Submitting Lite/Demo Versions - BE WARNED

[DistantJ]

From my Hungry Bug thread...

For Hungry Bug 'Lite'

"We've completed the review of your app, but cannot post this version to the App Store because it did not comply with the App Store Review Guidelines, as detailed below:

2.9: Apps that are “beta”, “demo”, “trial”, or “test” versions will be rejected

Peaceful and Survival modes are not available in this version."

You gotta be f---ing kidding me. So why does Fruit Ninja Lite disable Zen Mode, Arcade Mode and Multiplayer Mode with a 'get the full version for this mode' message?! Even Angry Birds Lite has levels disabled to tease the gamer into getting the full game.

But somehow here they're funny with it. Maybe there are technicalities, perhaps you have to hide any 'disabled' options and instead advertise the features in the full game as 'extras'... I mean, make it appear that the lite version is a basic game and the full game is 'expanded', rather than the lite version being a crippled version of the same thing... I got no idea, but I've asked why Fruit Ninja got away with it, hoping for a response. I'm not happy to have to wait another week or more to get the lite version up.

So be warned, if submitting a free 'demo' version to get people to buy your game, apparently you have to be really careful in how you do it else you'll be flat out rejected.

...Very much looking forward to the Android runtime.

[Renatos]

Good to know!! Thank you DistantJ

[xhedgehogx]

Yeah I did read that part in the guidelines a while ago, I'm honestly not sure how those other games make into the app store. Angry Birds Lite is obvious because it's right in the top of the list of the free apps.

[RhysD]

Just submit it again, and leave out the "Peaceful and Survival modes are not available in this version." text. I'm fairly sure this is how the other apps get away with it, Angry Birds mentions nothing about missing or locked features in the app description. Just make it obvious in your app these features are locked and the user will get the idea (along with it being called "Lite" of course).

[DistantJ]

Oh I didn't mention that in the description, but when you press the menu button to get to the mode it gives you a dialog informing you it's disabled. I'm going to try just removing the buttons and using an ad for the full version after the score/time limit is up.

[JasonDarby]

The problem sometimes is the person reviewing it... its not uncommon for one person to miunderstand the rules (I had problems on Whack Em with they tried to stop the game being released because Whack a Mole is a registered trade mark... the lite version and full versions had been on sale for over a year.... so you do get some muppet reviewers sometimes.