Yeah, but some people are not getting it. It makes sense. Like you said, it is just like Apple to not let us choose to retain app-specific data upon removing an app. Also, if you did delete the app, there should be an assumption that the app data should get deleted as well, but an option to keep it or be asked if you want to keep it would be nice.
They don't deserve app storage! Yes. Many of us have hoped (in vain ) for local persistent storage for years, and when iCloud hit the stage, I was silly enough to assume it would bring permanent app data storage. Since Apple don't have a history of reacting to user pressure, I suppose the last hope is that it simply has not been implemented yet.
Any good developer does that anyway. If they don't, they are simply bad programmers I am afraid to say. With any document-based program (in this case the document being the save game), it is important to version them so you know what to do when encountering an older file format.
That may still be part of the reason, the App Store is designed to be open to any budding devloper that wants a shot at creating an app. We've got devs with a wide spectrum of skills and experience here and Apple has to cater for as many as possible. That said, the solution is as simple as requiring apps to have their own "save to iCloud" button. Making it automatic would screw over devs who don't know how to program in such a way but making it optional leaves room for improvement and opens it to players requests.
Even for a complicated game, a save game will never be more than a few megabytes. For example, a save game for Fallout 3 is 2-3MB. And that might be one of the most complicated games ever made . I'd like to point out that you guys are acting like these things can't be implemented by Apple. The tech is there now, it just takes someone to put it in. And also, someone said iCloud is just a delivery mechanism. This is not true. In the Pages example during the WWDC keynote, iCloud pushed the Pages documents to another iPad. iCloud wasn't sitting around waiting for Pages to open on the 2nd iPad, and then decided to delete this document after the transfer occurs. How would it know that there isn't another device that needs the document? It doesn't - the data remains. Now, there might be some mechanism that they have which can tell when no other device has an app installed - who knows. My point is, that Pages document remained on iCloud before and after it was pushed to the 2nd iPad. That's the whole point.
^Most everyone here knows it can be implemented, we are wondering why it hasn't been implemented. Part of the reason this has been a request for so long is because of how easy it would be for apple to implement it, and how it would prevent many headaches for devs and customers alike.
edit: redacted comment. See post below. I think this feature is already available, but is not automatic for all apps. It takes effort on the developer's part because logically, the developer should choose what needs to be sent to iCloud. Remember, Jobs specifically said that iWork has iCloud support "already in the app" - meaning they added specific support for it, to send Pages documents to iCloud. Not automatic.
Ayjona, were you testing the "iCloud Backup" option, or were you actually testing the "iCloud Storage API"? This thread has made me curious, and looking through the new documentation, these are definitely two separate things. The "iCloud Backup" works exactly like backing up your device to iTunes. If you delete an App and then sync, that app's data is not kept in the backup in iTunes. However there is a good chance when developers actually take advantage of the iCloud APIs that these are *not* deleted when the App is deleted, which makes this entire thread moot. But that's why I am asking what iCloud service you actually tested out, Ayjona. edit: upon re-reading your first post, it really sounds like all you tested was the iCloud backup feature. Everyone really needs to understand that the iCloud Backup is not the same thing as what was demoed on stage with transferring a Pages document between devices.
It would be a pretty big thing if it was implemented, and it sounds like the type of thing apple would announce. Also, apple seems to not want devs to store information in icloud when their apps are deleted. I know that it may happen, but it is hardly silly to wonder considering it has not yet. Companies would not exactly know what their consumers they wanted if all consumers assumed it would come eventually and did not bother asking why its not there now. There is nothing wrong with a thread in an ios game's forum discussing why another ios has come without a much needed and requested feature... please do tell why it seems so silly to you. And when you say other mobile platformers, your pretty much saying android right now, which is quite obviously known for its fragmentation and lack of organized features. We could just as well ask why they have not implemented something like gamecenter? Thats just not what they are focusing on right now. And wifi synching was already introduced as a feature, so of course they will do it.
Wow, you really need to stop adding implied personal attacks in your posts. I apologize if the OP tested the wrong things and the it really is possible for devs to keep data when an app is deleted. This was never specified by apple, and its only natural to wonder about. If you find this essentially light wondering and discussions so pointless, why bother attempting to derail the thread by attacking it. Do you have more knowledge then just an interested consumer on this topic? Great. Then know that I am just an interested consumer, and enlighten me where I am wrong (which you did), and try to be a bit more civil about. I don't mind saying my logic was flawed, but it gets just as tiring to hear you explain it in a condescending way than it is for you to say it. So thanks for the info, and I am overall happy I got one good things out of the conversation that stored game saves are likely if not already there.
From my past experience with GameCenter, you can delete a game on, say, your iPhone and still retain the score and accomplishments on your iPad, could that be enough to say that the iCloud won't be deleting app datas when another iDevice still has the same app and still connected to App Store / GameCenter?
Hey I did it! Thank you for letting me know about Backup Extractor. I was able to save all my savegames and then reclaim almost 11 Gb of space Many thanks.
Maybe I can help, they're not app, they are Windows/Mac programs. This is what I did: Backup my iPhone. Copied my backup somewhere (just in case, you never know) Launched Backup Extractor and let it point to my copied backup. Then you have a cool 'Expert setting' that let you browse all the backup data, in particular you can copy it (the free version only 2 files at time, and yes...it's a LONG work)...you simply select the app/game and it exports all the data (savegames, settings...) in a directory of choice. For keeping your savegames you're done. If you want to REINSTALL a game keeping your savegames, you reinstall the app from the iPhone and launch it one time. Then you load iPhone Explorer (another free program) while your iPhone is plugged in with the USB cable...then it lets you explore every app and copy the previously saved data. iPhone Explorer keeps disconnecting on me after a while, but for copying one savegame after you find the right directory is fine. Done! If you google the program names, they're the very first links.
Your welcome although it was another member that told me about it. Apparently there is still hope for cloud based storage after all, so maybe we can delete that software soon .
Thanks injuwarrior and Pitta, and anyone else I forgot. Found the program and going to try it out. You guys are lifesavers!
Deleting and not losing info is possible I don't think there is a solid yes or no to this. I think it really just depends on what developers do. There are a lot of things apple gives us to use. For example in Paper Monsters, you will be able to play on as many devices and delete your game as often as you want and come back to where you left off just via Game Center. If we can do this with Game Center iCloud will only make things better.
