DiscoveryBeat: Game makers say Apple is still the gatekeeper of success

“A great product and a great relationship with Apple is really the killer combination,” said Julian Farrior, chief executive at Backflip Studios. “So find someone who works at Apple, a cousin or someone.”

This seemed to be the defining sentiment during a panel discussion on how to start an app business from scratch during today’s DiscoveryBeat event in San Francisco. It was echoed by three representatives from major game makers who — while they highlighted alternative channels of distribution — stressed Apple’s central role in determining which apps live or die.

“People bitch about Apple, but it still allows you build something in a month in a half that then gets pushed out to 50 million people,” said Farrior. “I haven’t seen another opportunity like this.”

Apple’s power lies in its iPhone App Store’s ability to “merchandise” games and other mobile applications. It puts them on a shelf in a virtual store, where many even casual browsers are guaranteed to scan and make impulse buys. Simply trying to get the word out via social networks, Twitter chatter, and media blasts isn’t enough to create major momentum, panelists agreed.

“Hope is not a strategy,” said Ge Wang, co-founder, COO and CTO of Smule, maker of the tremendously popular Ocarina iPhone app.

Even some of the biggest players still need to worship at Apple’s altar. For example, Randy Angle, director of game design for the Social Gaming Network (SGN), emphasized that breaking into the App Store’s ranks is critical to success at the highest levels.

“Anyone with an app on the top featured game list — once you’ve made it to that list, you want to keep nurturing that relationship with Apple,” he said.

That said, not all is lost for those who have failed to scale the App Store’s walls, Wang said. “I will absolutely agree that if you find yourself with a good relationship with Apple, that’s huge, but it’s not the only thing,” he argued. “Apple helps those who help themselves.”

[Update: As stated by Smule CEO Jeff Smith in his comment below, his company is trying to dispel the notion that you need Apple to win in the space. Rather, it is up to developers and startups to pursue multiple distribution channels that work best for them.]

Backflip’s Farrior also talked about some alternate routes to popularity. Citing its Ragdoll Blaster game as an example (albeit it is in the App Store), he said that it only started to pick up millions of users when advertisements for it were built into its Paper Toss game.

“Rather than be reliant on Apple’s good will, we tried to create our own,” Farrior said. “We piggybacked on Paper Toss to create our own distribution model. If you create high quality apps and find adequate distribution, you can probably be successful.”