why do people create free games ?

kii

You just asked all the right questions. Congratulations! Step 1

Step 2 is to answer them using business savvy and open eyes.

The store is tough. The killer for me is the 10 dollar a day vortex, meaning after an initial burst your app settles in at 10 dollars a day (hopefully) and that is just enough to keep your addiction going, giving you enough hope to make just one more app.

So remember if you start it is really hard to stop at one game Little White Bear can attest to that. Watch out from being sucked in.

 

Do you have info or screens of this Word game, I am trying to break into the word game market too with the freemium model (see sig) myself. Free fully featured multiplayer word game that's ad driven with IAP to remove ads.

Breaking into the word segment is hard. We came out with Letter Slide a very unique puzzle sliding cross word game, we let it sit but it wasn't polished, somewhat buggy and we didn't have a marketing budget.

After some thought we went back to some good IP and made and submitted Letter Slide Glow! As very polished version with a glow theme and robot ai voice throughout the game to talk trash or praise you.

Based on experience we are doing freemium as state above, people love free stuff and you can reach way more people and possibly make more than 70 cents on them (assuming a paid download is a 99 cent price point)

Our only in app purchase is to remove ads, but we feel we will gain most of the revenue through ads. Plus its ONE app, you don't have to worry about a paid and lite version.

I would love to take a look at your game if you want to PM me some info!

I believe it does take money to make money, but not all things are equal!

Sweat equity + hard work + small budget very well can = success!

- Matt

 

Yes, that is 100% normal for the App Store. Marketing, past success (Apple does notice new apps from a successful dev), and luck, all play a part in getting your app noticed by the general public. Being an amazing, good looking game means absolutely nothing if you can't get anyone to notice it.

 

I do that on purpose. I like to spread the risk by pulling income from multiple sources.

 

For me the point of releasing a free game has many reasons. Firstly it is just for fun. Sure it takes time and money to create them, but if you want as many people as possible to see it, then release it for free. The second is that it gives you an idea to try your ideas out. Thirdly, when people access the page on itunes to download the free items, they get to see what else your company has and maybe they will buy something. Lastly, you can use it as an advertising platform, ie when you release a new paid for software, you can update your free games with an advert intro screen.

Hope that helps answer your question

 

Ads

I actually need some truthful advice on ads.

Which network to go with Iads for example or use more than one network?

I also need to ask if a game like Words with Friends can be run on Game Center without using yoru own server?

Also my idea is to have a freemium game with a paid upgrade so no ads appear

 

i'm not aware of any app where funding over ads worked..

especialy not where people spend money to remove an ad..

if the ad bother the user so much he wants to get "rid" of it.. the user probably will rather delete the game instead of buying the iap to remove it..

earning any kind of money via iads is also limited as iads are not deployed worldwide..

so if you go "ad" you need to incorporate additonal services like admob or others if you want to have ads in every region


edit:

and as a sidenote a game is not freemium if you disable its ads over IAP

 

Not sure if that's directed towards me, but the ad is on the top and not intrusive there is a board for iAds and a board for regular. If the game has good replay value you make money every time an ad rotates.

Getting rid of the ad is purely supporting the developer.

iAds are gaining more markets out there, if an iAd doesn't show we display a house ad of one of our two games that rotate for cross promotion.

and freemium is IAP driven...

"Freemium games have been topping the top-grossing charts on the App Store in recent months purely through in-app purchases, and social gaming companies are being bought up in their dozens by large publishers."

REF,

http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPhone/Gameloft+news/news.asp?c=25697

- Matt

 

lol.. well no it was not in response to you but in response to the post just right before mine..

and no, to remove ads with an ipa is NOT freemium.

it is like you state a rather supportive iap.

 

Freemium

Do I have it wrong then Mr Ugly?


I thought Words with Friends was freemium with ads and had a paid upgrade where ads were removed?

Also Twisted Pixel say they make a lot with ad revenue from freemium games, not to mention Backflip studios.

I am just going to follow a successful freemium model

Also is there a tier structure for charging for Inhouse ads according to number of players?

 

Hmm if my model isn't freemium I need a name for it

 

It works if you offer them something for purchase in the game (levels, items, whatever), and that purchase also removes the ads as a bonus.

 

just removing one ad via iap is nothing i would count as freemium..

where is the "premium" in it? free and premium comes comes together as freemium..

you need to offer "more" .. more game modes, more features, more of anything..

just removing an ad and thinking you jumped on the sucessfull bandwagon of the freemium business model.. is a bit.. well off..

what you have is nothing different than a "lite" version with ads .. only that there is no "full" version sold seperatly.. you "unlock" it via iap..

but only going with a banner.. i would hardly say thats freemium..

 

its called "lite"


@little bear: well like i write that then different because you over "more".. but just remove an ad..

 

You don't understand, its the full game with iADs on top, Its the same as if I were to make a $0.99 version without ads, its not lite, it not missing features. Has multiplayer through game center and everything.

I believe you can reach more people, have better word of mouth, make more money through ads, etc. EA and all these big publishers have sales selling product for $0.99, the only way to compete is do the model I have chosen.

I bet you can make more money off 1000 people looking at your app and its fully featured and free VS 1000 people looking at your app and its at the $0.99 price point.

- Matt

 

lite is free

So the word free in Itunes is the same as lite?

I do have a couple game upgrades people can pay for, but to be honest you can't do many game upgrades with a word game.

 

Noodler,

I agree with you 100% on you can't do many upgrades in a word game that's why mine is the way I said above.

Not being rude.. but.. If you don't know the difference between free and lite in the app store market I don't think you should be dropping $10k on an app based on your first comment in this thread. That's like driving blind folded.

- Matt

 

thats odd.. why can't you upgrade a word game..? you could add a dozen new gamemode integrating different styles of gameplay.

for a successfull game it is pretty vital that you can update it and prolonge its lifecycle beyound the initial release.. look at any successfull game, they are constantly evolving adding more an more.. like some people would say "milking" the game.. where i would say its rather product care to offer new exciting content to current and potential customers.

if you plan a game.. you should have at least ideas for content for six months.. make your game modular, and don't try to make the best complexest, content richest game ever at once.. this never works..

plan ahead, with what content to you want to release the game and what is the content for the next month following your release..

this is important to at least plan the content.. if your game does not sell there is not much lost except some time to get your ideas in shape.. but if it seels even moderatly and your satisfied with the outcome.. you need to keep pushing out updates.. not every week but on a regular base if you want to keep people interested into your game.

 

My word game has,

Solo Mode where you beat the clock (2 or 5 mins)
Multiplayer Mode thru Game Center where you can automatch people or invite friends

What else is there to upgrade? I consider it done, should I add a doodle theme for content, or a zombie one, its got a glow one.

Its a quick pick up and play game for the casual gamer or word enthusiast.

Its not some game with IAP content for swords, monkeys, or pocket god.

- Matt