If you don’t know me yet, I’m William, and I run this website as a solo operation.
Some people I’ve talked to seem surprised I’m running games from a website. After the initial shock, I’m usually asked if I know what year it is.
Technically, the game part of the website is an app, albeit a web app. There are some simple reasons why I do it this way, which benefit both me, you, and the other players.
Control of Content
When you submit an app to either Apple or Google, you must get approval to launch the app. This can be a cumbersome process, and there is no guarantee that it will be approved after months or years of work.
If someone at either company doesn’t like the content I’m providing, the app can be pulled. While I don’t think anything is objectionable here, why take the chance?
I like the freedom of being answerable only to the players of this site.
Updates
If the program has a bug, I can fix it and update the site immediately. I must submit an update with a downloadable app and wait for approval.
The same goes for new features. If a player suggests a new game or I get inspired in the middle of the night, I can give the new game to the community right away.
If I want to do a special event, such as Halloween, there is no guarantee that either store will approve the changes in time.
Flexibility
I’m a one-man operation, and flexibility and time-saving are vital.
Releasing both an iOS and Android app would mean a lot more work. Sometimes, it takes two different code bases. With a web app, I can serve iOS, Android, and desktop users on any system.
Community
One of my previous jobs and favorites of all time was at GaiaOnline.com. The community provided suggestions, and while we couldn’t implement every idea, we implemented many of them. I don’t want Memory Wizards to be a faceless company. I want to build the best experience possible, and feedback is essential.
This is much easier, in my opinion, using a single focus point rather than several different apps.
I hope that you’ll enjoy the games on whatever platform you are using.
Thanks,
CodeMonkey – aka William