Okay, okay, not so much hurt feelings but everything else is true! Putting something out on the App Store is rough. We've all heard the million and one success stories of developers quitting their day jobs to work full time on their App Store projects. But as the App Store matures the more and more I read complaints from developers from various blogs and forums. The issues range from the terrible communication Apple has with developers, questionable review policies, insanely competitive price wars, poor navigation on the store itself and the list goes on. 

Charles Starrett over at iLounge has compiled a handful of responses from iPhone developers who are reportedly scaling back App Store development due to increasing concerns over long-term viability:

Second Gear developer Justin Williams, maker of the iPhone app FitnessTrack, has written a lengthy piece describing some of the core problems currently facing iPhone developers, most notably lack of feedback for developers and an unsustainable pricing structure. Williams finishes the post by stating that he is “seriously considering” selling off his two iPhone properties and leaving iPhone development behind because he believes the App Store “as it presently stands is not capable of providing a reliable and consistent means of income.” A brief summarization of the piece is available in the form of a Twitter update, which reads, “Baseless app rejections, an unsustainable pricing structure, piss-poor developer relations and a blackbox review system. Where do I sign up?”

Ouch, that last Tweet must have all of Cupertino wincing just a little. Apple better shape up and make some changes quick if they're to keep this whole "momentum" thing they've got going last. Here's hoping the landscape sustains itself enough to keep the good times rolling for those of us with serious iPhone gaming habits.

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