martzgfx |
Just want to understand what is really going on. Back in February 2010, Eric Mona answered this in the "Fear of a Geek Planet" (http://mxyzplk.wordpress.com/2010/02/27/pathfinder-iphone-apps/), about the upcoming iPhone app:
Erik Mona | February 28, 2010 at 7:16 pm | Reply
The three apps are in final testing now. Then they go to the Apple store, and my understanding is that it takes some time (maybe about a month) before they are available. So we’re still looking at at least a few months before they become available.
And then we got this answer recently in these messageboards:
F. Wesley Schneider (Managing Editor), Tue, Oct 26, 2010, 10:57 PM
Since we're not really in the making software business having an app made means there are other parties involved with their own schedules and agendas. Rest assured that when there is something to be announced that it will be announced. Until we make an announcement, though... well, I suspect you can see where this is going.
So back in February, we were 5 minutes to midnight about to get these 3 apps on Apple's app store, now we are in total limbo. Clearly something BAD happened in between, or call it bad PR.
Or the products went on standby to include more as time went by. Or we are in for a BIG surprise (good or bad)...I just need to be informed. To be reassured. Or I want my blanket. Or get a darn good Sense Motive roll on this.
Erik Mona Chief Creative Officer, Publisher |
Two of the apps are literally in the last stage of development, and should be headed to Apple soon. There are a few more in development behind those, but we want to get the first couple up and out ASAP.
Basically what happened is that the game completely exploded in popularity and we haven't had the time we need to focus on this when we need to reprint our books every three months, etc.
Things are moving forward on this, though, and we should have something good to report relatively soon.
Vic Wertz Chief Technical Officer |
Two of the apps are literally in the last stage of development, and should be headed to Apple soon. There are a few more in development behind those, but we want to get the first couple up and out ASAP.
Basically what happened is that the game completely exploded in popularity and we haven't had the time we need to focus on this when we need to reprint our books every three months, etc.
Things are moving forward on this, though, and we should have something good to report relatively soon.
Also, Erik learned that when it comes to software development, it's best not to say anything about dates until it's 99% done.
Dorje Sylas |
It's okay, just plead Valve Time.
I'm also with DaveMage in holding out for the iPad 2... although it gets hard to wait as I made an error in judgment borrowing a colleague's tablet for a day and just using GoodReader to skim some of the digital Paizo content... ♪MISTAKE!
Actually someone needs to get a stick and poke ufisk about the PFR app he made, starting to get a little crusty.
Erik Mona Chief Creative Officer, Publisher |
brock |
Vic Wertz wrote:
Also, Erik learned that when it comes to software development, it's best not to say anything about dates until it's 99% done.I think perhaps 100%.
Rule of thumb for software: The first 80% of the development takes 80% of the planned time. The last 20% takes the other 80%.
see |
Vic Wertz wrote:
Also, Erik learned that when it comes to software development, it's best not to say anything about dates until it's 99% done.I think perhaps 100%.
Nah. At 99%, you can say, "It'll be out before the end of [24 months from the date of 99% completion]." Sure, you'll still get caught wrong 15% of the time . . .
Sean K Reynolds Contributor |
brock |
brock wrote:Rule of thumb for software: The first 80% of the development takes 80% of the planned time. The last 20% takes the other 80%.Heh, I like that this adds up to 160%. :)
I'm not sure if I coined this one myself or saw it somewhere, but it's sadly all-too-often accurate.
* goes back to looking at last years stack of unfinished work on desk *
jreyst |
When I used an iPod Touch a couple years ago I was looking forward to this, now there's just hoping that it'll get ported to Android.
Agreed. When this was first mentioned I was an iOS user. I have since, in my humble opinion, upgraded to Android. I'm hoping that porting to Android is at least partly to blame for the extended development time.
Erik Mona Chief Creative Officer, Publisher |
Jeremiziah |
Snore. Call me when there's an Android app, as there are more Android phones out there than iPhones.
While I also would like to see an Android app, your statement about phone demographics may not be true by the end of this year (although it certainly is true now). Time will tell.
Dorje Sylas |
Erik Mona wrote:The first two apps have cleared in-house development and are on the way to Apple for approval!Is there an ETA on the announcement of what these wondrous apps will do for us?
:)
We'll find out once the App shows up in the store. If they get rejected, because Apple could not handle their awesomeness, then it's best if they stay mum because they'll need to be revised.
prashant panavalli |
The first two apps have cleared in-house development and are on the way to Apple for approval!
Awesome. These days i use my ipad exclusively for DMing- pretty much don't need anything else behind the DM screen and these apps should come in handy. If you don't mind me asking, what do these apps do (for example, the pathfinder SRD app now is pretty comprehensive). Any character generators by chance?
Eben TheQuiet |
Awesome. These days i use my ipad exclusively for DMing- pretty much don't need anything else behind the DM screen and these apps should come in handy. If you don't mind me asking, what do these apps do (for example, the pathfinder SRD app now is pretty comprehensive). Any character generators by chance?
Waits with bated breath..
Galnörag |
+ (a lot) to Android, or better yet a platform independent web app.
Building for one platform seems like a bad idea given how fast Android has overtaken iOs. Building just for Android would be a bad idea too.
Just build a web app then anyone can use it anytime, done.
Would refute you iOS overtake by android without citation, but I agree with the fundamental statement of "make a web app.".
