iPhone 3rd Party Applications
Building a successful ‘ecosystem’ is a Big deal. In business terms, the word ‘ecosystem’ means free infinite money forever (see Microsoft). It’s very hard to make an ecosystem though. One of the reasons for this is that the platform must be opened up to people outside of the organisation’s control but, at the same time, standards must somehow be maintained. If the bar is set too high, developers will be scared off. If it is set too low then the riffraff will drown out anything worthwhile. Facebook set the bar too low which is why the Facebook application experience is so eagerly and authentically terrible.
Nintendo has, in the past, set it too high. This has led to a situation where almost all of the successful Nintendo games have been made by Nintendo.
Apple’s approach to the problem is to take the role of gatekeeper and to thereby guarantee the hygiene of the ecosystem. Anyone can become an iPhone developer but their applications will be pulled if they do anything to interfere with the experience of using the iPhone.
Serious developers can now safely invest time making solid products that will earn them a living, because their work won’t be lost in a shitstorm of half baked hobby applications and unscrupulous webcocks.
We get great apps, developers earn a living and Apple gets Free Infinite Money Forever.
