Built For BlackBerry

[peter9477]

Helex, how did you monitor for the clipboard changes?

My guess is, since they'd pay extra close attention to run_when_backgrounded apps, that you're polling for the changes in the filesystem. If that's so, I think it's a likely cause of their concern over performance.

Ah, and I remember this thread now: http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/Cascades-Development/How-to-watch-for-Clipboard-changes-BB10-... I suspect that they consider the 5s wakeup period and resulting effect on the system to be the problem, but I guess you'd have to ask. They really do need to give more details when they reject an app... it's just unfair and unreasonable to make us guess what they mean when they could simply say "The app wakes up every 5 seconds, which we consider unacceptable for its functionality." or something.

[Aarkham]

This is very frustrating.

I applied for BFB on December 18 and they rejected it on January 9. I have to guess in two days the reason of the rejection. I can try to resubmit an application with a couple of minor issues fixed to try to get in time to the 10K program, but there are only 3 tries to get BFB. So I really do not know what to do.

If somebody wants to see the game, it's called "The Filling". There is a free version called "The Filling Free". You can also download it for the Playbook, but this version is older with fewer levels and the new version has improved graphics.

This is the email I sent them asking for clarification:

Hello

As you can see, my application has been rejected. The problem is that
I do not know the reason.

You provide a link to a checklist that I've already used. I'm going to
check the list in this mail and maybe you can help me to understand
where I am wrong.

1 - Localization

   The game has very few texts and they are in english. So it seems
that this requirement is fulfilled.

2 - User Benefits

  For games the only item is "Genuine entertainment value". This is a
subjective issue, but my betatesters find it very fun and most of the
reviews I have in Play Store and Ovi Store are positive (in Blackberry
world the opinion is a little lower, but I think that this is because
the first versions were rushed for a deadline and were a little
crude).

3 - User Experience

  For games the items are:
       Build for form factor, and this requirement is explained as
"Apps and games should use the whole screen". My game fulfills this
requiremet.
       Application navigation, this is explained as  "Use guidelines
for consistent menu structures, as documented in UX/UI guidelines
(required for games)". There is no link to this guidelines. The game
has a very simple menu structure and I do not know how a user could be
lost in it.
       Progress feedback,  the user does not waits for anything in the
game. The game loads in less than 2 seconds.

4 - Performance

   The game runs smooth at 60 FPS. It also works in other systems much
less powerful. For example, it runs smooth and 60 FPS in a Nokia C7-00
that has a 680 MHz ARM11.

5 - Games

  Game engine: I use a proprietary game engine. It does not explain
what characteristics it must fulfill.

  Competitor port analysis: I have published it in Google Play and in
Ovi Store.
         Ovi Store :        Paid     4.3                       Free   4.4
         Play Store:       Paid     No ratings            Free   4.5

         http://store.ovi.com/content/301599
         http://store.ovi.com/content/301600
         https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fillgame.free.android

6 - Security

   Free of malicious intent, Of course.

   Provide a privacy policy,   this may be the problem. I had left the
account as it was created and I thought that there is a default
privacy policy. Is this the only issue? Do you have a template that I
can check?


Thanks in advance.

Thansk

  Carlos

[jtegen]

Download the game. General comments:

• Did you test this on the device or simulator?  The "Medium" text button is split into 2 lines that extends outside of the button.  First line is "Medi" and the second line is "um".  First page has same issues ("Epis" / "odes" and "Arca" / "de").
• Top right buttons are too small.  See UX guidelines.  Icons in the buttons are too small too.  See guidelines.
• In general, there are a lot of issues with buttons sizes and text issues in the buttons.
• Not clear what to do on the matrix of buttons.  Several selections did not occur.  Finally it went into game mode.
• Game sheet is only a third of the entire screen.  Try using the whole screen.
• Players are too small to really see.
• Once I saw what the games does, it is really kind of cool, but all the UI/UX issues makes me not want to play it.  If you can fix the buttons and text and sizing of stuff, it could be lots of fun.

See screen shots just in case you are seeing something different.

Hope this helps.

[Aarkham]

Hello jtegen

Thanks a lot for your feedback. Obviously this not the way it should be seen. The problem is that the game is starting in portrait mode instead of landscape. As the game is multiplatform and works in different screen sizes it tries to adapt but can not cope with such a big difference.

