Judging from the top 10 sales of some subpar apps in the iTunes App Store, it’s hard to argue with the logic of Adam Saltsman, creator of the successful iPhone word game Wurdle. In an interview with gaming site Kotaku, Saltsman stated that quality isn’t necessary for an app’s success.

I think quality is largely irrelevant. I think the defining thing is how quickly you can describe your product to someone else.

Saltsman uses the examples of apps Galcon and Mood Touch. Saltsman described Mood Touch as a “crappy mood ring for your iPhone.” Galcon, on the otherhand, is a sophisticated game that’s difficult to explain but of higher quality in its design. Mood Touch broke the App Store’s top 10 sales list while Galcon barely put a dent in the top 100.

This is the “five second rule” that’s common in any creative industry: if you can’t explain the idea in five seconds, you can’t sell it — especially when there are like 6,000 other games that a user could buy that they can understand from the description.

Is quality totally irrelevant? Probably not, but it’s definitely not required for a bestselling app. But it’s arguable that it is necessary for solid long-term sales, the kind of sales that will have you riding on your own boat.

Link: Kotaku “Quality Is Largely Irrelevant for iPhone Games.“