App Wrote in 6 Hours

Today I published iPeck, the multiplayer app that makes people peck seeds with their nose. I wrote the app in 6 hours so I feel very accomplished. Technically 5 hours if you don't count the hassle I had with Apple App Store. Here's how it all went down.

I wanted to create an app where you use physical interaction with the iPad screen. I wondered if I could hit the screen with my chin or nose. Hazzah, it worked! I had the best success with my nose. Now I needed an idea.

The most obvious thing that comes to mind when "pecking" with your nose is a Bird. Epiphany! Ill have users be a bird and peck at seeds.

Idea is now primed and ready to roll. I create a new project and the skeleton framework of how the app navigation works. I create all the views. I then go straight to Photoshop and create backgrounds for all views. I also find some free images of seeds and a bird. Crap! Cant find single seeds so I spend a lot of time cropping single seeds from a picture of a pile of seeds. At 2 hours right about now.

Now I need an actual game to be played. I search my old code base from Gamenight and find my “Whack-A-Critter” mini-game. I copy and past all that code into my new project but replace the moles with seeds.

After four hours, the app is done. I take it to work and have my coworkers play with it. It’s absolutely hilarious watching two people trying to peck an iPad with their nose at the same time. Everyone has a good laugh but I come to conclusion I can’t make money off this funny little app. I shelve it for 3 years.

Since PhotoWhim is done and I can make money off it, I redeploy all my apps to the app store to advertise for Photowhim (UIWebviews point to a add on my server). I figure I need more apps so I dust off iPeck. I put it into the new standards Apple needs since its been shelved since 2010.  I put in a button and some UI updates and 2 hours later, BAM, It’s in the app store waiting for review.

The bulk of the development of iPeck was messing around with Apple and Photoshopping pictures. I guess you could tac-on 8 hours if you count the code from the mini-game code I wrote but essentially, things worked out good in the end.