Having played quite a few video games in my time, and playing even more games on my iPhone and iPad, I can tell you there is a difference. For most consoles and other products, there is a lot going for a game, even if it isn’t the best one on the shelf. They have exposure, they have boxes, they have kids walking by them every day staring at them. Eventually someone is bound to pick one up and try it. It is no surprise that there are lots of bad video games in the world. However, what is surprising, the astonishingly small amount of garbage in the App Store. With the Android market, there is constant filtering through useless applications that didn’t have anything to do with your search terms. This just does not happen with the Apple App Store.

What comes as the main shock is the fact that not only are the Apps in the App store good, but they are popular! There is no storefront. There is no shiny box. There aren’t even commercials for these applications. They stand on their merit alone for the most part. If they are a good application, then they get moved close to the top of the list. This really does take me by surprise. It would seem that with only online marketing and the chance that someone stumbles upon one of the applications by accident, would not be a sufficient way to market and sell any type of product.

What it really comes down to, as far as an app being a big hit, is the simplicity of the game. In my opinion, the simpler and more addictive the game is, the better it will do on the App Store. Having an App that goes viral is much more important than having a lot of level packs or something like that. One of the games that comes to mind is Monster Hunter. It consists of 4 different rotating levels, and two buttons. However it is incredibly fun and for whatever strange reason, I find myself keep picking it up. Game Center also adds another level of complexity and draw to the games. Not only are you trying to beat your own record, you are constantly taunted by your friends and enemies with their high scores. The entire set up is incredibly simple, yet it draws me in more than I would like to admit.

So what makes the games in iOS so much better? What is the WOW factor for you when you download a new game from the App Store? And most importantly, how did you find your favorite game?