I Li,e a platform specific app, but i've been burned by WOT s choice to go windows only .net
Erik Mona Chief Creative Officer, Publisher |
We'll announce details when the apps become available.
I would strongly urge people to dial back their expectations a bit on this, frankly. We wanted to put our toes in the water with these apps, and so we began relatively modest.
I agree that a Golarion encyclopedia would be awesome, for example, but first we would probably want to do something like that in print, or at the very least put something together internally. That hasn't happened yet, as we're currently focused mostly on the APs, on the hardcovers, and on some special (print) projects for later in 2011.
Something of that scale is very much in the scope of what we hope to do one day, but is very much not in the scope of what we have done so far, or what we will be doing in the immediate future.
Dragnmoon |
I agree that a Golarion encyclopedia would be awesome, for example, but first we would probably want to do something like that in print, or at the very least put something together internally. That hasn't happened yet, as we're currently focused mostly on the APs, on the hardcovers, and on some special (print) projects for later in 2011.
I though that was what Mark was for?... Just connect his brain to a PC and upload it to the Net!
Maha-Sam-atman |
We'll announce details when the apps become available.
I would strongly urge people to dial back their expectations a bit on this, frankly. We wanted to put our toes in the water with these apps, and so we began relatively modest.
Curse your reasonable response to my demand for instant gratification, Erik Mona!
So I'm guessing Hero Lab hasn't been ported to iOS yet. Oh well. We'll live. I will, however, raise my Vulcan-like eyebrow in your direction if it ends up being a die-roller or something. :)
Thanks for responding on your day off.
brock |
Moving along...
We'll announce details when the apps become available.
I would strongly urge people to dial back their expectations a bit on this, frankly. We wanted to put our toes in the water with these apps, and so we began relatively modest.
Small, cheap single-purpose apps are actually the kind of thing that I'd like. I'm intrigued and hopeful.
An eidolon evolution manager would be really useful at the moment.
Galnörag |
Moving along...
Erik Mona wrote:We'll announce details when the apps become available.
I would strongly urge people to dial back their expectations a bit on this, frankly. We wanted to put our toes in the water with these apps, and so we began relatively modest.
Small, cheap single-purpose apps are actually the kind of thing that I'd like. I'm intrigued and hopeful.
An eidolon evolution manager would be really useful at the moment.
I would expect something more general purpose would be the first out of the gate, like the PRD?
Dryder |
Well, actually I hope it isn't another Rules App. There are good ones out there allready.
But I hope we one day will get an App, where you can calculate your attribute points with.
Enter Race, age and Campaign-type (see tables 1-1 and 1-2 on page 16 of the CoreBook), and go ahead - make your pc!
The App would do the math for you, while you just have to play around with the points for each attribute...
I use an excel-sheet for that. Having it on my iPhone or iPad would be awesome!
Cergorach |
Snore. Call me when there's an Android app, as there are more Android phones out there than iPhones.
I don't know what kind of demographics your looking at, but as far as US stats are concerned (and I'm guessing that this is Paizo's main market), iOS market share has until recently been significantly bigger then Android. The stats of December 2010 indicated that iOS was still a little bigger then Android, and I guess that they are now about equal, but there's also Black Berry. Black Berry, iOS, and Android have about the same market share in the US.
If you have different stats, please post a link to them.
I'm curious what kind of App this is going to be...
Galnörag |
Is the approval process from Apple really this long? Nearly a month passed, now, and no news?
Someone pass me the tension sheet!
Couple of things could have happened:
1. App not approved for sound technical reasons
2. App is approved, but realization on Paizo's QA team of a defect which was not acceptable to them has blocked release of the app. Which means fixing and resubmitting the app.
3. The app is approved and ready to go, and paizo is waiting for "something" before they push the publish button*.
*For those who haven't "enjoyed" the process, once apple has approved the app it isn't instantly live, you are given a "go" button to publish your app at your leisure. So you can time it with marketing etc.
Vic Wertz Chief Technical Officer |
jemstone wrote:Is the approval process from Apple really this long? Nearly a month passed, now, and no news?
Someone pass me the tension sheet!
Couple of things could have happened:
1. App not approved for sound technical reasons
2. App is approved, but realization on Paizo's QA team of a defect which was not acceptable to them has blocked release of the app. Which means fixing and resubmitting the app.
3. The app is approved and ready to go, and paizo is waiting for "something" before they push the publish button*.*For those who haven't "enjoyed" the process, once apple has approved the app it isn't instantly live, you are given a "go" button to publish your app at your leisure. So you can time it with marketing etc.
As we were preparing to submit the first two apps to Apple, I pointed out a defect common in both, so we kicked them back to the developer. Apple hasn't received either of them yet.
Galnörag |
Like my professors say software is always 90% finished. Always some bug to fix or some new feature to add.
In the industry, it is oft quoted the 80/20 rule. You get 80% of the results with 20% of the effort, or the corollary, you have to spend 80% of the effort getting the last 20%
You eventually have to stop and say, good enough
Enlight_Bystand |
ntin wrote:Like my professors say software is always 90% finished. Always some bug to fix or some new feature to add.In the industry, it is oft quoted the 80/20 rule. You get 80% of the results with 20% of the effort, or the corollary, you have to spend 80% of the effort getting the last 20%
You eventually have to stop and say, good enough
The Pareto rule, and it applies in most things...