3 ms·
stratechery wrote: "the App Store dramatically lowered the barriers to entry for developers" To which you replied: "Is there any platform with higher barriers
by jasode 8y ago
stratechery wrote: "the App Store dramatically lowered the barriers to entry for developers"
To which you replied: "Is there any platform with higher barriers to entry than the App Store? [...] , not to mention the $99/year developer fee"
His baseline for "lowered barriers" was retail channel distribution.[1] Think of shrinkwrapped packaged software like Quicken on the shelves of CompUSA, OfficeDepot, Costco, and boxes of videogames at GameStop.
Yes, $99 is a barrier but it's much less than the millions of dollars in capital required to get retail stores to carry your boxed software.
[1] if you click on the url link behind "lowered the barriers", you'll be directed to this page illustrating retail distribution: https://stratechery.com/2013/friction/ https://stratechery.com/2013/friction/
- 0xfeba 8y agoInteresting. In hindsight, the retail store distribution model of software lasted far longer (and still does) than it ever should have.
- Veelox 8y agoI think you are underestimating how much easier high speed internet enabled downloading of software over buying a CD
- vvanders 8y agoYeah, I very clearly remember a "the sky is falling" sentiment when Steam launched a download only version of Half-Life 2. Or take Netflix, very few thought that would be the streaming juggernaut that it is into today. Alas poor Blockbuster, we knew you well.
- hinkley 8y agoThe telcos were taking 70% of the gross before the Apple store came along. A big reason people flocked to iOS was the hope of finally turning a profit, because Apple more than doubled the developer’s take. That was a huge barrier. What % is Apple taking now? I know they lowered it a bit but I don’t recall what the new numbers ended up at.