What is with all the rip offs, low production value, simple, or low quality games?

General (non-technical) Marketing and Monetization
#1

So, what is with all the rip offs, low production value, simple, or low quality games?

Are people actually making money on these things? Maybe I will come off as arrogant but I just don’t get it. I mean, looking at the posts there are tons of “how to get users” and “discovery is an issue” related posts right? Then I look at the games being made and I wonder where the disconnect is. Of every 10 games I see, 9 are a weekend hackathon’s work. Of the 10% left, 10% of those look interesting enough for me to test out. Of that remainder, only 10% of those live on my phone for more than a day. I mean, the app store is flooded, literally flooded with crap.

I guess if they are getting revenue it’s a good business model right. So, the question is are they making $$? What is the business model? Is the business model make 10$ each on 10,000 hack games? I’m confused.

Waiting for enlightenment,

Gullie

#2

Don’t really know how much money they make or if that strategy is financially viable in the long run. But I think it’s a blessing in disguise. Because of the sea of mediocre/unpolished apps out there, people are always on the lookout for quality apps. And if we can deliver that, we’ll stand out from everybody else. Of course, it’s easier said than done.

#3

its like buy lottery, one day you might hit the jackpot like flappy bird.

I’ll have to admit I tried a few “low quality” apps myself. 

I went on a game making spree and submit 1 game per week for 1 mth. 

one of it hits a small jackpot  Against Car Drift Race made close to 10k on ads.

 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/again-car-drift-race/id540857592?mt=8

of course its making $0 now, and the sequel, made about $100. 

#4

I have completely given up with free games as the market is as you say, flooded. Flappy Bird seems to have triggered an avalanche of clones, and now you have sites like chupamobile selling templates a day after a new app becomes popular, so even people who can’t code can have a huge portfolio of apps in no time.

I’m working on a long-term project that can’t be copied and hopefully people will want to pay a few dollars for it. Fortunately I’m in a position where it doesn’t have to make money, but it would be nice if it did.

#5

I don’t have too much of a problem with templates. The biggest issue I have is with developers who (non-exclusively) sell their complete code base for an app and only require that the buyer re-skins it.

In those cases the stores end up with a whole bunch of *exact* copies of an app (bugs and all).

I wish there was a way to stop that kind of “development”, but alas, there isn’t.

#6

Yeah, that’s what I meant by templates - as you say they are more like complete apps. Apple have completely lost control of the app store.

#7

Well, this has everything to do with the democratisation of tools, and has happened before in lots of industries (like the graphics industry, when desktop publishing emerged at the start of the 90s, and the music industry with the growing power of software based virtual instruments and studios).

In essence, it is a double edged sword with both a positive and negative side. As tools become cheaper and more accessible, and barriers to market entry are lowered of removed, a whole new and gigantic group of users comes into play, which is great. Unfortunately these lower barriers and higher accessibility also means that a lot of less- or untalented people can produce and market their material, or use template-based or preset stuff. The really talented people leverage this to push the envelope faster and further, which is super-exciting, but they are accompanied by hordes of copycats and also-rans.

It’s the way of the world, and neither good nor bad.

#8

I guess my strategy is to create something more difficult to make… and polished. Ultimately you can clone anything but a reasonable barrier for entry is ideal. These low end things… I could create one and submit it to the app store 2 or 3 times a week. And so can everyone else. So even if you come up with something novel, the hoards will be hot on your heels. Just look at Threes. If Threes where more like Clash of Clans in difficulty, at least you’d have a bit of a head start. Not that I wouldn’t consider Threes to be super successful but if every guy and his brother couldn’t clone it in a week… That would have been really serious money.

This is most obvious in the console market. You can’t compete by being a hack. It costs lots to develop for, even if the game is on the level of flappy bird, so it rules out the wannabes. You don’t get alot of clones either… But when you are successful, the big guys come a running too… with their check books out. Case in point… Call of Duty vs Battlefield … Rock Band vs Guitar Hero.

