First app popularity problem

Solar2D General Questions/Discussion
#41

Another high-production game having a hard time getting traction.  Good read,

http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/DanielVavra/20131218/207388/The_Art_of_Waiting.php

#42

Here’s the first part of the above blog post:

http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/DanielVavra/20131122/205478/WARHORSE_WORLDWIDE_PITCHING_TOUR_2013.php

#43

Hey for all the hard working people, i am in the same position as you, having my first app on the market (a puzzle game named ‘Neighbours’) and realizing there is no any traffic.

I think there is a room to be more optimistic then just give up, I have heard many ideas about marketing, but i think what we need more is

more of a co-operative work by our side. what do i mean:

1- we can start helping each other by giving the symbol of the app to each other, we can advertise other people games/apps and create

a mini advertising market of our own.

2- we can also create a website that will review as many apps and games as possible and try to attract attention in many ways for people to start checking the starting developers products.

I think that with the right efforts we can make this happens and bring new ideas to the table on how we can make it work.

I am ready to put some work into it, if anyone is interested. I think it’s a start.

#44

Here is my app’s link on google play:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.saiphan.neighbours

#45

The sobering reality as expressed above leads me to press CL to really ramp up its business apps support. I really think that this is the area where contracting money can be made. And to compete with Titanium we need something rock solid and serious. My apps tend to be educational, fitness, or utility, and having very solid widgets is critical.

#46

@jen.looper

I agree.

I’d like to see native widgets instead of the now simulated widgets we have. Simulated widgets will never behave 100% the same way as native especially with regards to mulitplatform support.

It hurts to say this but Titanium is better for business apps at the moment.

#47

Some interesting reads for the topic:

http://www.seaven-studio.com/indies-going-all-in-with-self-publishing-an-ethan-meteor-hunter-post-mortem/

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-12-02-giving-away-your-game-is-hard

Cheers.

#48

Here’s my contribution about two games I made, Enigmatik and Hangmania, both in french and english, not killer games I precise :slight_smile:

Without advertising and no review, here’s what I get :

Last year  (after 1 year) :

  • Enigmatik (free demo) : 10,000 DL

  • Enigmatik ($0.99) : 316 DL

This year:

  • Enigmatik (free & full) : 357 DL in 1 month

  • Hangmania (free & full) : Only 100 DL in 6 months

My conclusions are:

  • It really depends of the game style. It seems logic that people prefer original games than classic with many clones.

  • There’s no doubt, last year was easier because there were certainly less game on the market.

  • Be original and make games for fun before all!

Try them here :wink:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.bitlines.wisdom.enigmatikfull

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.bitlines.wisdom.hangmania

#49

I think it’s all in luck and idea. For example I’ve did simple app to scare your friends( tons of this in store already ), made it in 4-5 hours and published it on store. Got 70000+  downloads and lot’s of active users. Made another app that makes you a list what u have to do, took me 1 week and it got just few downloads. I think you should be more original if u check my scare my friends app you will see that it’s different than others in some ways however even icon can mather will user install app or not so put as much time as u can in it.

* apps that I concretely have on store aren’t made with corona.

#50

Put some text in your screenshots and fancy them a bit, trust me it will help!

#51

Thanks for your tips :slight_smile:

I agree that it’s not necessary the time you spend on the project, it’s also idea, graphics, luck, right time… many parameters which make impossible to find the formula of the success…

#52

Thanks miha1mike123 i will sure try that.

#53

Forgot to say that you should definitely edit your description, make it have at least 800-1000+ words otherwise users will hardly find it or maybe not even find it. I also recommend you to change your game name to for example Neighbours - puzzle game or something like that it will affect your search rank as well. Also be sure to use keywords that are common to your app in description as much as you can .Make first few hundred of words more catchy coz users don’t click to look more at description. But screenshots are the most important when users finally find your app. Would you download the game that looks so boring on screenshots, think you wouldn’t. Think about it when you are editing your screenshots. I must say your icon looks cool! How did u made it? Waiting to see some better results in your downloads :wink:

Hope this advices will help everyone read this post.

