Our first app "Insultinator" was sent for review 10 days ago so far.. I suppose it will be out between five minutes from now and a few weeks more
We submitted CopterKid on 12th July and today received email saying "requiring unexpected additional time for review". I've heard horror stories about this dreaded email, luckily we have pinchmedia integrated so we can track if the game is being used (it was accessed yesterday and we got the email early morning today).
We submitted smackBOTS update last week and it was approved 7 days later... so looks like updates are going through the queue with a week delay. Our other game smackChallenge got unexpected delay and is over 1.5 months in review.. probably will not see the light at the end of the tunnel.. what a disappointment.
Yeah, I totally understand how you feel, one of our new apps got the unexpected delay email too and we're almost 1.5 months in limbo now... Apple!!!!!!!!!!
RKC was submitted June 29th and accepted on July 18th. There was an issue the first week where the tester saw that a menu option was locked and rejected us for being a "lite" version. I had to email in and explain that it was not a lite version being posted for sale, but a gameplay unlockable option. The support guys emailed me back and said we'd be "expedited" to correct the error and receive a proper review. It took 15 days from that email to approval. I think we got lost on someone's desk, because after I sent in a *polite* email this week wondering why there was no evidence of the game being tested on our scoreboards, we got approval. If it seems to be taking abnormally long, it doesn't hurt to inquire. Just be nice about it
our game iFist finally got submitted (yah a few days later) less than 24 hours ago, so what I said before still stands (if it's under two weeks I will be pretty happy!) It just feels good to know it got out the door, it seems like so many projects die on the vine before they reach an actual complete phase to te point they even could be submitted..! I can't wait to see something called "Insultinator" and good luck to IMBA with CopterKid (and everyone else!) In the meantime, it sees the best thing to do is keep right on working on "the next phase," whether that is whatever further updates/features you intended to add, or straightaway rolling into that next project altogether - there's never a shortage of other things to do while one waits for their title to pass submission!
FYI, Here's my timeline... May 15: Started development of Archangel: Fate of the Galactic Commonwealth on iTGB. July 1: Completed development of version 1.0 and continued beta testing. July 3: Finalized development of version 1.0. Yeah, I was cramming on the holiday weekend, but I did the same thing with Tipster last year, and the profits remain to have been worth the effort. July 5: First submission to the App Store. July 9: Rejected due to the 512x512 and 57x57 icons not matching up (it was the ship, just in two different angles). July 9: Resubmitted updated application, emailed back to the iPhone Developer Program. July 10: Received email from iDP, saying, "Thank you for uploading a new binary. We will notify you if there are any further issues." July 15: Sent email to iDP, "Can you provide a status update for the approval of my game?" July 16: Rejected due to the use of an iPhone icon in my company logo. My logo originally had a guy holding a keyboard, but I figured it's a new era and I changed it to an iPhone-looking touchscreen device. That's a no-no in Apple's playbook). July 16: Resubmitted updated application, emailed back to the iDP. July 16: Sent email to iDP, "If I can make an inquiry, does the review process continue where it was stopped, or does it restart entirely?" July 17: iDP replied back to July 15 email, "Your application is currently in review. We will inform you if we encounter any further issues." July 19: iDP replied back to July 16 email, "Thank you for uploading a new binary. We will notify you if there are any further issues." So, this is where I stand, 17 days later, and still in "In Review" limbo. Talk about painstaking, not to mention the canned responses, such as the one on July 19, when I clearly asked a simple question on whether or not each rejection starts the whole process over again. Or maybe they were responding to the first email when I told them it was reuploaded. I dunno. Yes, it's been only 3 days since I heard anything from Apple, but it feels like forever. Can't be much longer now...?
Approval Process My first app - Trak4 took 8 days. Trak4 Lite went through in 13 days Last night I submitted the 1.1 update to Trak4. I'll let you all know how long the update process takes. Thankfully I haven't hit any serious snags yet. I'm charging hard on the 1.2 update for Trak4 already so that the day I get the 1.1 is ready for sale email I can immediately submit the 1.2 update for approval.
We're on day 25. We sent them an email 4 or 5 days ago about the status and got a robot-esque reply, so we assume they know it's there... We're considering revising it a litte (a little less objectionable content), upping the ratings and resubmitting... after 25 days... it couldn't hurt to start the process again...
6 days for my full version update, 7 days for lite version update (approved last night and this afternoon). iTunes took a full day to show the new version, though
Just got an update on one of my apps.. it's a no-go. "vipValet Lite cannot be posted because it is a beta or feature-limited version. Free or "Lite" versions are acceptable, however the application must be a fully functional app and cannot reference features that are not implemented or up-sell to the full version." I have a link to the full version inside the lite app. I'd seen this done before, so I thought it was ok. I also talk about some features that the full version has that the lite doesn'. I guess I'll have to pull them all out.
This is something I have always wondered about too. I always knew Apple had that clause in place but it's a bit of a grey area as to how much you can get away with. In Sheepish Lite we have a buy button on the title screen and an obvious "up-sell" when you play through all eight of the levels. I wonder if the reviewers never play right through and that's how we get away with it.
i had the same problem before with an app having a button saying that this function is only available in the full version, and I removed the button. for the vipValet lite I suggest linking the button to the support page and there place a link to the full version, this might work. I wonder how this will work with in app sellings which are possbile now. If you buy an enable for the rest of the functions for example.
in this case a "lite" version must cost a minimum tier --- what happens if people switch from paided to non paids after build in app purchase features (I assume they stop working ?).
Yep, as the trend says: After 12 days Insultinator got approved. Typical of course, seeing as it is when I'm abroad on holiday Thanks, hope you like it!
I have my "up-sell" screen show up at launch, starting with the 2nd run of the game, and a buy button on my main menu... I think what Apple doesn't like is any suggestion that the Lite version has disabled features (greyed out buttons, for example). I completely removed all references to the missing features/levels in my Lite version, with the exception of mentioning them on my buy screen. It's all a bit strange, must be some sort of psychological thing - "iPhone users are never denied features!"
