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are your games selling?

Discussion in 'iOS and tvOS' started by jason7, Mar 31, 2009.

  1. jason7

    jason7

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    I am curious.
     
  2. wh00kah

    wh00kah

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    I've seen some folks here talk a bit about their sales successes in a few threads. I know the folks at ezone.com frequent the forums here and have been open about their sales figures in the beginning, which has been really helpful for the rest of us!

    That said, there are a few apps currently in the top 100 total paid apps list that are based on Unity3D iPhone.

    Zombieville USA
    Monster Trucks Nitro
    Crazy Snowboard
    Rasta Monkey

    If that's not a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is :D
     
  3. frigginjoe

    frigginjoe

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    Zombieville has thus far generated nearly 88 million in sales.
     
  4. scinfu

    scinfu

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    Are you Sure ? :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
     
  5. MikaMobile

    MikaMobile

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    LOL :D

    I wish! Its been doing very well though, still clinging onto the top 3.
     
  6. junkotron

    junkotron

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    LOL 88 million?! that's per day right? that's what i heard...
     
  7. kenlem

    kenlem

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    PirateNinjaAlliance - Everytime I open the app store, I'm thrilled to see Zombieville in the top slots. Nice work.
     
  8. Vern_Shurtz

    Vern_Shurtz

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    My wife is hooked on Zombieville. I know what it's like trying to sleep with shotguns going off and Zombie heads exploding right next to me... :p
     
  9. VIC20

    VIC20

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    I'm hooked on sheepstacker :D
     
  10. ezone

    ezone

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    88 million -- I think that's at least 2 copies for every iphone/ipod touch in existence! :)

    Crazy Snowboard at #30 is selling approx 1500 units per day on weekdays, and around 25% more on weekends. I think what's worked for us is: changing price to 0.99 and making a lite version.

    My guess is the top slots are doing 10,000 units a day...
     
  11. thecreatrix

    thecreatrix

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    Wait. So, like, $1,500 per day?! :eek:

    I might have to look into this iPhone thing. :)
     
  12. ej2009

    ej2009

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    Wow, that is awesome! Congratulations mate! :)
     
  13. jerrodputman

    jerrodputman

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    Yay! :D

    I wish more people were... :(
     
  14. VIC20

    VIC20

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    no good sales? i've tested several apps and the only one i really play is sheepstacker. no idea why but i'm trying hard to get higher into the sky - these helicopters etc are really annoying - i always run into the concentration failure trap when they appear in the scene :)
     
  15. jerrodputman

    jerrodputman

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    Aha, so the helicopters DO work! ;)

    But yeah, not the best sales. We've gotten good reviews, and we're doing marginally better now that we've released a lite version. Still, not doing so well. We weren't able to get coverage from Touch Arcade, so we're thinking that's part of it.

    Of course, it could also be the theme. Maybe people don't like stacking sheep!
     
  16. Vern_Shurtz

    Vern_Shurtz

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    Ok it's war now!!!!!!

    Zombieville vs Sheepstacker.

    May the best Unity game win the bedroom wars...

    Sheepstacker purchased and downloading :)
     
  17. ezone

    ezone

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    Maybe if you swapped the sheep for Zombie heads that you stacked onto a big spike with lots of blood ;) JK - but it does seem that the iPhone demographic is male 15-30 that want titles like Zombieville, Touchgrind, Wolfenstein, Metal Gear Solid, Nitro Trucks, etc.

    However, I totally understand your frustration - you have a great game, and I bet if you got a feature in the app store it would go top 10.
     
  18. MikaMobile

    MikaMobile

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    Haha, I admit that Zombieville definitely relies on goofy, over-the-top violence as part of its appeal. I doubt it would have been as successful if their heads exploded into rainbows and candy canes.

    A lot of people have asked about sales figures - we had about 150,000 downloads in March (most of which at the current price of $2). Last week was particularly crazy, averaging 7000 downloads a day - I think GDC, our lite version, and a review on destructoid.com were the source.
     
  19. thecreatrix

    thecreatrix

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    What is a "lite" version? Like a free demo?
     
  20. MikaMobile

    MikaMobile

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    Yeah, exactly.
     
