This Week's Sponsor:

Kolide

Ensure that if a device isn’t secure it can’t access your apps.  It’s Device Trust for Okta.


OpenFeint X: Sell New Content Without Updates

After Apple released Game Center, OpenFeint’s survival plan was to provide even more services on top of the Game Center functionality, now OpenFeint X hopes to cash in on this. It’s a service that allows iOS developers (plus other mobile platforms) to add over-the-air purchasable content to their games on top of Apple’s already popular in-app purchasing. OpenFeint X works outside of Apple’s store, and allows devs to quickly add in-app content without going through Apple’s approval system. Only a few devs have worked with it so far, but it’s new and more will surely follow soon, especially after their “Million Dollar Challenge” announcement.

OpenFeint’s “Million Dollar Challenge” has been issued - the first 100 devs to sign up and use OpenFeint X can earn up to $10,000 without sharing any of their revenue. After that, devs who use OpenFeint X will have to share their revenue (more details on the link).

This really won’t affect end users, a tap is a tap, but OpenFeint X will be an interesting alternative or option for devs to make. As revenues continue to grow from in-app purchases, OpenFeint X couldn’t have better timing.

For some reason since Game Center arrived, if I see an app icon with an OpenFeint badge (or Crystal, Plus+, etc.), I’m usually not interested anymore. I don’t know why, there’s nothing wrong with any of these alternative services but my heart and wallet goes to Apple and its products and services.

[via TUAW]

Unlock More with Club MacStories

Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for over six years.

In that time, members have enjoyed nearly 400 weekly and monthly newsletters packed with more of your favorite MacStories writing as well as Club-only podcasts, eBooks, discounts on apps, icons, and services. Join today, and you’ll get everything new that we publish every week, plus access to our entire archive of back issues and downloadable perks.

The Club expanded in 2021 with Club MacStories+ and Club Premier. Club MacStories+ members enjoy even more exclusive stories, a vibrant Discord community, a rotating roster of app discounts, and more. And, with Club Premier, you get everything we offer at every Club level plus an extended, ad-free version of our podcast AppStories that is delivered early each week in high-bitrate audio.

Choose the Club plan that’s right for you:

  • Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with app collections, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, a Club-only podcast, periodic giveaways, and more;
  • Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus exclusive content like Federico’s Automation Academy and John’s Macintosh Desktop Experience, a powerful web app for searching and exploring over 6 years of content and creating custom RSS feeds of Club content, an active Discord community, and a rotating collection of discounts, and more;
  • Club Premier: Everything in from our other plans and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio.