iPhone Dev Goes After Game Hacker; War

[jabliese]

How did the couple know they had 400 additional users? Is this a "phone home" feature of the app, or an iPhone app standard feature?

The pirated app appears to be more popular than the genuine article. This does lend credence to the hackers argument that people like to try before they buy, even for $.99. That, or buying apps on iTunes is much more work than downloading a bit torrent. Either way, it seems his endorsement of the game by hacking it is worth more than whatever rating system Apple has developed. Apple needs to do some work.

All around, I'm happy at the couples response, and would like to have a follow up story in about a month about whether or not their sales increased.

 

[Guest]

That is ridiculous to a) hack a $0.99 program and b) to hack a whack-a-mole type game! Geesh. I draw this parallel: I see people driving around half-million-dollar diesel RVs that are to cheap to pay for an overnight RV park stay and instead "camp" at Wal-Mart and Flying-J. I now see people spending hundreds on an iPhone and are too cheap to pay $0.99 for a game. Cheap, cheap cheap, people. And for whack-a-mole... unbelieveable.

 

[bounty]

I'm sure if the "hacker" really believed that he did it for demo purposes, then he added an expiration after 10 days right? Also no mention of what the "hacker" actually hacked. Did he just zip up the game directory and post it? I wouldn't call that hacking. It's not even cracking. For those of you flipping out over it it calling home, they probably just have an internet based hall of fame or something with 10000 different names listed, when the product only sold 50 copies.

Whack a mole is obviously not a full game meant to occupy hours of entertainment. It's a quick toy, a way to show your friends you have an expensive phone, that can do lots of stuff. You can't be Robin Hood to an iPhone user, it's a freaking status symbol!

"Robin Hood" here probably makes a living on porn advertisements and bot nets from his warez site hosting the file.

 

[Guest]

As of today 90% of users are thieves of one of my new apps I poured several months into. Several, several thousand people... its is looking like it will sink iphone developement for me. However, I am holding out a bit longer...we do need to eat and we are trying to sell these apps dirt cheap while pushing the mobile gaming edge. Without funds we can do neither....( I come from years in AAA game development. )

 

[neiroatopelcc]

[citation][nom]bobMArleycnncom[/nom]As of today 90% of users are thieves of one of my new apps I poured several months into. Several, several thousand people... its is looking like it will sink iphone developement for me. However, I am holding out a bit longer...we do need to eat and we are trying to sell these apps dirt cheap while pushing the mobile gaming edge. Without funds we can do neither....( I come from years in AAA game development. )[/citation]

Without showing us which product you're referring to, and with a newly created user, I don't think many are going to care honestly.
It's a bit like saying the world is mean and you've been robbed of all your posessions, but avoiding to say anything about where, when or who you are.

 

[Guest]

Stealing is stealing. This game is not needed for anything, but entertainment. Not one user has to download it for any real purpose. Hackers are mad for some reason in life and too lazy to make any real ruckus anywhere that matters. Who didn't vote for a President and then complained later anyhow? Things cost money and real people pay for them. I love people who say things online hiding behind their little keyboards trying to justify. Go rob a liquor store and stand there and see what happens, it is no different. Oh, but liquor is evil and should not even exist, WAH!

Nuff said.

 

[FrustratedRhino]

For the pirate: While I agree with your comments they don't have anything to do with it, you were bored that is it.

For the programmers: Whining helps a lot, so now you are lumped with the baby collector that had 8 babies that is trying to say she isn't a drain on society... Get over it move on.