iPhone Game Development - Chris Craft [8]
Tip
Sometimes it's better to develop for a lower-end device like the iPod touch. This ensures that your application will reach the broadest audience.
Signing up to be an iPhone Developer
If you are serious about developing games, we recommend that you go ahead and spend the money necessary to join the iPhone Developer Program. The cost is $99 for the Standard program. This is the program you need to sign up for in order to publish your applications on the App Store. Start by browsing to http://developerapplecom/program and click the Enroll Now button. Continue through the steps, making sure to select the Standard program.
The Standard iPhone Developer Program is currently the only choice that allows you to publish applications to the App Store. With this program you get all the tools you need to develop applications for the iPhone. Most importantly, it includes your pass to publish and sell your creations on the App Store.
The other option is the Enterprise program, which costs $299. This is not an enhanced version of the Standard program; rather, it is designed to allow large companies to create and distribute in-house applications within an organization without going through the App Store. This is probably not what anyone would want for game development.
Once you have signed up for the program, you will need to provide personal and banking information before you can submit paid applications to the App Store. Before doing this you will need to decide if you would like to set up an Individual or Company account. In your situation, this answer may be clear, but if not, you need to choose carefully. With a Company account you can add team members who will be able to log in to the iPhone Developer Program Portal and gain access to the SDK and other related development tools. If others are working on your projects with you, a Company account is definitely the better way to go. If you choose an Individual account, all of these tools can only be accessed by one person.
We are not going to advise you one way or the other, but consider your intent and decide carefully.
Caution
It is possible to convert an Individual account to a Company account; however, there is a drawback. During the conversion process, Apple will temporarily disable your Developer account and pull your apps from the App Store while your account is in transition, which can take several days. Also note that you currently cannot convert from a Company account to an Individual account.
Un-Boxing Your iPhone Developer Tools
After joining the iPhone Developer Program, you will have access to a wealth of tools and resources. Here are some of the things you'll find when you crack open your new toolbox (Figure 1.4):
FIGURE 1.4
Home sweet home: Welcome to the iPhone Dev Center home page.
Full Access to the iPhone Dev Center. This includes access to documentation and resources you will need when developing applications for new and existing features of the iPhone OS: http://developerapplecom/iphone.
iPhone Developer Program Portal. Here you will be guided through the steps needed to test applications on your iPhone and iPod touch. You'll also find the tools and resources necessary to prepare your applications for distribution: http://developerapplecom/overview.
iTunes Connect. This site provides you with a growing collection of tools you will need in order to upload and manage your applications in the iTunes App Store: https://itunesconnectapplecom.
iPhone Developer Support Center. Here you will find detailed information about using the features listed in the previous bullets. You'll also find information about participating in discussion forums, obtaining technical support, reporting bugs, and more: http://developerapplecom/iphone.
iPhone Dev Center
When you first sign up for the program, the iPhone Dev Center is one of the first places you will want to visit. Here you can review the documentation,