Not many developers can claim they've created close to 50,000 apps. But after a recent scandal involving troubled smartphone provider BlackBerry, many of them probably wouldn't want to.
According to a recent report in BerryReview, more than 47,000 apps, or about 40 percent of the entire BlackBerry App World store, were created by a single firm known as S4BB. This, despite the fact that BlackBerry boasted of bringing on many new developers as part of the recent launch of its flagship mobile OS, BB10.
Developers across social media were both stunned and dismayed to see the truth behind the statistics.
BlackBerry World now has 120k apps, 47k from a single dev. Ouch. http://t.co/gFrUjHXxzH
— Nate Bird (@etandrib) August 22, 2013
This is just sad - http://t.co/7XRw0okaWi Oh how the mighty have fallen.
— Brandon McMullen (@ibmacin) August 22, 2013
WTF!!! // 120,000 Apps in BlackBerry World (Spoiler: 47,000 Made by One Developer) http://t.co/VexwP69A5e
— Francisco Limongi (@pancholimongi) August 22, 2013
Wasn't me! #BlackBerry's #App #Store Flooded With 47,000 Terrible #Apps By One #Developer – ReadWrite http://t.co/J8mcCxvAzM
— Chris Toohey (@christoohey) August 22, 2013
Crazy! One developer responsible for 47,000 apps in the BlackBerry app store -- http://t.co/B7OAaa177u //via @fuzzeemic
— Andrey Butov (@andrey_butov) August 22, 2013
While there's something to be said about S4BB's productivity, some developers questioned how valuable the bulk of its BB10 apps could be.
All of them quality no doubt. Almost 50,000 BlackBerry Apps Come From One Developer http://t.co/YxIQgUYW9R
— kerry morrison (@kmore) August 21, 2013
When those ppl decide to open a app store themselves, this is the result of that mistake: http://t.co/wZwBWnHMbW
— Daniel Duan (@denialduan) August 22, 2013
More than anything, developers saw the news as yet another sign that BlackBerry, which is exploring options to be acquired or to become a private company, is facing an irreversible fall.
BlackBerry days are over. One developer owns 47k apps, their app world is doomed. http://t.co/IDyLn1nnEh seriously ?
— rajeshsegu (@rajeshsegu) August 22, 2013