Comments on: The Numbers Post (aka Brutal Honesty) http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/2009/03/09/the-numbers-post-aka-brutal-honesty/ The trials and joys of indie games development Sat, 20 Mar 2010 02:05:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Dapple iPhone App Numbers | Mobile App Marketing Blog http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/2009/03/09/the-numbers-post-aka-brutal-honesty/comment-page-3/#comment-28213 Dapple iPhone App Numbers | Mobile App Marketing Blog Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:15:40 +0000 http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/?p=456#comment-28213 [...] their marketing and the marketing’s direct effect on the app’s sales. Here is part 1: http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/2009/03/09/the-numbers-post-aka-brutal-honesty/. Once you are finished reading it, check out the other 3 parts of the case study, especially part 4 [...] [...] their marketing and the marketing’s direct effect on the app’s sales. Here is part 1: http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/2009/03/09/the-numbers-post-aka-brutal-honesty/. Once you are finished reading it, check out the other 3 parts of the case study, especially part 4 [...]

]]> By: Games from Within | Making A Living (Barely) On The iPhone App Store (aka The Numbers Post) http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/2009/03/09/the-numbers-post-aka-brutal-honesty/comment-page-3/#comment-24368 Games from Within | Making A Living (Barely) On The iPhone App Store (aka The Numbers Post) Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:59:47 +0000 http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/?p=456#comment-24368 [...] sold, we’ve seen sales reports of very successful games, and we’ve also seen what happens when apps languish at the [...] [...] sold, we’ve seen sales reports of very successful games, and we’ve also seen what happens when apps languish at the [...]

]]> By: Vaya Broqui » Blog Archive » New Vaya Broqui game under development http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/2009/03/09/the-numbers-post-aka-brutal-honesty/comment-page-3/#comment-23195 Vaya Broqui » Blog Archive » New Vaya Broqui game under development Tue, 29 Dec 2009 13:20:18 +0000 http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/?p=456#comment-23195 [...] to our unprecedented success with Parranda and our ongoing desire to become an iPhone Development powerhouse (both for fun and profit)… [...] [...] to our unprecedented success with Parranda and our ongoing desire to become an iPhone Development powerhouse (both for fun and profit)… [...]

]]> By: Streaming Colour Studios » Blog Archive » Overanalyzing Analytics http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/2009/03/09/the-numbers-post-aka-brutal-honesty/comment-page-3/#comment-13831 Streaming Colour Studios » Blog Archive » Overanalyzing Analytics Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:47:38 +0000 http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/?p=456#comment-13831 [...] that not everything can be tracked at this level of granularity. For myself, even, in my first Numbers Post, I talked about the small spike in sales I received from the Kotaku review of Dapple. But what the [...] [...] that not everything can be tracked at this level of granularity. For myself, even, in my first Numbers Post, I talked about the small spike in sales I received from the Kotaku review of Dapple. But what the [...]

]]> By: Dapple — don’t do it « With Feeling http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/2009/03/09/the-numbers-post-aka-brutal-honesty/comment-page-3/#comment-12621 Dapple — don’t do it « With Feeling Sun, 06 Sep 2009 19:21:10 +0000 http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/?p=456#comment-12621 [...] of time trying to analyze the problems and describing his next moves, both in that post and in a previous post Despite much thoughtful analysis and strategizing, it wasn’t clear what would actually work [...] [...] of time trying to analyze the problems and describing his next moves, both in that post and in a previous post Despite much thoughtful analysis and strategizing, it wasn’t clear what would actually work [...]

]]> By: Phil S http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/2009/03/09/the-numbers-post-aka-brutal-honesty/comment-page-3/#comment-12073 Phil S Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:19:27 +0000 http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/?p=456#comment-12073 Wow. Talk about your lessons learned. I'm a fledgling casual game developer myself, and yes I too created a "yet another match 3" game. Here's the key differences though: 1. I built it for the PC, where there's a MUCH larger market and development tools are either free or dirt cheap. There's about 17 million iphones out there and about ONE BILLION PC's. It's a no brainer which platform to develop for when you're first starting out. 2. I bundled it with a second game with completely different objectives and gameplay. A 2 for 1 deal since (as others have said, there's a ton of match 3's out there already). 3. I wrote both games MYSELF in my spare time (nights and weekends) in about 3 months. Are they perfect, mind blowingly stunning games? No. Are they marketable however? Hell yes. We've gotten tremendous feedback from beta testers who have said point blank they can't wait to have the full finished version of these games. What I couldn't create myself I found in the form of open source graphics and royalty free music and sound. Just so you know I'm not full of it, you can see screenshots and more right here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mojo-Bone-Software-Studios/87860748751 The advice you're getting here is spot on. Lower the price, and offer a free trial. I'll also add: Develop for the PC as well as the iphone. You should have no problem making back your $32K and then some. Finally, market, market, market. My partner put up the facebook page as a lark, and it's turned out to be a great source for not only potential buyers but resources for future projects as well. Best of Luck! -Phil Wow. Talk about your lessons learned.

I’m a fledgling casual game developer myself, and yes I too created a “yet another match 3″ game. Here’s the key differences though:

1. I built it for the PC, where there’s a MUCH larger market and development tools are either free or dirt cheap. There’s about 17 million iphones out there and about ONE BILLION PC’s. It’s a no brainer which platform to develop for when you’re first starting out.

