowing why it happened at all. My suspicion is that the original icon looked too similar to Garage Band, and that was a happy coincidence which I noticed the same day...short lived happiness indeed. Probably worth mentioning that I would absolutely love to be working on iOS, but I'm going with instinct and not going all-in on it again right now, not like this. I still very much enjoy the scene and hope to get another iOS device one day (gave mine away as a birthday gift to my daughter). Good luck to you, sounds like you will do excellent here
Putting detailed notes on how ads work in your game in the submission notes helps avoid issues around this, though even then it isn't foolproof.
