Saw the ads, but wasn't really sure what the game was about so even though I must have seen the ad ten or more times I had zero interest, occasionally of the app in the ad looks really cool I will click on it, but sometimes I barely even notice because I'm busy replying or viewing other posts.
No offense but the game does look pretty boring, like nothing to set it apart from the rest of the stuff on the App store. Everything that seems to sell well just has flashy graphics or a distinctive art style like Doodle Jump, NOVA or Angry Birds. I mean the name also doesn't really tell me anything about the product and looking at the Itunes page, even though it tells me what the game is about, I want to know what it is about by just looking at it for a second. I don't want to have to read lots of text and look through bland art. People are also attracted to something cute and well animated. http://zwerchserver.files.wordpress.com/2007/05/hase_rayman.jpg http://18.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_kvkedx4uCj1qzjlz4o1_500.png Get rid of that boring looking blonde guy and create a character more likable. I don't mean to offend, you obviously have skill and I don't because I can't even make a game. However the game doesn't have a gimmick, it doesn't have flashy graphics and doesn't have the name to sell. I wonder if naming name game i something it would sell like anything named Wii something or something 64 lol.
@egarayblas & EssentialParadox Thanks guys, hoping you're right, but not counting on it. @DPP13 Glad my failure provided a few laughs. Glad Fumbers has proven to be entertaining in some way. You do know, that's a self-portrait right? Now, I'm not likable?! No worries Scaramoosh and thanks for your feedback. I actually don't agree about the title though. It's about fun & numbers and the title is one of the parts of the puzzle I am convinced is right. Apparently most of the other pieces must have been wrong though. It doesn't really matter anymore anyway at this stage. As a finished product I'm quite satisfied with how Fumbers turned out. It seems obviously however that my vision for the game was one no-one was particularly interested in. I believe my biggest mistake might have been creating for a demographic that's not really there. Also: It is a memory-style game and as such it is not the easiest of genres to make exciting. About suggestions of changing the graphics etc: I agree that this could have made a difference, as it it could hardly have bombed any harder than it has. I would of course like to create a game that people would actually want to buy, but re-skinning Fumbers sounds a bit like beating a dead horse at this stage. Also: I find some value at a personal level in being able to make the game the way according to my visions. I normally like sleek, less is more style graphics, but I wanted to explore another path for this project. It's been a valuable experience, just not financially so. Still love all the feedback from everyone involved here though, it's gives valuable insight to people's preferences.
Often when we are most convinced that we are right, that is when we are most likely to be wrong. Unfortunately I have to agree with Scaramoosh on the name. I don't think it conveys any information to a "passerby" about the game at all. I first think of fumbling rather than numbers or fun. The point about the name is that both the name and the icon must be catchy enough to make me investigate further. Not that I did any better naming "Charmed", but all is clear now in hindsight! Maybe it is time to consider renaming and relaunching it.
I am well aware of the old adage "Kill your darlings". Regarding the title "Fumbers" though I actually ran it by a lot of people who's judgement I trust as well as some of my Twitter-followers and I had 100% positive feedback. I do see the point of having a more generic title in some cases, but mostly when you're really trying to piggy-back on someone else's success. (Super Mungro Brothers for instance). I don't think renaming the app iRemember Numbers or alike would have made any difference. But, then again if I knew how to succeed commercially this thread would never have come into existence. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree regarding the title. There's this old Hollywood-idea that great titles sell tickets. The problem is of course that no-one seems to know which titles that were great until they see the return at the box-office...