  21. Muckel

    Muckel

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    Hey,
    just a Question..
    Why did u change the Name to Zombiville USA ?
    and why did u change your Company location ??
    has it to do with tax ?
    Is it better or to get more money to have a Address in the USA ?
    I thought you are French People... maybe i'm wrong...
    could you explain ????
    thxxx
    Kerstin :oops:
     
  22. MikaMobile

    MikaMobile

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    ??

    I'm not French... the title "Zombieville USA" is just meant to sound silly. I'm actually located in the US (Seattle actually). My location listed here on the unity forums is just a joke of course, and I'm pretty sure if I put my address as "Zombieville USA" on my tax return, I'd be in deep trouble. :)
     
  23. Eric5h5

    Eric5h5

    Volunteer Moderator Moderator

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    Oh? Damn...be right back.... ::runs off to see if the outgoing mail containing my tax return has been collected yet::

    --Eric
     
  24. UVRadiation

    UVRadiation

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    Rasta Monkey mon just hit number 65 on the top 100 list! 8)
    We started off selling the game for $2 and we did a lot of PR work, that put our game into about number 80 in the top 100 games list . then we did a price drop (2 days ago ) from $2 to $1 which made a huge impact on sales - they where doubled the day of the price drop , which got us into the top 100 apps into number 98.
    that and being in the "what's hot" section got us today to number 65.
    We also submitted a lite version to the app store we'll see what the impact on sales will be once it's approved.
     
  25. BigRedSwitch

    BigRedSwitch

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    How did you PR the game?
     
  26. Vern_Shurtz

    Vern_Shurtz

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    One thing you can do is register at the toucharcade forums.

    http://forums.toucharcade.com/

    They have a section for upcoming games where you can introduce your game and start getting interest going. Then contact toucharcade and see if they are willing to do a preview of the game. Once released then you post again in the games forum and contact toucharcade again. Might even give them a few keys for free trial.

    Has anyone tried this approach and are there any other similar sites to toucharcade?
     
  27. ChromeFly

    ChromeFly

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    LOL! Yeah, I've found you have to come up with something a little more believable than that... That's why every year I put "Boston, June 1861." :)
     
  28. codepunk

    codepunk

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    Seattle huh. Maybe we're neighbors. I live across the lake in Sammamish (actually across 2 lakes)
     
  29. UVRadiation

    UVRadiation

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    @S7ARBVCK

    That was the first thing we did PR wise, we uploaded a gameplay video (pre launch) to YouTube just to show around. Someone at the touch arcade forums saw it and they started to discuss it there , later that day we were featured at touch arcade. after that we started to communicate a lot with the community there, they are hardcore iphone/ipod gamers and they gave us lots of valuable input and helped us build some hype.
    Some of the people there has been an amazing help !

    We also made some promo code giveaways on their forums - but watch it, we are out of Promo codes and we really need them - so don't be too generous.

    My advice to anyone making an iPhone game is to show it around their forums from an early stage and listen to what the actual customers has to say - It was really surprising, how some of the things that we thought are insignificant was important to them and the other way around.

    Some other stuff we did PR wise, is to make a Press Kit and send it to loads of IpodTouch/Iphone games blogs and reviewers and supplied them with promo codes. check out nitako.com press tab for the kit.

    Since we had almost no knowledge in marketing and PR we read - PR for Dummies and tried to apply what we read.
     
  30. MikaMobile

    MikaMobile

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    Touch arcade is a pretty good place to get some early buzz from the enthusiast crowd. I posted a trailer on their forums about a week before Zombieville released, and many people picked it up day 1 based on that and left some good feedback, which helped inform my first update.

    That said, you could fit the entire "iphone hardcore gaming scene" in a thimble. There are very few app-related websites that get any traffic, and the overwhelming majority of sales on the app store are based on visibility in the store (the "hot" lists, top 10, top 25, etc.) I get requests for promo codes from people with blogs, youtube channels etc. pretty much on a daily basis, who's readership has probably already heard of or bought my game anyway... and probably reads toucharcade too. :p So there's not a lot of value in handing out promo codes to everyone who asks.
     
  31. Vern_Shurtz

    Vern_Shurtz

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  32. Randy-Edmonds

    Randy-Edmonds

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    I have 7 apps on the App Store. The first was published in late Nov of '08. The last two just a couple weeks ago. So far, my total worldwide sales for all of the apps is just a little over $1000. I guess my games suck or something. Its very disheartening.


