HypeStore: iPhone developer says the AppStore is overhyped
Sourcelink: Game Politics, STROMCODE
An iPhone App developer, who writes on the STROMCODE blog, says that despite being on the Top 100 of the AppStore, he isn’t exactly raking in the dough.
“The reality is much more startling. In order to place #34 on the social networking charts, you need 30-35 downloads a day. At the standard app store pricing of .99, and after Apple takes its cut, that means your app needs to bring in a little over $20 a day to chart at that position. And social networking is a popular category.
Perhaps you’d expect the game charts to do better. Board games isn’t a wildly popular category, but it still might surprise you that it takes about 6-8 downloads a day to chart. That means if you are making around $4 a day you’ll be in the top 100.”
His games on the AppStore: Zen Jar (#34), Spirit Board (#36, which is free) and Spirit Board Pro (#95). He claims that literally no devs are making any money on the AppStore.
Don’t tell ngmoco!
Brad’s Take: As someone who’s grown to love his iPod Touch, and who’s also considering grabbing the development kit from Apple and giving the gaming app development a go, this does sound incredibly troubling for future app developers.
That is, unless you turn on the juices in your brain and start thinking for a second: Could it be that, despite the fact that he is on the Top 100, his games really aren’t that good? Sure, they say that iPhone gamers are ones who sacrifices bits of their disposable income like Orange flavored Tic-Tacs, but if the word of mouth isn’t there that your game is actually worth the $1 – $10, no one is going to buy it.
And until now, I’ve never even heard of Zen Jar and Spirit Board. What is it? A Quija board? A karma filled 8-Ball? How am I supposed to know?
The games I have bought, however, are games that either
A) Have lite versions I can try out
B) Have trusted people praising the game
C) Are cheap. Dirt cheap.
Games I play? Drop7, GeoDefense, Critter Crunch, Flight Control, Bounce On, VANGUARD Storm and Word Fu. All games that I’ve heard of previously and all games I ended up liking (especially Drop7 and Geo Defense…damn they are addicting!)
I’ve also heard of great sales on Rolando, Ellis and Metal Gear Solid Touch! due to word of mouth.
So, it seems that you need to make buzzworthy games or get great word of mouth to gain top sales.
Such as….well, I dunno…most games in any type of platform.
[Update: 6/9/09] OK, in retrospect, I might have been a bit tough and hard on the guy. I have to agree with a few points he’s made: The App Store is a mess. Even if he had quality titles that people will enjoy, unless you specifically look for the App you want, you are never going to find it unless you really dig.
And as someone who enjoys going through the App Store on my Touch, I don’t dig too far to find my games and apps. Just Top 50, sometimes Top 100 or I look at some of the favorite games I have and see what other games those developers have made. To get a chance at making cash, you need to be wildly successful or just plain lucky to do so.
I guess what I’m trying to say is: The App Store needs an overhaul…a big overhaul.
[...] Brad’s Take: Hmm…remember that one article that was put on last week about the developer who says no money can be made on the App Store? [...]