Tell us about yourself, your company, and how you got into developing mobile games?
Currently, it is just me developing games. I have four games out right now, SimplePhysics [1] , BridgeBasher [2] , Skyword [3] , and Touch Island [4] . I started getting into game development after reading this article about Desktop Tower Defense. I started with Flash games for the web, but was frustrated with the poor revenue from ad supported flash games. A few years later, I started reading about how much success some developers were having on the iPhone so I thought I’d give it a try.
How many people are on your team? And what are their roles?
Currently it is just me, so I’m doing programming and marketing; but I do contract out the art work.
At what point did you decide you wanted to make apps for the iPhone?
It was early 2009, and I kept reading about games like Trism and iShoot, where indie game developers were having tremendous success on the iPhone. I remember one night, I just decided that I was going to get started. I drove to 3 different Best Buy stores, searching for a copy of OSX and I rigged my Dell XPS system as a Hackintosh and started writing Skyword. In retrospect, I should have just bought a Mac. Hackintoshes are a time pit and you’ll spend more time kludging it to work with the newest versions of OSX than you will spend actually writing games.
What were you doing before you started developing for the iPhone?
I was working at a reputable defense company, developing a flight simulator. I still work at the same company, though now I’m doing mostly .NET programming. It’s a great job, so I’m reluctant to quit, but I am shifting to part time to be able to focus more on iOS development.
You created SimplePhysics, which hit #6 on the charts. Were you surprised to see you reach that spot?
SimplePhysics reached #6 on the paid charts for a fleeting moment. I was extremely excited to the point that I could not concentrate on anything else. I ended up taking the day off and just staring at the app store on my iPhone. Refresh… Refresh… Refresh.
How did you come up with the idea for your app?
The idea for SimplePhysics was just an extension of BridgeBasher. I kept the mechanics of the game almost identical, but opened it up to much more than just bridges. I never imagined that there were so many people with iPhones that had such a craving for engineering and physics.
How long did it take you to plan, develop, and program your app?
I was able to re-use quite a bit of code from BridgeBasher, but it still took me about 5-6 months working evenings and weekends, while still working my full time job.
How many lines of code and what programming language did you use?
SimplePhysics is about 20k lines of C++ source code, and about 500 lines of Objective C. I avoided Objective C as much as I could and only used it when I had to interact with the COCOA Touch APIs. I know my language choice is biased, and I admit that Objective C is actually a very good language, especially with the COCOA libraries, but I am very fluent in C++ and I wanted to keep my options open in case I ever decide to port to Android (via the NDK).
Did you outsource any portion of the game? (programming, graphics, etc.) If so, who did you use (ex: Elance or Odesk)
The graphics were mostly outsourced. I used 99designs.com for a couple of level designs, and I also worked directly with an artist for the majority of the rest.
With so many apps in the app store, what have you found to be one of the best iPhone app marketing tactics for your apps? What seems to work and not work?
The most effective way of marketing your app is to make it free. Let people try it for free. If it is a good app, then it will slowly build a user base you can leverage for future releases.
How many downloads did you get daily at your peak?
SimplePhysics received 104k downloads at its peak while being free.
What’s your largest sales day?
When SimplePhysics topped out on the paid charts, it reached #6 briefly and brought in 16,145 downloads and $10,930 in revenue. Unfortunately, this spike in sales ended as quickly as it started.
Why did you decide to go free with your app (or freemium) ?
Switching an app from paid to free is a great way to re-ignite sales and increase your user base for future game releases.
Are you creating games full time now, or do you have another job?
I’m still working my day job, but I do plan on going to part time in the near future in order to focus more on developing for iOS.
What is it that excites you most about developing games for the iPhone?
Without a doubt it is the players. When I get e-mails from fans or when I read positive reviews, that is by far the most exciting and encouraging part of the whole gig.
What was your biggest failure when developing games for the iPhone?
My app Touch Island was a complete flop. Technically speaking, it was probably the most challenging app I’ve written to date, but the sales have been abysmal. I almost called it quits after such a devastating blow, but luckily BridgeBasher, which had been out for over a year and also had quite depressing sales, suddenly started gaining momentum and my passion was re-ignited.
What are you working on next?
I’m currently working on a spin-off of SimplePhysics, named Dummy Defense, that will have about 25 levels similar in nature to the Bomb Shack level in SimplePhysics. In each level, the player will have to defend their dummy from some type of threat. Development is moving very fast and I think the SimplePhysics fans will really love it.
Any advice for up and coming indie developers?
Focus on making a quality app and listen to user feedback. Release the app as free in order to get a larger user base. Connect with your users by getting their e-mail addresses so you can leverage your user base for future game releases.
SimplePhysics is…
Monster Free Apps gets you the best paid iPhone apps for free!
Links
- ^ SimplePhysics (itunes.apple.com)
- ^ BridgeBasher (itunes.apple.com)
- ^ Skyword (itunes.apple.com)
- ^ Touch Island (itunes.apple.com)
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