thank you for generously sharing that with the rest of us; lotsa valuable information there. much appreciated.
Here's the huge thread right in this forum: http://forums.toucharcade.com/showthread.php?t=48012 Enough derailing from me. My last OT post in this thread.
Are you saying that your opportunity to drive large numbers by making the game free has passed? I'd guess there's no way to know for sure without trying. In fact, I think I read somewhere that one should never give up . You've already identified the strategy with the large possible upside. Put in IAP, make the game free for 3-4 weeks, generate the additional 2M users. Even if wrong you probably haven't lost much.
i'm not saying we can't do it again. i think it's possible if we set it free again with the right parameters it will happen again. but i wouldn't count on it. i think we had luck on our side that weekend, and while i'm not sure how much of a factor that really is, some part of me is skeptical this could happen the same way again. i guess we'll find out in a few months plans are finally brewing for "Ow My Balls! XXL" -josh
ow my balls! has a built in prompt that asks for the user to write a review when they achieve certain levels in the game. i added this after seeing the severe degree of negative bias in the first sale. it's too bad there's no api to let us ask for just a star rating directly in app without linking out to the app store. negative bias is a real problem, but at this scale it is almost impossible to overcome. we have something like 24,000 reviews now. submitting an update to reset the reviews for a release will help a little, but it wont change the fact that the overall ratings are now between 2-3 stars. -josh
That was fascinating. Thanks for giving us an insight into your sales. I've been pouring over app store info for awhile now. Debating on learning game development, even if it's just for the fun of it.
Read the article, thanks for posting! As a fellow indie dev on the App Store, it's always reassuring (even if it was a result of the 'perfect storm') to see another dev find success on the App Store, however fleeting it may be
That's the key. Sort of. I mean, I've always designed games just for fun. Never sold one or even tried to until now. Daredevil Dave, my first iPhone game, is climbing the ranks at a steady pace. If you love the work you do it will show, and if you work hard and promote it correctly, you may just make some money at it as well.