I have tested it in Dev Alpha B and simulator. The strange thing is that this thing happens when I run it from inside the IDE to debug, but when I run it from the phone icon it works fine. How have you launched it?

You can see here how it should look  https://sites.google.com/site/qanmathefilling/screenshots

Again, thanks for your support. I will try to fix it. If this is the problem that RIM has seen I can not understand why they have not said so. I have lost two days and I'm not sure that I can fix it in a few hours as it does not fail in my testing device.

  Carlos

[jtegen]

In portrait mode. I did confirm that it did look better in landcape mode at launch, however the app does not respond when the app is rotated from one mode to the other.

It is hard to get exact information out of RIM testers. I have never received detailed information with them. I know RIM is trying to improve it, but we have not seen much in the way of that. It cannot be too hard. I spent 5 minutes in finding all kinds of little things that probably prevented you to get a gold star.

Funny. Now even in portrait mode now, it draws in landscape. It did not do that the first time I ran it. But the Episode and Arcade button now dont press. Animation is occuring in the background. Just no button presses.

Cool app. It is one of the addictive apps

[jtegen]

Also, it would be nice if the app tracked with your finger better in terms of speed and relative motion. It seems to just go once an orthogonal direction is determined.

[Aarkham]

Hi jtegen

I've fixed the problem of the game starting in portrait mode. I'd like to send you the new version but I don't know how.

I've resubmitted it and I hope that this issue is the one that they have objections.

You are right that the game just tracks if you want to go up/down/left/right  (please note that you don't need to touch your character, you can swipe anywhere in the screen). Your suggestion is an interesting idea, currently I'm starting another game but I may update The Filling and will consider it.

Thanks for your help

  Carlos

[aesteral]

My app was rejected like a week ago an I still haven't receive an email with reasons. That's little weird and the time is running out =/

[ametller]

I'm in the same situation. My application got rejected, but I don't have the explanation email yet. I can imagine that my application got rejected as it's a car finder app, so there's an option to generate the route to where you parked your car, however, as the dev alpha doesn't have the Maps application yet, this part of the app doesn't work (although according to my source code it should).

[helex]

Thank you jtegen for your detailed report. Much appreciated. Sorry for my late reply. I wasted the whole weekend developing hardly for the last Port-A-Thon and searching in my ClipMan and ClipManLite project for a "performance" bug.

---

jtegen wrote:

I downloaded the app.  Take the following for what is worth.  Just $0.02

• At first I did not know what the app did.  Maybe, put the instructions on first run of the app.

---

I had a SystemToast in the last release but it stopped working at the GOLD Beta so I had to remove it: http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/Cascades-Development/SystemDialog-onFinished-not-working-sinc... It's working again since the update from last Friday. It will appear again in the next release which is currently in the QA.

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jtegen wrote:

• Couple of minor things.  In Actions, just have "Import from XML" instead of "Import from *.XML".  Same with export.  Most ussers do not under the wildcard syntax.
• Not certain why you have the same actions in the overflow on the home page and in the app bar.  For example, help should be in the app bar since the context for that button is in regards to the app.  Actions are things that can operate on the page the user is on.

---

Fixed. :-)

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jtegen wrote:

• Also, the import and export are always disabled.

---

Yes, ClipManLite is the free but limited version of ClipMan without long therm storage, without database backend, without in- and export. I removed it now from the lite version instead of giving a hint about this function. Sadly at the App Bar are no "visible: false" instruction possible. So I have to comment it out in the source every time I switch the built. In this release the buttons are simply disabled, since the SystemToast is working again I will display a Info Page in one of the next update.

---

jtegen wrote:

• the Edit Cip page has lower case "cancel" and "reuse".  Should be mixed case (e.g. "Cancel" ).
• The Edit Clip page has an cancel button and a back button that perform the same thing.  I would get rid of the back button since you are mixing metaphores here.

---

Okay, thanks. Fixed. I placed the button there to be able to get faster back, even with opened keyboard.

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jtegen wrote:

• Action text should be mixed case as well (Unlock, Copy to Clipboard, Shared to BBM, etc.).
• Actual performance (speed and fluidity of the app), I had no issues.

---

Thanks, this is good to hear. Also no performance issues over here.

---

jtegen wrote:

• You are using invocation in a couple of places.  Good.