I'd love to be where you are now, even if the game didn't sell well because you proved that you can do it. I know nothing at all about programming or how to make a game. I'm just here because I love games and have been playing games for the past 20 years. So at least you can say you've completed a game because a lot of developers try to be too ambitious and never get anything done. I just bought the game anyways and here are my impressions: - Should be 59p and not £1.19 - The Icon could be more attractive. It looks like a cartoon version of Cliff Bleszinski who was the lead on Gears of War. However it just feels bland and still that with the name gives me no idea of what the game is about. - Fumbers sounds like some 90s cheesy part off of Sesame Street. Yet the art does nothing to attract kids as it is quite bland. - It throws you into the game with no idea of what you are meant to do. Obviously after a few fails I worked it out but I didn't read what the game was about on the store so I had no idea what I was in for. - The game so far hasn't been challenging and theres no Easy, Medium or Hard mode. - No online leaderboards. - Good music often gets me to play the game just for that. I remember playing EVE Online purely because I loved the background music. So far the music makes me want to slit my wrists because it is the same thing over and over. The problem really is the game has no options to play your own music. Overall I've played 10 mins and feel like I've seen the whole game. It is really IQ based and I like that because I would want an IQ app for my Iphone. The problem really is that it feels like one mini game that is meant to be part of a larger overall game like Brain training or something. I understand the premise though and I like the animation on the guy in the corner lol. I just think it's not flashy enough and doesn't offer enough to sell. However it's a first step into a larger picture and your next game will be bigger and better. I'd defo get an artist friend to do some art for you next time though. I hate these No Bonuses
I have to say that I agree. Ground Effect was a labour of love that was all about purity & simplicity & we were convinced that people would appreciate that, but not enough of them do. It was also badly named - ie, the name doesn't really suggest a racing game and doesn't translate well into other languages. Result = commercial failure (despite Apple features and good reviews). With the next title, the name will suggest the type of game more clearly, there'll be more thought given to the icon, & the gameplay will reflect what customers have demonstrated that they actually want to buy.
@Scaramoosh Thanks for your feedback. While I don't necessarily agree on all points it is always valuable to have the insight of someone buying the game without any preconceptions.
I wasn't saying I think the name is bad. In the world of big-budget marketing, Fumbers could be great name if you could get the word out, but in the App Store world where indies live, and where marketing dollars are limited, I think it pays to be a bit more "in your face" with the name.
I think at least 90% of people buy on screenshots alone. And to me, I wouldn't buy it off of your screenshots. It's not polished or cartoony or artistic enough. It's a mesh of some of it, but just not quite right. Not only that, it's a game about numbers. Boring (even though it may not be). People want to play GAMES. Mindless, fun, entertaining, happy, funny, laughing, cool, look-at-the-blood, wizard-like, zombie-head games! Not numbers. It's just not creative. Just an opinion from a fellow developer who doesn't developer games because it's not what he's good at. Ethan
screenshots are a biggie. Don't give up on it man. Release some updates and keep adding to it. We all bust our @ss on these games so we shouldnt just roll over and die if they don't take right away..
Thanks. I agree that you should never expect things to be instant hits. However, with Fumbers complete lack of performance sale-wise, I think its better to just move on. Also, the majority of comments in this thread as of late doesn't really tell me that Fumbers is were I should spend my energy. -------- Anyway, thanks to everyone for their comments. I originally started this thread to share something I found funny as well as making something of a counterpoint to the often sensationalist "13-year old became iPhone millionaire" kind of articles that used to flourish on the intertubes. I wasn't really looking for a fix for Fumbers (although the insight graciously shared by several participants have been greatly appreciated). I never expected this thread to live as long as it has though!
I loved the ads. "See what the lack of buzz is about!" "The game that re-defined failure!" Hilarious! I would have purchased it for that alone but for numbers being the bane of my existence. Seriously. I tried sudoku for the first time last month and I almost threw up in my mouth in the first 30 seconds.
While the name "Fumbers" sounds hilarious and interesting, it doesn't give you an advantage on keywords. If people searched for "fun" or "numbers", your app probably won't appear on the results (unless you included that on the keywords list). Also, I wouldn't know it meant "fun" and "numbers" until you mentioned it. My initial impression was that the app was about "fumbling". There are a lot of good inputs here, I think you can rework parts of your game to make it a hit!
