I used to love playing games on my mobile devices. Over the last year I've stopped, and switched back to playing on my PC. I have money to spend on iOS/Android games but can't find anything to play! (I find some but get over them and can't find something else) Why? I know there are countless games and apps I would love.
App stores think they are similar to bookstores, with sections for anything you want. Except no bookstore has million++ books on the shelves. Each section only has the shelf space available. That's important in the digital world too. I can only browse X number of apps. I only open up and read about Y number of games and will only buy Z. Both iOS and Android stores know this and cater down to a few editor/staff picks, and sections lead by popularity. That makes the Walmart of app stores, but I only rarely shop at Walmart. Whats the problem? It caters to all demographics 16 year old girls and 35 year old men even tho they don't play any of the same games or apps. Games for middle school boys games don't need to be taking up *my* shelf space!
We need a solution, custom/multiple store fronts, and multiple teams running them. Real world has lots of stores, catering to many different people. Lots of alternative perspectives, some that work much better for me personally while others that don't. I'm not their demographic. Going to a hub thats designed from the start to cater to me, search the way I want to search, browse the way I want to browse. Think what store would Wired Magazine make? That's my dream app store! It would be thoughtful by taste-makers, editors and journalists who think and like what I like. While an app store by Lucky magazine has nothing for me.
Both iOS and Android market places fail for me. I hate browsing games on the iPad/Nexus7, hate it! Rarely are the games/apps they present are interesting to me. I want to dig deeper and browse manicured selection of games and apps targeting me. Take a cue from internet advertising, not perfect but at least they're trying.
A clear example is XCOMM if iOS even tried I'd by it in a heartbeat. I had to search for it, by then think I'll wait. If it was merely present anytime I went to the store, then I'd by it when the mood struck me.
Another example, I rarely play or download freemium (Clash of Clans short lived exception). That however could cut out a lot of shelf space in my personal store front. Hell look at my history! I never spend money on freemuim, target me "genius"! It has to be hand selected, or at least a better algorithm that isn't beatable by cheap knock offs. I'm begging, sell to me, I want to buy!
This would also start a new wave of apps and games targeting demographics in the store not just in their outside advertising. With so much noise in the marketplace the cream might need some more help rising to the top. There are too many apps. Now the app store's job is to stop bragging about how many apps they have and gets better at selling them *to me*.
