Laser tower upgrades for the Walled Garden

There’s already been a ton said about Apple’s recent change to section 3.3.1 of the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement, including this well-known post by John Gruber aka Daring Fireball.  Admittedly it’s hard to add to the conversation, but I’ll try.

First off, if you have not heard about this particular issue you probably can safely skip the rest of this post and go check out something more amusing like xkcd.

Still here?  OK, let’s go then.  The story so far goes something like this…

Apple: Starting with the next version of the iPhone SDK, you need to use Apple’s tools and technology if you want to build iPhone apps.  You can’t use middleware or cross compile tools like Adobe’s Flash CS5, MonoTouch, Unity, etc.

Applications must be originally written in Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine, and only code written in C, C++, and Objective-C may compile and directly link against the Documented APIs (e.g., Applications that link to Documented APIs through an intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool are prohibited).

Adobe: WTF?? We just blew a crapton of money making Flash CS5 cross-compile into iPhone!  Go fuck yourself, Apple!  By the way, who’s your lawyer again?

Unity: We really don’t think this is going to be a problem for us.  Really.  We’ve got some good friends at Apple and even though they can’t comment they say they think Unity is really cool.  Plus we talked to Steve.  One time at a party that is.  OK, well it was the WWDC but it was like a party.  And we know Steve heard us even though we were in the ninth row because the nice security person told us it was time for us to leave Steve alone.  But really.  Not a problem.  Everything is going to be OK.  We’re going down to Cupertino this week!  Did we mention that we have venture funding?

Novell (MonoTouch):  Oh no.  Not again.

Apple is purposefully creating a monoculture of iPhone development.  They want to breed the best iPhone apps possible, and I’m sure they will get some amazing, incredible apps built on their amazingly incredible platform.  But as anyone with a Golden Retriever or other pure bred animal knows that purity comes with a price. 

Most people (including me) acknowledge that it’s well within Apple’s rights to make this call.  Apple has never been shy about standing up for the user experience by keeping the riffraff off the streets of the iPhone/iPad/iTouch.  Well, except all those farting apps.  But Steve thought they were kind of funny so that’s OK.  Folks like Gruber point out that this move will ensure that only people who are serious about iPhone development will be making apps.  No shitty Flash ports.  No argument from me on that.  Too bad for all those awesome Flash games like Machinarium, though.

Here’s the problem.  With this change Apple has basically declared that there is no such thing as an “independent” iPhone developer.  We kind of already knew this because of the whole App store approval process, but that whole SNAFU seemed to be on its way to become more liberalized and tractable.  Now there can be no escape.  If you are developing apps for iPhone & co. you are sharecropping for Apple.  Apple will tell you what apps you can and can not make.  Apple will decide whether your apps meet their standards… after you’ve finished them.  Apple will decide what tools you may use, what services you may use (don’t get me started on Section 3.3.9), what middleware you can use, what payment terns you will receive.  And if they decide to alter the terms of the arrangement, they will.  You can take it or leave it because they don’t need you.  There are a hundred others waiting in line for your land if you don’t want to work it.

Personally, I hope that some kind of incredible middleware tool comes along that enables some amazing new games and is not available on the iPhone.  It’s not that I harbor any ill will toward Apple.  On the contrary, I worked there in the ‘90s and admire them for how far they’ve come.  I also own an iPhone and two Macs.  I just value innovation over purity. 

This whole situation leaves developers like citizen12 studio with a question.  Do we make our way in the great open-er frontiers and badlands where we can make use of great middleware technologies like Unity and Flash, or do we want to become sharecroppers in the Walled Garden of iPhone and hope that we’re one of the lucky few who make it?