2. I bundled it with a second game with completely different objectives and gameplay. A 2 for 1 deal since (as others have said, there’s a ton of match 3’s out there already).

3. I wrote both games MYSELF in my spare time (nights and weekends) in about 3 months. Are they perfect, mind blowingly stunning games? No. Are they marketable however? Hell yes. We’ve gotten tremendous feedback from beta testers who have said point blank they can’t wait to have the full finished version of these games. What I couldn’t create myself I found in the form of open source graphics and royalty free music and sound. Just so you know I’m not full of it, you can see screenshots and more right here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mojo-Bone-Software-Studios/87860748751

The advice you’re getting here is spot on. Lower the price, and offer a free trial. I’ll also add: Develop for the PC as well as the iphone. You should have no problem making back your $32K and then some. Finally, market, market, market. My partner put up the facebook page as a lark, and it’s turned out to be a great source for not only potential buyers but resources for future projects as well.

Best of Luck!
-Phil

]]> By: MEGAPOST!!! « Nick http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/2009/03/09/the-numbers-post-aka-brutal-honesty/comment-page-3/#comment-11824 MEGAPOST!!! « Nick Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:01:07 +0000 http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/?p=456#comment-11824 [...] Sales Numbers: for Flight Control, Dapple (with bonus brutal honesty), Mouse House, Rebound, Hit Tennis, Super Monkey Ball, Trism, Surf [...] [...] Sales Numbers: for Flight Control, Dapple (with bonus brutal honesty), Mouse House, Rebound, Hit Tennis, Super Monkey Ball, Trism, Surf [...]

]]> By: Make It Big In Games» » Risk Assesment: Don’t Put All Your Games In One Market http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/2009/03/09/the-numbers-post-aka-brutal-honesty/comment-page-3/#comment-6635 Make It Big In Games» » Risk Assesment: Don’t Put All Your Games In One Market Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:11:43 +0000 http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/?p=456#comment-6635 [...] Jeff TunnellMarch 13, 2009Owen Goss, the owner of Streaming Colour Studios released a great article about his iPhone App Store experience that has been sweeping the Indie blogosphere. If you have not read the post, you really need to do [...] [...] Jeff TunnellMarch 13, 2009Owen Goss, the owner of Streaming Colour Studios released a great article about his iPhone App Store experience that has been sweeping the Indie blogosphere. If you have not read the post, you really need to do [...]

]]> By: Marco Loco http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/2009/03/09/the-numbers-post-aka-brutal-honesty/comment-page-3/#comment-5984 Marco Loco Thu, 23 Jul 2009 06:21:40 +0000 http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/?p=456#comment-5984 Hi Owen, thanks for the great article. Helps put things into perspective. I think you did the right thing to go out with an idea and try it. Now you´ve learned a few lessons - helped us learn a few lessons - of what seems to go and what doesn´t seem to go. Great! Use your knowledge to imporve your first idea and try again! Eventually you will be successfull, but it may take a few trys. Failing is good, because you learn. I think the iPhone is a great device, and it hosts tremendous opportunities, but good things take it´s time. And often it is just small details that make the difference between a success and not so successful. Maybe it was the price, mabe it was the lack of a free level, or the rules were too complicated. Just use the experience and learn from it. I keep my fingers crossed for you, hope you still have some money to continue :-) Cheers Marc Hi Owen,

thanks for the great article. Helps put things into perspective. I think you did the right thing to go out with an idea and try it.

Now you´ve learned a few lessons – helped us learn a few lessons – of what seems to go and what doesn´t seem to go. Great! Use your knowledge to imporve your first idea and try again! Eventually you will be successfull, but it may take a few trys. Failing is good, because you learn.

I think the iPhone is a great device, and it hosts tremendous opportunities, but good things take it´s time. And often it is just small details that make the difference between a success and not so successful. Maybe it was the price, mabe it was the lack of a free level, or the rules were too complicated. Just use the experience and learn from it.

I keep my fingers crossed for you, hope you still have some money to continue :-)

Cheers

Marc

]]> By: Matilda http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/2009/03/09/the-numbers-post-aka-brutal-honesty/comment-page-3/#comment-5085 Matilda Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:16:51 +0000 http://www.streamingcolour.com/blog/?p=456#comment-5085 Your post-mortem inspired me to grab a copy of the game. Although your game is innovative and I appreciated this it failed the pick-up and play rule that one must adhere to in the casual download market (where I work) to have a success. I skipped the instructions (who doesn't) and got immediately frustrated because I was trying to swap 'gems' and it wasn't working for me. I gave up. All other comments about the app store aside I think it's worth exploring this aspect. I am watching the popular games in the app store mirror casual download a little bit from the early 'gold-rush' days. Your post-mortem inspired me to grab a copy of the game. Although your game is innovative and I appreciated this it failed the pick-up and play rule that one must adhere to in the casual download market (where I work) to have a success. I skipped the instructions (who doesn’t) and got immediately frustrated because I was trying to swap ‘gems’ and it wasn’t working for me. I gave up. All other comments about the app store aside I think it’s worth exploring this aspect. I am watching the popular games in the app store mirror casual download a little bit from the early ‘gold-rush’ days.

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