What's the deal with release date accuracy?

butterbean

I just wanted to check in and see how people get their games on the new release list.

I thought I knew what I was doing, and I thought you could change the release date if you want it to be a future release up until even before the app is approved for sale.

I've even gone in and changed it as soon as it was approved, and it worked (if it was done not more than about 30 minutes after approval)

The other day I had to pull my app and re-release it because even though I thought I followed the protocol, it had my release date 2 days back.

Is this an error on Apple's part? It seems like hit or miss with their release date system, and it's very frustrating!

Any tips or if anyone has learned anything I don't know, that would help!

butterbean

Surprised noone else has had an issue with this?

Eastbound

Well it hurt my release of Asplosion!, so it's definitely an issue. Unfortunately, I'm clueless on the subject

expired_012

@eastbound, didn't you say you contacted apple about the release date issue?
It happened to me too and I contacted apple, but no response. Seems like they get the request to put apps at the top of the release date page a lot, and they just ignore it

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jonmulcahy

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jonmulcahy

oh, and their release date thing kinda sucks, i've never been able to put a release date in the future, just to be safe, the moment I get the 'release is ready for sale', I put the release date to the current date. I've been burned a few times without knowing why.

Eastbound

artonskyblue said:
@eastbound, didn't you say you contacted apple about the release date issue?
It happened to me too and I contacted apple, but no response. Seems like they get the request to put apps at the top of the release date page a lot, and they just ignore it

Yes I did, and they basically told me "tough !@#$%." They had said that there were other methods of making an app visible in the app store, and they couldn't change the release date.

hrsmedia

Yea apple sets the release date as the day they approve the app. We get to choose the availability date, not the release date. I think this is ridiculous.

butterbean

Yup! It happened to another application of mine, so I guess we can't choose the release date anymore.... this SUCKS

So what happens if your app is approved late on the 25th, should you set the availability date for the 25th or 26th?

I'm assuming you should set it for whatever day the app gets approved, it's absurd

chosenonestudios

butterbean said:
Yup! It happened to another application of mine, so I guess we can't choose the release date anymore.... this SUCKS

So what happens if your app is approved late on the 25th, should you set the availability date for the 25th or 26th?

I'm assuming you should set it for whatever day the app gets approved, it's absurd

Yep, seems the only way to do it.

I think I remember Tshirt saying, that he sets the availability date before it gets approved so as soon as its approved its live.

expired_012

Well this could be a good thing as well. Before if you set a release date that had already passed then it would be set to that release date. So if you set the release date for the 13th by mistake and it gets approved on the 23rd it would be displayed on the bottom of the release date page for the date of the 13th. Now it no longer works that way, so it could be a good thing for some and a bad thing for others

chosenonestudios

artonskyblue said:
Well this could be a good thing as well. Before if you set a release date that had already passed then it would be set to that release date. So if you set the release date for the 13th by mistake and it gets approved on the 23rd it would be displayed on the bottom of the release date page for the date of the 13th. Now it no longer works that way, so it could be a good thing for some and a bad thing for others

But its not a release date, its a availability date.

butterbean

chosenonestudios said:
But its not a release date, its a availability date.

It is technically an availability date, but before, you could change the "availability date" to set the release date in the future.

So for example, if an app was approved on the 25th, you could change the date to the 27th, and the app would appear on the new release page on the 27th (given you did this right when it's approved)

Now, whenever your app gets approved is the date that it will appear on the new release page.

So if you want the availability date on the 27th, but your app was approved on the 25th, it will still only appear on the 25th's apps, not the 27th's in terms of new releases, and getting on the new release page is everything.

reddotinc

Rabbit Run was approved early this week, but we're not launching until sept 1st. We'll see what happens!

// red.

chosenonestudios

butterbean said:
It is technically an availability date, but before, you could change the "availability date" to set the release date in the future.

So for example, if an app was approved on the 25th, you could change the date to the 27th, and the app would appear on the new release page on the 27th (given you did this right when it's approved)

Now, whenever your app gets approved is the date that it will appear on the new release page.

So if you want the availability date on the 27th, but your app was approved on the 25th, it will still only appear on the 25th's apps, not the 27th's in terms of new releases, and getting on the new release page is everything.

Yeah, I agree. Thats what I was saying.

butterbean

Yeah, as far as I can tell, I was doing the same old process I've been doing for months now, but it looks like it's changed, so basically, if you want your app to appear on the new release list, you are at Apple's whim as to when they approve the app, and whatever day it's approved, is the day you should set the app for availability.

chosenonestudios

butterbean said:
Yeah, as far as I can tell, I was doing the same old process I've been doing for months now, but it looks like it's changed, so basically, if you want your app to appear on the new release list, you are at Apple's whim as to when they approve the app, and whatever day it's approved, is the day you should set the app for availability.

Agreed

butterbean

Like your new avatar Chosenone!

chosenonestudios

butterbean said:
Like your new avatar Chosenone!

Thanks! I'm really trying to finish this game and I just keep getting sidetracked! I have too many ideas! Haha

quantumsheep

butterbean said:
It is technically an availability date, but before, you could change the "availability date" to set the release date in the future.

So for example, if an app was approved on the 25th, you could change the date to the 27th, and the app would appear on the new release page on the 27th (given you did this right when it's approved)

Now, whenever your app gets approved is the date that it will appear on the new release page.

So if you want the availability date on the 27th, but your app was approved on the 25th, it will still only appear on the 25th's apps, not the 27th's in terms of new releases, and getting on the new release page is everything.

This isn't true, from my experience.

Attack of the Kraken was approved and 'available' from the tuesday of the week it launched. My launch date had been set for the Thursday.

I went into itunes, changed the release date for Friday, then changed it back immediately to the Thursday.

It was top of new releases on Thursday as planned.

Hope that helps,

QS

reddotinc

+1 with QS here..

After seeing this thread we expected the worst.

Rabbit Run PRO was approved last week, but release set to today. It launched today and is on the new releases list for today

// red.