id Software's John Carmack on iPhone App Distribution

Yeah, I bet that dealing with Apple and their Apps Store will be much more pleasant than dealing with, say, Verizon.

Just what I need to procrastinate more - Quake on my iPhone... the only way Apple could sacrifice my social life to the gods of gaming is to give the SDK to Blizzard... Ah to have the power to gank with a touchscreen.

The iTunes distributtion chanell is a terrible idea, because (surprisingly enough) there are contries where there is still no iTunes Store. Maybe the App Store will work independently from iTunes Store, but I wouldn't count on that. It's the same thing as the 20$ apps for iPod touch. The only way to get them was to set up a fake US iTunes account and get an iTunes gift card on eBay. It's sad that some people have to choose between one "not-so-legal" way (jailbreaking) and another "not-so-legal" way, ie. setting up fake accounts with made-up US street addresses.

Its gonna get interesting because Nokia are desperately attempting to revive the corpse of the N-Gage gaming platform, using the same sort of over the air concept, no more sidetalking hehe!.. or having to take the battery out to change game.. (dope!)

But seriously, they must have wet themselves when EA demo'd Spore on iPhone, its no contest that you'd rather play it on an iphone than an N95 or N81..

Expect to see an iphone like N-Gage phone from Nokia sooner rather than later! They'll want in on this action.

The iTunes distributtion chanell is a terrible idea, because (surprisingly enough) there are contries where there is still no iTunes Store. Maybe the App Store will work independently from iTunes Store, but I wouldn't count on that. It's the same thing as the 20$ apps for iPod touch. The only way to get them was to set up a fake US iTunes account and get an iTunes gift card on eBay. It's sad that some people have to choose between one "not-so-legal" way (jailbreaking) and another "not-so-legal" way, ie. setting up fake accounts with made-up US street addresses.

it seems possible that the app store could work independently from iTunes. Here's hoping

The iTunes distributtion chanell is a terrible idea, because (surprisingly enough) there are contries where there is still no iTunes Store. Maybe the App Store will work independently from iTunes Store, but I wouldn't count on that. It's the same thing as the 20$ apps for iPod touch. The only way to get them was to set up a fake US iTunes account and get an iTunes gift card on eBay. It's sad that some people have to choose between one "not-so-legal" way (jailbreaking) and another "not-so-legal" way, ie. setting up fake accounts with made-up US street addresses.

I think it'll be worldwide, there are no licensing issues like with music and developers want the widest possible audience.

Well we have to consider to things:

- When they release the payed-for 1.1.3 ipod touch update, there was no "App Store" infrastructure, so the only way to deliver it was to use the already existing iTunes Store - and hence the problem of our polish friend.. no way to buy (legally) if there's no Store in your country.

- Classic iPod Games: no issues with music/video licensing but still can only buy if there's an iTunes store in you own country.

So.. yeah, they could possible make App Store independent from iTunes store but if we consider the already iPod game's delivery system, I would doubt Apple will release a "worldwide App Store" on top of the media iTunes Store

The App Store is supposed to download over-the-air, so it shouldn't matter if one has access to the iTunes Music Store or not. If you can get a cellular signal, you should be able to use it.

The iFund is an interesting "one more thing". The iPhone as a new computing platform is about to take off.

So.. yeah, they could possible make App Store independent from iTunes store but if we consider the already iPod game's delivery system, I would doubt Apple will release a "worldwide App Store" on top of the media iTunes Store

It may not be possible to go completely worldwide, but I see no reason they can't support 50-100 countries.

The iTunes distributtion chanell is a terrible idea, because (surprisingly enough) there are contries where there is still no iTunes Store. Maybe the App Store will work independently from iTunes Store, but I wouldn't count on that. It's the same thing as the 20$ apps for iPod touch. The only way to get them was to set up a fake US iTunes account and get an iTunes gift card on eBay. It's sad that some people have to choose between one "not-so-legal" way (jailbreaking) and another "not-so-legal" way, ie. setting up fake accounts with made-up US street addresses.

So there is places that sell the iPhone that don't have iTuenes :eek: I think people forget Apple only plays nice with none sim unlocked phones....