For me, shooting for the starts is the only option. Futzing with low end aspirations and riding coat tails as an imposer…Trying to clone every thing that makes a buck… You can make so much more money working for a real development house and that money is certain.  Heh… But maybe I’ll be eating my foot in a few too… We’ll see. haha. 

To be honest, I wish apple had a higher bar for entry… even something as trivial as $100 per app would curtail so much of the flappy bird clone issue.

Cheers!

#9

Don’t really know how much money they make or if that strategy is financially viable in the long run. But I think it’s a blessing in disguise. Because of the sea of mediocre/unpolished apps out there, people are always on the lookout for quality apps. And if we can deliver that, we’ll stand out from everybody else. Of course, it’s easier said than done.

#10

its like buy lottery, one day you might hit the jackpot like flappy bird.

I’ll have to admit I tried a few “low quality” apps myself. 

I went on a game making spree and submit 1 game per week for 1 mth. 

one of it hits a small jackpot  Against Car Drift Race made close to 10k on ads.

 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/again-car-drift-race/id540857592?mt=8

of course its making $0 now, and the sequel, made about $100. 

#11

I have completely given up with free games as the market is as you say, flooded. Flappy Bird seems to have triggered an avalanche of clones, and now you have sites like chupamobile selling templates a day after a new app becomes popular, so even people who can’t code can have a huge portfolio of apps in no time.

I’m working on a long-term project that can’t be copied and hopefully people will want to pay a few dollars for it. Fortunately I’m in a position where it doesn’t have to make money, but it would be nice if it did.

#12

I don’t have too much of a problem with templates. The biggest issue I have is with developers who (non-exclusively) sell their complete code base for an app and only require that the buyer re-skins it.

In those cases the stores end up with a whole bunch of *exact* copies of an app (bugs and all).

I wish there was a way to stop that kind of “development”, but alas, there isn’t.

#13

Yeah, that’s what I meant by templates - as you say they are more like complete apps. Apple have completely lost control of the app store.

#14

Well, this has everything to do with the democratisation of tools, and has happened before in lots of industries (like the graphics industry, when desktop publishing emerged at the start of the 90s, and the music industry with the growing power of software based virtual instruments and studios).

In essence, it is a double edged sword with both a positive and negative side. As tools become cheaper and more accessible, and barriers to market entry are lowered of removed, a whole new and gigantic group of users comes into play, which is great. Unfortunately these lower barriers and higher accessibility also means that a lot of less- or untalented people can produce and market their material, or use template-based or preset stuff. The really talented people leverage this to push the envelope faster and further, which is super-exciting, but they are accompanied by hordes of copycats and also-rans.

It’s the way of the world, and neither good nor bad.

#15

I guess my strategy is to create something more difficult to make… and polished. Ultimately you can clone anything but a reasonable barrier for entry is ideal. These low end things… I could create one and submit it to the app store 2 or 3 times a week. And so can everyone else. So even if you come up with something novel, the hoards will be hot on your heels. Just look at Threes. If Threes where more like Clash of Clans in difficulty, at least you’d have a bit of a head start. Not that I wouldn’t consider Threes to be super successful but if every guy and his brother couldn’t clone it in a week… That would have been really serious money.

This is most obvious in the console market. You can’t compete by being a hack. It costs lots to develop for, even if the game is on the level of flappy bird, so it rules out the wannabes. You don’t get alot of clones either… But when you are successful, the big guys come a running too… with their check books out. Case in point… Call of Duty vs Battlefield … Rock Band vs Guitar Hero.

For me, shooting for the starts is the only option. Futzing with low end aspirations and riding coat tails as an imposer…Trying to clone every thing that makes a buck… You can make so much more money working for a real development house and that money is certain.  Heh… But maybe I’ll be eating my foot in a few too… We’ll see. haha. 

To be honest, I wish apple had a higher bar for entry… even something as trivial as $100 per app would curtail so much of the flappy bird clone issue.

Cheers!