Is iPhone App Store a new dawn for developers?

Coinciding with the launch of the new 3G iPhone, Apple will at 5pm today open the doors to its brand new on-demand iPhone Apps Store – with gaming leading the charge and offering great opportunities for developers.

Apple claims that of the 500 applications expected to be available at launch, over a third will be games-related – and 90 per cent of the service’s offering will be priced at $9.99 or less.

Interestingly for developers, The New York Times reports that Apple does not see the Apps Store as a revenue making machine, but instead as a vehicle for driving iPhone sales – hence the firm’s decision to give developers a 70 per cent slice of the revenue, with the added benefit of having Apple handle the distribution and marketing.

There are concerns that some devs could end up at loggerheads with Apple when their applications clash with services offered by either Apple directly, or by mobile content providers offering the handset. However, with open development one of the key driving forces behind the App Store, Apple will want to do all it can to sustain productive working relationships.