    :(
     
  33. VIC20

    VIC20

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    Maybe it's just your presentation of your games? Wrong name and maybe wrong screenshots? I think a good name name and also a good icon is very important because it's the first people will see on the app store.
     
  34. BigRedSwitch

    BigRedSwitch

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    Are they games, or other apps? Post some links and let us have a look! :)
     
  35. Randy-Edmonds

    Randy-Edmonds

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    A little bit of everything. Search iTunes for 'randy edmonds'.
    Zen of Snow (the free version) has well over 100k downloads... but that doesn't pay the bills :)
     
  36. BigRedSwitch

    BigRedSwitch

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    Hey, Randy.

    I think the problem is your subject matter, I'm afraid. I don't want to sound like I'm belittling your work, as you've obviously put a lot into it, but you've got to remember that you need to inspire a buyer to part with his cash before he will do so.

    Have you perhaps considered the idea of teaming up with a graphic artist to get your presentation looking a bit more professional? At the moment, all the apps look a little "Homebrew", if I'm honest. Homebrew can be cool if it's a style you're going for (it comes across a bit in Zombieville USA, but works more as a stylistic statement than a flaw - primaryily because it's still nice-looking and very consistent), but in the case of your apps, it kinda shows off a guy who is decent at the programming side of the app production, but perhaps not as strong with the pixel art. :)

    Also, there is a strong feeling of "religious" or "spiritual" overtones in your work. I've always found that anything with that kind of feel to it has a very limited market. Remember, most people who own iPhones and iPod Touches are brought up on a diet of Die Hard and Football. Spirituality generally appeals more to the middle 40's female market, and although that *is* a market, I think looking for the cross section of that market with the market for iPhones might be a bit of a tough call...

    Just my opinion, of course, but I'd be really saddened if you decided to stop trying because you're not getting the sales. I've worked for some of the biggest game developers in the world (I was the Producer on Crysis from EA), so I do kinda have experience in this field. Passion is what should keep you going, but I think that if you gave your apps a graphical overhaul, you'd certainly see better results.

    I haven't played them, of course, but that's my opinion based on what I can see on iTunes. :)

    Hope that helps! Never give up! :)
     
  37. Randy-Edmonds

    Randy-Edmonds

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  38. col000r

    col000r

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    then I'll do the honors and commit a half-assed attempt to get the topic back on track: ;]

    Age of Curling is doing okay. No frontpage-coverage, no top-50 lists, no big numbers, but enough to pay the rent while I work on a second game with a larger target audience. :]
     
  39. wh00kah

    wh00kah

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    I was hoping we'd see examples like col000r. His app (which is STUNNING on my iPod Touch, btw) is paying the bills, but isn't on the top 100 paid apps list. So, there is a chance, if you price things correctly for the volume and frequency of downloads and market it the right way, to find a steady flow of customers for even "climate-dependent" sports games like curling :)

    In other words, indie or lone app developers can make a living from an app (or a collection of apps) even if it doesn't hit the big time like Crazy Snowboard or Rasta Monkey.
     
  40. ej2009

    ej2009

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    my first goal is to make money enough to cover for all the expenses I made and will make in then near future like Unity, Cheetah etc.

    If I can get money on top of that it's a bonus!

    I have day time job which pays good money, but this is more like a hobby. Don't have any games on app store yet, but hope to get there one day. :D
     
  41. lima3b

    lima3b

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  42. VIC20

    VIC20

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    You should add more screenshots. I would add the one with the hand that shows how to play the game.

    It's a very popular game in germany so maybe add the words "Kicker" and "Tischfussball" so that german customers can find it too. 99% of the germans would never search for "Foosball" when they search a kicker game.

    And I would add more typical sounds by the way...

    Critics: on my 1st generation ipod touch it looks like the animations could need some more steps - is that made with 2D?
     
  43. thecreatrix

    thecreatrix

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    If you are wowed (like me) by some of the amazing sales numbers cited in this thread, I think it's relevant to point out a different sales experience.

    http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/2009/03/09/the-numbers-post-aka-brutal-honesty/

    I don't want to discourage anyone, of course, but I found that reading this balanced my view of the "gold rush" in the iPhone market after hearing nothing but "slam dunk" success stories. Just keep a steady head when considering the return on investment for a typical iPhone game.

