Use App Store Connect to Add a New App

To work with Game Center, you first need to set up an app in App Store Connect. Log in to your Apple Developer^[47] account, and you’ll see something like this:

On the left side of the screen (listed with the other Program Resources), click App Store Connect. Alternatively, you can log in to App Store Connect using its direct link.^[48] In either case, you’ll end up at the App Store Connect home page:

Before moving forward, you may first need to accept the agreements,^[49] specifically the Paid Applications agreement. You also may need to enter the tax and banking information for the account holder. Once you have signed the agreements, you can add users and assign roles.

Adding a Sandbox Tester Account

To test Game Center features, you need at least one user account and one sandbox tester account.^[50] With a single sandbox tester account, you can test your leaderboards and achievements. However, you’ll need at least two or more sandbox tester accounts to test multiplayer games. You’ll be adding multiplayer functionality in the next chapter, so be sure to set up at least two sandbox tester accounts.

Setting up users and sandbox tester accounts is not something this book covers; however, you can follow these steps as per Apple’s documentation to add tester accounts:

1. Sign in to App Store Connect.
2. On the home page, click Users and Access.
3. Under Sandbox, click Testers.
4. Click “+” to set up your tester accounts.
5. Complete the tester information form and click Invite.
6. Sign out of your Apple ID on all testing devices and sign back in with your new sandbox tester account.

For more information about adding and editing users, please refer to Apple’s online documentation.^[51]

Now that you have the user accounts set up, you’re ready to add a new app.

Adding a New App

From the App Store Connect home page, open the My Apps section. To add a new app, click the Add (+) button in the top-left corner and select New App, like so:

When the New App dialog appears, enter or select the following options:

• Platform: iOS
• Name: Hog Dice
• Primary Language: English
• Bundle ID: {your bundle id}
• SKU: HOGDICE
• User Access: Full Access

Be sure to replace {your bundle id} with your Bundle ID. You may also need to change the Name and SKU values if you get an error about them already being in use.

When you’re done, you’ll end up with something like this:

Click the Create button to create your new app. For more information about adding apps, please refer to Apple’s online documentation.^[52]

If everything works, you’ll see the App Information page, as shown in the image.

The next step is to add the Game Center features.

Adding Game Center Features

With the App Information page open, switch to the Features tab and you’ll see the Game Center setup page. This page is where you can set up the various Game Center features.

Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and you’ll see an area where you can add leaderboards:

Just below that, you’ll see another area where you can add achievements:

To make working through this chapter a little easier, you’ll add both the leaderboard and the achievement now so that you won’t have to return to the portal later.