[wallflower]

If you compare iVideoCamera with Qik Video (both apps now allow non 3GS users to shoot 10fps video), I think iVideoCamera rose to the very top because it looked like a native app and functioned like a native app.

An amount of luck was involved as well (I imagine there is some kind of exponential time decay function for app store new listings - e.g. if sales are minimal, you drop)

Most users don't care how the app was written - they just want something to entertain. Qik missed an opportunity - they did not focus on making the videos easy to share. Bear in mind that the 3GS can shoot video practically forever (battery life is biggest factor) instead of the 30s or less limitation of these non-3GS apps. However, the ability to shoot video from a previously non-video phone is huge. Yes, jailbroken phones could do it but not until Apple opened the API to grab camera frames directly was the App Store opportunity for non-3GS video available (the timing, the luck).