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Comment by anigbrowl | Hacker News Reader

I guess this comes down a question f whether the bubbles are a normal part of the API or not. If this is the case, then what next? 'We don't like your new Mac app...it's consistent with our design guidelines, and your buttons and window borders look just like ours'.

This whole App Store thing is starting to remind me of the great videogame crash, with Apple occupying Atari's role. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_video_game_crash...

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Except in this case, there is only one video game console (the iPhone) with many games (apps) while the original crash's "main cause was supersaturation of the market with dozens of consoles". Furthermore, recent reports still indicate the App Store is gaining momentum, not losing it.

It is my opinion that all these anti-Apple reports we've been seeing over the last few months are only angering developers, not end-users. Most users could care less that Apple is taking 6+ weeks to release an update, being inconsistent in their review process, or restricting "shiny" message bubbles.

Well, don't read 'starting to resemble' too literally. Try 'dozens of categories with thousands of apps'. Similarities (to my eyes) include the race to the bottom on price, the one-trick-ponyism of many apps, the breakout of fights over gatekeeping and so on, for one thing.

Another way to look at Apple and Atari, the former remind me of the latter as chief innovator and dominant force in a proprietary market space with many lesser-known imitators (doubtless, you've noticed the iPhone has had some influence on other competitors in the mobile space).

I just feel a change coming...not sure what it portends, exactly.

The business model Atari was using is almost exactly the same model being used today by Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft for their gaming consoles. It's been pretty successful.

As above, they're not, so please disregard the first paragraph.

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