---

Thanks, I would have added more invocation targets, but the documentation was incomplete. They updated it with twitter, facebook and stuff like this last week. I thought it is fine to update it with 20 minutes work as soon as RIM unveils the last secret parts. It's in my intention to include all text based invocation targets.

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jtegen wrote:

• Not certain how to delete an item since the Delete action is alwasy disabled.

---

Okay, works over here. Do you perhaps mistaken the clean up with the delete button at the edit item page? The clean up Button is a feature of the full version ClipMan. It cleans all "unlocked" items in a list and compress the database. This way you can fast clean up the clipboard history without losing Items you need frequently.

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jtegen wrote:

If I had to guess why it got rejected, was probably had to do with Patterns, Components and Visual Style.  Improve the app icon (buy an image from online image stores), correct the text issues, improve the in-app icons, fix the state issues (when actions are available).

---

Thanks, fixed the most parts. The update is in the QA since Sunday.

---

jtegen wrote:

I have never been in any of the meetings with RIM on the overall criterial that they are looking for with B4BB.  Utility apps are tough, because eventhough they are useful and a lot of them are neat, do they rise to the level for a B4BB sticker that shows off the unique aspects of the BB device?  Tough question to answer.

---

Exactly THIS is the problem. Nobody knows. The people here are even asking for apps to show which were approved. I got in the meantime also the full version ClipMan and 2 other Apps rejected. This time without any explanation via email. And the deadline is in 6 days...

I wish RIM would be in this point as open as it is in the meantime at many other parts. Even the Developer Advocates have no clue and their Apps are getting refused with no clarification, too!

After I got ClipManLite refused with not much more than the link to the List with the criterias to met (I have in my opinion sticked to all) I posted here, contacted some people I know from the JAM in Berlin and asked during the Port-A-Thon for clarification. Even the RIM staff I know since Berlin are somewhat confused and found no big mistake, even at their own work. I got in the meantime a EMail from Jason B., Technical Administrator at RIM with a more detailed explanation about the reasoning why my App was declined. VERY DISAPPOINTING from my point of view.

At least at the BB Jam's in Berlin and London (I don't know about the others) the BB Staff mediated the picture of the Built for BlackBerry program as a quality seal for Applications which were developed specific for BB10 using the native Tools (Qt SDK, Webworks, Adobe...) and have a native BB10 look and feel.

Also all aviliable marketing material, documents, lists with criterias and FAQ's are drawing the same picture with the checklist you have to stick to. Even the first rejection mail continued with this attitude, I got a link to the checklist without explanation which points in this list I haven't met.

After reading the Mail with the detailed clarification from Jason and checking all the stuff and Apps of dev friends at twitter the Picture is clear: This is not to show customers which Apps were especially created for BB10 (and not using a simple porting tool) and meet the Design Guidelines!  

This is only a program to fool and attract developers before the launch to develop eagerly for BB10 and RIM will pick now the very biggest raisins they like the most out to have something to show off. Apps which obtain the 10k target easily.

---

jtegen wrote:

Neat app.

---

Thanks. At least I'm proud of this hobby project. I got a Qt Ambassador because of this App and was rewarded by Nokia to port it from the Nokia N900 to the N9 and their Symbian Series. I got also a Nokia N950 pre production device because of this and they paid also a great UX Consultation Report from which now only RIM had a benefit since Nokia ditched Qt short after and I refused to went Windows Phone despite a good offer. (I got the offer mostly because of DreamRemote, which will soon also get rejected from the B4BB program I'm afraid of)

Very disappointing that I have to realize now this way how it really works behind the curtains. I'm only a small private person and former maemo/MeeGo community enthusiast. I'm not working at Rovio or for facebook.

I felt very welcome at the Jam in Berlin and had, despite overworked developer advocates mostly someone who were able to help (except for the QClipboard library), everyone were very committed to BB10 and I had a great mail conversation about the USB Port Hardware Design and got the feeling I were able to really help the RIM staff. But this is a huge drawback! 

If I had realized before what the B4BB program is really about I had never spent my whole christmas vacation for RIM. If I'm tomorrow in the same mood as this whole day I will cancel my flight to Amsterdam. Good I still haven't booked a Hotel! I had already a discussion with my mate why I would spent 4 days vacation for this event. I hope a weekend in a spa instead of the Amsterdam JAM could reassure a little bit the time I spent during my christmas vacation with RIM instead of spending it with my family.