Incorrect App Store Search Results leads to accidental game name duplication

thebitmasterthebitmaster PRO Posts: 75
edited November -1 in iPhone and Android Publishing
Naturally, when I created my game, I looked to see if any existing games were in the App Store with the same name. I did this in iTunes on my computer, and didn’t see any. I published my game, which has been out for a few months, under the name I chose. When I was waiting for approval, I checked the App Store on my iPhone frequently, hoping to see it there. In both cases, I did a search for the name Astrominer. My game was actually called Astrominer!

Neither search turned up anything until my game was published a few months ago. However, sometime *after* my game had been out for a while, a *new* Astrominer showed up in the App Store, with a post date of June 16th, 2009!

To re-iterate, I searched the App Store on both iTunes on my Mac, *and* on my iPhone, and didn’t see a game with this name before I published. Now, several months *after* I’ve published, a game with the same name (completely different game, not a clone) pops up, but it *only* shows up when you search the App Store on my iPhone, and *not* on the one on my Mac.

If you mail yourself a link to the game from the iPhone, it will open the link in iTunes on my Mac. If I then *immediately* do a search for Astrominer, only my game shows up.

The upshot of all this is that I need to re-name my game. This is actually kind-of ok, because it’s changed so much since the original game it really is a new experience. However, along with some GameSalad issues (basically that being 0.9.5 being Completely Broken) out of the gate, I’m certain I can no longer meet my original August 1st deadline to get the game shipped.

Comments

  • quantumsheepquantumsheep Member Posts: 8,188
    That's interesting - very strange it didn't show up on your mac :(

    My next game is named after an already available app - though that one is not a game at all.

    I'm writing to the makers of that app today to see if they would mind me using the same name, essentially. Best to be sure than risk it, and I have a couple of backup names anyway.

    Good luck with yours!

    QS :D

    Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
    Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io

  • tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
    There are loads and loads of Game names reserved out there so while a search on the app store may not find it. The only way you will find if the name is actually available is to create the app and reserve the name in iTunesconnect. The part I don't get about your whole story is you talk about how your game is on the app store now but you also talk about not being able to have your game ready for August 1st.
    Warning There was an error rendering this rich post.
  • quantumsheepquantumsheep Member Posts: 8,188
    tenrdrmer said:
    The part I don't get about your whole story is you talk about how your game is on the app store now but you also talk about not being able to have your game ready for August 1st.

    Good spot!
    :D

    Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
    Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io

  • thebitmasterthebitmaster PRO Posts: 75
    My App is called Astrominer! The other App is Astrominer.

    Let me clarify the order of events:

    1) I searched the iTunes App Store for Astrominer before submitting my App. I got no hits.

    2) I submitted my App, Astominer!, for free in the App Store in May.

    3) I searched daily on my iPhone App Store for "Astrominer" (no !) and got no hits.

    4) My App, Astrominer!, was published to the App Store for free. Searches on my iPhone now showed *only* my Astrominer App.

    5) At some point later, another App named "Astrominer" showed up my iPhone's App Store when I search for "Astrominer" in addition to mine. It had a publication date of 2009, which presumably means that they reserved back then, but didn't actually publish until after my game came out, *or* there was a problem with the App Store search.

    6) The other Astrominer *still* doesn't show up on the App Store in iTunes on my Mac, only on the one on my iPhone.
  • thebitmasterthebitmaster PRO Posts: 75
    Thanks! See my comments below. (or maybe above)
  • tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
    Well theres no need to change the name unless you want to and no if his app has a date from 2009 it means it was published back then but wasn't showing up due to him removing from sale.

    But unless Apple has said to Change it or You want it changed Don't worry about it.
    Warning There was an error rendering this rich post.
  • thebitmasterthebitmaster PRO Posts: 75
    I'm going to change it for several reasons:

    1) Even if Apple doesn't ask me to change it, they have the copyright on the name for publishing it first. The fact that I couldn't find it earlier doesn't change that.

    2) Astrominer! was my first game, and I didn't charge for it. It was mainly an exercise in learning GameSalad and how to publish in the App Store. It's only gotten about 200 downloads in 4 months, and it wasn't very good. I'm re-working it into a much better game, so it would actually be cool to ditch the old identity and re-release it as something new.
Sign In or Register to comment.

© Vanilla Keystone Theme 2024