Pile Up HD Provides Unintended Cautionary Tale
Pile Up HD ($0.99) by Ravi Industries is perhaps the most difficult app I've ever looked at. And it's not even due to the game itself being hard to play. In fact, I never even got to the game.
It seems the review process for this app was doomed from the start. My editor sent me an iTunes gift card to download the app, but I never saw it. The email notifying me ended up in my spam folder. Nearly every day I get a gift card for downloading apps, so why would this one be different? Perhaps it was foreshadowing that this app was to be avoided.
There's a much longer story behind even downloading it, but this isn't the forum for it. So what about the actual app?
Upon first opening it, I was greeted by a window asking me to sign in to iGamesView (iGV). I could either sign in, create a new account, or just connect with my Facebook account. What? No Game Center? I didn't care for uploading my scores to the iGV leaderboards, so I closed the window.
Then an ad for another game appeared on the screen. So, for starters, this is a paid app at $0.99. What's up with that? Even worse, the ad appeared off centered. If there was an "x" button in the top right corner, I couldn't see it.
Force closing the app? The process only repeats. Actually signing in to iGV with my Facebook account? Ended up with the obnoxious ad. Caving in and trying to create a new iGV account? Obnoxious ad.
So I have nothing to relate about the gameplay of this app because I never even made it past the main menu. I can only hope the developer provides an update posthaste. I only went through the trouble of trying to make it work because of my obligation to review it. If I was just a customer I'd have given up much quicker.
More power to you if you've actually made it past the main menu. However, be warned that it will cost you a buck to make that gamble.
