iOS Developers May Form a Union

[HarryBalls]

Interesting article about anonymous iOS Developers thinking about forming a union to combat things like cloning and Apple's revenue share.

[Jack Norton]

Haha interesting. Fun that they complain about the 30% Apple cut, and in casual world everyone is happy to TAKE 30%

[Applewood]

What a load of bullshit. The fact that these guys are "worried about retribution by Apple" says it all for me. Still doing ok then are we? Something to lose?

Bottom line is that it's their bat and their ball and they make the rules. It's not ideal for us developers, but that's the way it is and should be. Developers want to be in full control of absolutely everything? Great. Make a phone, market it, sell it to half the world, make loadsamoney. Until then, stfu.

[Desktop Gaming]

I think unions should be banned and anybody who joins one should be taken out and shot.

I'll tell you why, as well. First and foremost, unions are a scourge on society. People take jobs, join Unison (or whatever other union represents their trade, but in the UK Unison are one of the biggest), decide they don't like their job any more, vote to go on strike and achieve nothing but piss off the taxpayer and make everybody hate them. Here's an idea - if you sign a contract, be it for employment, software distribution, or whatever else, then for whatever reason decide you don't like the terms any more, just terminate the damn contract! If this is by 30-days notice, or simple resignation, just do it.

It's my personal opinion that anybody who decides to join a union then go on strike, should be sacked on the spot. There's plenty of unemployed people waiting to take their place.

[Desktop Gaming]

...and as if by magic, here's a perfect example: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-18378954

[Applewood]

I think unions should be banned and anybody who joins one should be taken out and shot.

I'll tell you why, as well. First and foremost, unions are a scourge on society. People take jobs, join Unison (or whatever other union represents their trade, but in the UK Unison are one of the biggest), decide they don't like their job any more, vote to go on strike and achieve nothing but piss off the taxpayer and make everybody hate them. Here's an idea - if you sign a contract, be it for employment, software distribution, or whatever else, then for whatever reason decide you don't like the terms any more, just terminate the damn contract! If this is by 30-days notice, or simple resignation, just do it.

It's my personal opinion that anybody who decides to join a union then go on strike, should be sacked on the spot. There's plenty of unemployed people waiting to take their place.

QFT

100% agree, no exceptions.

[Jack Norton]

Well, I still think they're right about the crazy Lodysis lawsuits and the cloning thing. About Apple's cut... not sure much can be done and honestly it's not the main problem right now of iOS

[jcottier]

Like you guys from the U.K. know anything about striking... Man, you know nothing... People don't strike in the U.K, just cross the channel and you'll see what striking means.

Anyway, even if most of the time, I think like you, I know that if some people didn't fight during the last century, I would probably (like anyone else) still be working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week (and my children too) and would be just able to feed my family... Yeah, unions, pretty useless... Not so sure.

JC

[Applewood]

I've never bought that argument tbh. Maybe a century ago, but there are various laws now to protect basic rights like this - minimum wage, maximum hours etc. (And yes, maybe unions helped push that forward - but we got it now)

Nowadays, if you don't like the pay/conditions then leave. If you can't leave, that's your fault for having no desireable skills so put up with it. All the jobs in your field don't pay what you think you're worth? set your own company up and pay yourself more if you can.

Market forces are a powerful force for figuring out what jobs are worth what and when. Right now they dictate that frigging plumbers earn more than I do. I could go do an evening class in plumbing if I was that bothered about it.

[Grey Alien]

Back in the day Unions were very important. In fact it started with the Tolpuddle Martyrs from Dorset (my home county): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tolpuddle_Martyrs

Anyway yes, I'd be more interested in seeing a casual game dev union to get those measly royalty %s increased to match Apple/Steam/Google.

[Jack Norton]

Anyway yes, I'd be more interested in seeing a casual game dev union to get those measly royalty %s increased to match Apple/Steam/Google.

It's 2012, but I think what you ask would be too much even for the Maya prophecy!

[Grey Alien]

yes the Maya prophecy is more likely to come true than casual devs doubling their income. Jeez even with 50% more income (so approx 50% royalties from casual portals) my life would be radically different.

[igamedev]

Everyone's against "ideas like this" until a clone of their game does better than theirs.

[Applewood]

And in such a case, which of those two developers do you think Apple would care about boycotting them?

Seriously, all this ideal world crap is just naieve dreaming. Let them set up their union and do their boycott and we can all see what happens. My money's on the "jack shit" option. I certainly won't be joining them.

[igamedev]

And in such a case, which of those two developers do you think Apple would care about boycotting them?

Apple doesn't act quickly all the time, alot of damage could be done before they get around to it. Plus, just because it's a clone doesn't mean they will take it down. We had to prove media was stolen from our game before Apple would remove the game.

[Applewood]

Hint: I meant the other one.

[James Coote]

Some unions are particularly militant, and give others that do genuine good a bad name. It is usually an industry such as transport workers, where normal globalized business practices don't really work. You can't rip up the railways and relocate them to another country like you can with a factory

Just as you get a few assholes in the unions who want to strike over not getting inflation busting wage rises in a recession, there are some bosses who really do take advantage of their workers and don't give a care for grinding them down and just replacing them with some other poor sucker when they're all used up. If you're a good manager, you don't have to worry about unions

With the apps market, it is not that there isn't enough money to go around. The crux is that it appears to have low barriers to entry, when in fact the opposite is true. You can make a fantastic game, but without the marketing muscle of a big company, you're going to struggle to get into that top 10 or even break even. Yet the illusion persists, and draws more and more developers with the fantasy that they can quit their 9 to 5 and be their own boss, do what they want to do, and still make money in a time of deep recession

The bubble will burst and developers will simply stop making apps and move onto something else. Big companies will still produce quality apps, so customers will remain happy, whilst the market becomes less crowded with garbage.Apple get back to their quality over quantity image and are happy

[BantamCityGames]

I agree that Unions were important when people were 'forced' to suffer through some really lousy conditions, but like Applewood said, we're past all of that now. Let the market do its thing... supply and demand... and all that