Like money? RIM is practically throwing it at you!

RIM is doing a smart thing and populating their Blackberry 10 App store with bazillions of apps before it's even released!

How you ask? Port-a-thons! They pay you $100 for every app you submit to the store during the 36 hour window plus extra bonuses (like free devices) depending how many apps you submit.

What makes it a port-a-thon? They support really easy porting of HTML5, Adobe Air and Android apps (as well as native C/C++ and Java). That means your Construct 2 apps may take as little as 5 minutes to port ($100 for 5 minutes isn't too shabby).

The tools are surprisingly good and the RIM people have been really helpful when I did the event yesterday. Unlike iOS, the process for dealing with keys and all that is pretty smooth, its free (no $100 fee) and everything is multi-platform!

I did run into a few quirks here and there trying to figure out the process from just navigating the blackberry website on my own so in the interest of being a good citizen I put together a guide on the entire process from setup to publication and more specifically for Construct 2 users (it's all I use anyways).

Guide: https://rizzoma.com/topic/133aad09189d1f57f31bc4098b2e4aa4/

I setup the wave to be publicly accessible via the link and allow comments but not editing so feel free to comment away and I'll update things as needed!

Here's the signup sheet for the event so start here:

http://www.blackberrydeveloperevents.com/events/webcast/registration/register.html?scoid=1082039415

BlackBerry 10 36 hour Last Chance Port-A-Thon

Start:      Friday January 18, 2013 12:00:00 PM EST

End:      Saturday January 19, 2013 11:59:00 PM EST

Unfortunately it starts early on a workday for most but there's nothing stopping you from prepping all of your entries well in advance and submitting them during the window (36 hours is plenty of time to just submit things)!

I didn't follow the recommendation to do things (such as setup the tools in advance) and definitely regretted it!

There's definitely some neat things about the platform such as great social features (BBM not only supports cool social graph stuff between Blackberry users, but even allows you to use its network messaging for creating multiplayer games), WebGL support (not sure how well this works yet though, Ashley may have to answer that).

I don't have any affiliation with RIM or get any kind of kickback or something, I just want to see lots of Construct 2 games on mobile and hopefully this will motivate you all!

If you need help, WaterlooErik on here is from RIM and was pretty helpful during the last port-a-thon!

Ashely, any chance you could get an updated PhoneGap (phonegap build doesn't work for bb10 and the current phonegap export doesn't call Cordova, just older phonegap) or BB10 beta export (just add a webworks js call and a basic config.xml to the export!) going before Friday? ;)

I've done this event for 3 times, next friday will be last :)

with three games and Construct 2 license pays for itself.

I can make some simple games in no-time, but how severe is the quality check? Should the game be just playable, or are they also looking if the gameplay is fun enough?

Thanks for sharing this by the way!

Edit: Also, is it okay to make the game 1280*1024 only? Or do I HAVE to support 720*720 as well?

I am not sure wether this is good or bad. Giving all rights on your work to blackberry and their other companies for 100$ seems stupid.

I am not sure wether this is good or bad. Giving all rights on your work to blackberry and their other companies for 100$ seems stupid.

Not giving rights on our works to blackberry.

RIM just wants have "quantity" of apps on App World that the BB users would download more apps.

RIM wouldn't allow the failure of Playbook due to lack of apps.

So what does this mean then?

y providing Information or otherwise participating in the Program, whether you are acting as Owner or Representative, you hereby license to RIM, its affiliated companies and necessary sublicensees, without limitation, the worldwide, royalty-free rights to make, use, sell, import, export, copy, distribute, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, reproduce, edit, translate and reformat the Information or any product or service embodying the Information, without any further consideration to you, whether or not the Information is incorporated into RIM products and services.

It means you don't rip off other stuffs.

Not really. Any other opinions on this? I think this means, that they can use your game like they want (edit, sell, translate it etc.) without talking to you. So you basically lose all your rights.

Whatever you say, you basically lose all your rights if you want publish on app store and google play.

There a list of my apps on app world to manage, i have a right to remove them from app world.

Yeah Astrosus, that sounds like they can do what they want with your app. "Without consideration to you" just sounds damn rude. They may as well have said "f*ck you, we can do what we like with your creation".

I know people here may think "so what.. it's $100 I wouldn't get any other way with my app" but look at what happened to Anthony Flack (creator of Platypus).

joystiq.com/2006/12/07/platypus-game-creator-exploited-ignored

forums.indiegamer.com/showthread.php

Whatever you say, you basically lose all your rights if you want publish on app store and google play.

There a list of my apps on app world to manage, i have a right to remove them from app world.

How do you lose your rights through those? Apple can't take, for example, Angry Birds and do what they want with it. Maybe for advertising purposes, but nothing else.

Well, better ask WaterlooErik he is Blackberry staff, he could help to resolve your questions.

To Erik:

They may as well have said "f*ck you, we can do what we like with your creation" is that true?

That's what it comes across as in that snippet Astrosus posted. If they don't mean that, then probably beter wording is needed ;)

I sincerely hope that snippet isn't what it looks like. If it is then I'm not sure i'd advocate this event. I contacted WaterlooErik by e-mail and asked him to stop by here and clarify. He's pretty under the weather at the moment so it may take a few. In the meantime I still recommend installing and familiarizing yourself with the tools so you are ahead of the game if everything is fine.

Thijsku as to your questions about what kind of quality control and such there is and what resolutions, etc. All that stuff is addressed in the guide I provided in the publishing sections. Rather than force you to download the PDF I put all the guidelines directly in there but the PDF is linked as well.

Hope you all are finding the guide useful. I definitely need to figure out the PhoneGap stuff still for those wanting to use that. I sure would love guides like this for other platforms, hint hint ;)