    I also don't mean to diminish the achievements of those hard working folks who made hit games. Huge congrats! You are an inspiration and deserve every bit of your success.
     
  44. n0mad

    n0mad

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    You didn't quote two key points :

    - he put this Column-like game at 5 $. As it really looks entertaining, it's only a very casual game. Not the one you spend hours and hours into. 5 $ for that is too much, especially when it sits next to other deep games like Payback, with the same price.
    - he didn't make any Lite version. People won't spend (including myself) 5 $ for "another tetris thing". Because that's what it looks like when you only got screenshots. Only a demo could prove that this game worth the buy. That's what Lite versions are made for.

    ;)
     
  45. thecreatrix

    thecreatrix

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    Both good points, n0mad. You'll see that he's got the game on sale now for $2.99 and he has a lite version waiting for approval. So, I guess this makes it more interesting since maybe we can see how those actions change his sales.

    So, thank you for highlighting those points, as those are probably common mistakes. It's good to bring them to everyone's attention.

    However, my real purpose was just to remember that it's never easy to entice people to part with their money. In other words, do your best work (put in all the effort it requires) and don't be under a false expectation that release on iPhone = easy riches. I'm saying this more to myself than anyone else, but maybe it's worth saying here, too. :)
     
  46. MikaMobile

    MikaMobile

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    This is an interesting read on the subject as well...

    http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/SimonCarless/20090323/974/GDC_Indie_Game_Sales_101__The_Slides.php

    Check out these slides from GDC - they give a lot of data on indy game sales through the big portals that are out there right now (wiiware, xbox live arcade, PSN and iPhone) with a breakdown of what percentage of titles tend to be successful.

    Not surprisingly, the iPhone is the most polarized, divided between big successes and massive failures, with little middle ground. Only 3% of the market ever breaks 10,000 sales according to this guy's data.

    I agree that a word of caution is in order to any and all would-be developers. Unless you're confident that you can do better than 97% of what's out there, don't quit the day job. The market is still very young and unstable.
     
  47. lima3b

    lima3b

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    @vic20 - No, its fully 3D. Developed with Unity. It maybe be some physics settings issue, i guess.
     
  48. MikaMobile

    MikaMobile

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    Oh, and one quick comment about Dapple's lack of success - cloning bejeweled letter for letter was not a wise business decision. To generate interest in your product you need some kind of compelling hook, and all it takes is one look at a screenshot of dapple to think "oh, its another bejeweled knockoff" and instantly dismiss it. And for $5? Whaaaat? The REAL bejeweled was $3 in mid feb when his game shipped. That might have been able to fly when the app store launched, but the landscape has rapidly changed (and will only get more competitive).

    I have no idea how it could take 6 months and over 30 grand to make that game. It has the look of something that could be made in a weekend.
     
  49. lima3b

    lima3b

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    No, its fully 3D. Developed with unity. I believe its some kind of physics settings issue.
     
  50. frigginjoe

    frigginjoe

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    I'm getting it now, but if there's no trial then I don't even think the quality of your game means anything. It looks good enough that anybody interested should get it, but you may need something more descripive as to how it's played, and Pro License or otherwise plug in the term Unity3d in there, as I'd say mentioning a 3d engine carries some weight. And it's in good company too. I think lots of people think a Unity mention is tacky or less than profession, but I disagree.

    edit: Not related to sales, but a potential matter for the future -
    On my 1g iPod Touch, I would consider the game unplayable. Again if you've just got a purchase available, that means nothing, but you may run into a couple ugly reviews if people are using the older iPod Touch, so I would look into streamlining the app. Provided options to turn off music and use lower-geometry models.

    I also have the fastest device, the second iPod touch, and that's closer to smooth, but as a reference point anything less than truly smooth, and it's going to be rough on the older iPod Touch. The iPhone falls in the middle.

    Again that's looking down the road, and doesn't really pertain to the sales right now. I think a trial and maybe ending word out the the mobile gaming site will help. I'm definitely interested in he progress, sorry you had to be the bad case scenario, but it's helpful for you and the rest of us.