  • Mihael
#54

Not to bump an old thread, but I also found the below article from Indiegames very interesting. Not necessarily an one-man studio like many folks here, but still an interesting look back at a development process of a successful indie game:

http://indiegames.com/2013/08/bringing_100_rogues_to_ouya_a_.html

#55

I wouldn’t consider this topic old, I think its “evolving” and these articles are great for balancing expectation and learning from others mistakes, though it is sometimes a little painful to read some of these.  :unsure:

Thanks for sharing.  Cheers.

#56

Noted! I’d suggest everyone go through the Indiegames postmortemsto see exactly where they went wrong (and more importantly, right!)

I think one of the more important concepts that has been brought up recently is survivorship bias. It’s kind of like confirmation bias, as it’s the phenomenon of people only paying attention to successful development processes instead of analyzing the failures/shortcomings of others, to allow them to sidestep their issues.

I agree with Alan and Develephant, in that marketing is SO SO SO important. My first free app has been DLed over 1k times but that has translated to ~60 bucks over the course of its life in sales for the paid version. What was the problem with my app? It’s not very fun, and it doesn’t look fantastic. I have to face that reality. It’s too easy and too hard, in the wrong ways, I personally made the GFX so they aren’t fantastic, and the framerate is killed on all but the most recent Android devices.

I agree with the tenor of this thread: I thought it would be easier to get a higher download number. That was my own naivete and I have no one to blame but myself. One has to take a step back and look at your app critically. Would you download it? Would you pay for it? Would you play your own game more than once? Would you see your friend texting and immediately tell them to download it, because it’s going to blow their minds? I couldn’t say that about my first game. It was fine, but it was nothing to set the world on fire. 

To wrap this stream-of-consciousness post up, I’d also suggest getting beta testers involved early and often. TestFlight and Android forums are the best ways to get eyes on your game, and there are always willing participants on TouchArcade and DroidGamers forums, looking to help out the little guy. Their feeling is, you never know when you’re going to get to test the next Mikey Shorts. It’s helped me immensely in development of my next couple of projects, and has allowed me to pull my game back from the brink of release into obscurity, and to add parts that make it much better.

#57

The above post by Panc hit a chord with me, I have concentrated heavily on UI and usability in my more recent work as well as marketing, and it’s paying off to a certain extent.

One thing that Gabriel Machuret said on Corona Geek a few episodes ago is very true: “Don’t fall in love with your app”. Don’t fall in love with anything about it, but rather get feedback as you get through the process. Ask for advice, show your work, get feedback. Change, pivot, iterate. I put the BellyApp on PreApps and once I get a prelim app trailer teaser video shot, will post that and ask for feedback from the people who sign up as beta testers. Otherwise, you’re running the risk of a disappointment with downloads, it seems to me.

My motivation for today! :smiley:

best,

Jen

#58

Another high-production game having a hard time getting traction.  Good read,

http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/DanielVavra/20131218/207388/The_Art_of_Waiting.php

#59

Here’s the first part of the above blog post:

http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/DanielVavra/20131122/205478/WARHORSE_WORLDWIDE_PITCHING_TOUR_2013.php

#60

Hey for all the hard working people, i am in the same position as you, having my first app on the market (a puzzle game named ‘Neighbours’) and realizing there is no any traffic.

I think there is a room to be more optimistic then just give up, I have heard many ideas about marketing, but i think what we need more is

more of a co-operative work by our side. what do i mean:

1- we can start helping each other by giving the symbol of the app to each other, we can advertise other people games/apps and create

a mini advertising market of our own.

2- we can also create a website that will review as many apps and games as possible and try to attract attention in many ways for people to start checking the starting developers products.

I think that with the right efforts we can make this happens and bring new ideas to the table on how we can make it work.

I am ready to put some work into it, if anyone is interested. I think it’s a start.