One Last Shot
Koda89
Member Posts: 275
So, I've decided to indefinitely put on hold the current game I was making(Let Me Die), because things with that game weren't going the way I wanted it to for the time being. So, instead I am going to make a puzzle game using arog's Puzzle Dropper template as the base form, what I've worked with so far does seem like at least a decent game in the making.
However, if this game bombs, that's it, I'm calling it quits. Because I'm at the end of my rope when it comes to iDevices game apps. Not a single damn one of my games succeed. I'll admit some of them do suck something fierce, but damn it, 9 released game apps and only a mere $284 USD to show for that? I've seen people with much worse apps make way more than that in a single freaking week! Some in a single day! I'm a very patient person, but eventually that patience wears thin, so one last go. This is for all the marbles. If it doesn't even make a few hundred bucks, I'll hang it up, so wish me luck.
However, if this game bombs, that's it, I'm calling it quits. Because I'm at the end of my rope when it comes to iDevices game apps. Not a single damn one of my games succeed. I'll admit some of them do suck something fierce, but damn it, 9 released game apps and only a mere $284 USD to show for that? I've seen people with much worse apps make way more than that in a single freaking week! Some in a single day! I'm a very patient person, but eventually that patience wears thin, so one last go. This is for all the marbles. If it doesn't even make a few hundred bucks, I'll hang it up, so wish me luck.
Comments
I think perhaps you should chill a little and not be so hard on yourself...or set such high expectations...step back...take a deep breathe and keep on working. Try to let what you feel is a completed game set for a week...maybe put-up in GS for comments or suggestions...then go back and try to improve the quality of graphics.
I know with the background on my game...I did about 1000 layers...and months of work to get it to please me.
You might even want to redo some of your prior releases to improve them and try for more sales on what you have done...rather than start something new.
I wish you luck!
Some people just get lucky with games their games and make good money. But I still am yet to see a game that doesn't look polished and has crappy screenshots do well. I just looked through itunes at your games and what stands out to me from the screenshots (and i assume to all other customers) is the poor graphics. If you are not an artist then pay for some professional graphics, I personally wouldn't even get to try the gameplay in any of these titles if I were a customer because I wouldn't purchase them based on the screenshots. On the zombie game I can even see white pixels around objects where they are not cut out well. All the games have very basic mis-matched sprites. For your next project I wouldn't do your own graphics.
Also in the screenshots I can see the horrible gamesalad fonts in the text. Take the time to do custom fonts for scores and use nice quality fonts (check out fonts4mac.com) for the titles. These GS fonts just look so unprofessional.
Also think about the actual game idea you want to do. I can see lots of games you have done that are just the joystick tutorial with a few shooting, moving and scoring elements. At least change the graphics for the sticks and make them look unique. Another was obviously electroplankten copied. Find a cool, new idea and make the gameplay elements before getting someone in to do the graphics (or buying them from stock sites).
You need to make quality, doesn't have to be a massive game just look good and play nice then you can market with passion and that passion sooner or later will get you some press and the press will get you some sales.
Hope that helps,
Darren.
Good luck with it, lift your spirits and get crackin
But, you guys don't need to worry about the graphics for this game, because it is going to be the best I can do with my budget of absolutely nothing. Here is what one of the background images will look like in the game.
http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb64/Koda891/background.png
See, much better than previous ones.
Good Luck
If you are making a puzzle game, you are directly competing with all the puzzle games in the App Store.
Your graphics need to match games like Bejewelled, Plants vs. Zombies, Doodle God, etc. It doesn't cost extra money to make better graphics. There are free image editors like GIMP, inkscape, and www.sumopaint.com There are free 3D modeling programs like Google sketchup. All of the graphics for any of those games could be made with those programs.
Because people cannot test out your game ahead of time, your icon and screenshots are absolutely critical. You should also try to make videos of your game and put them on your website. If you cannot afford a website, then put them on youtube.
There are free audio editing programs like Audacity. And you can get free music from www.incompetech.com
Apart from that, the game design needs to be rich and most importantly - fun. Have lots of people test your games before you release them. Don't just test for bugs, but make sure people are not confused about anything, make sure they are smiling when they play your games!
Put your games up on gamesalad.com and have people test them out before you publish them to get feedback, etc. There are lots of great people on these forums who are willing to help.
Anyway, good luck with your new game!
But there is no easy sit back and collect the money buisiness model. The app store is no exception and most the big money makers work their asses off on the creation and buisiness side.
Tomexpect success just from uploading some ok games is crazy. Or even some great games for that
After.
If you don't have time to really spend hours daily pushing one app don't make another.
The problem with game salad is it gets you a product but that is it.
Many assume that's all you need.
No you still need to be very buisiness savy.
I could be wrong but many you g developers especially treat getting buisiness like making friends on facebook n
By that I mean if you are there so are the friends n
But it's a buisines and it's tough.
And it really isn't for everyone.
For most if they have a great game a publisher is the way to go.
stealing has been around forever and game salad doesn't really make it that much easier than it already is.
if someone doesn't directly steal a good idea they will just remake it so, not much you can do.
I.E. fuit ninja - veggie samurai
About the sales, how long did it take to make $284?
I'm a high school student, studying abroad, and making games with GameSalad is my hobby. I know that you don't really have time to spend on making apps. At least I don't. Only a few hours per day.
My games has been out there for almost 2 months now, and it only make a total of $155 or so...
However, over the course of 2 months, I've learn so many things.
1. Screen Shots:
Use screen shot with the actual iPhone in it, not only the "screen shot". You know what I mean? It seems to be that screen shots with the actual iPhone in it makes more sales, for some unknown reason.
2. If sales are bad, don't make it free. Increase the price by one tier for 2 days, the return it to an original price. That way, your app will show up on many price tracking website as "App on sale" That helps a lot. My app goes from 0 per day to 2-3 downloads each day. Which is better than nothing.
3. Don't spend too much time on a game. I usually spend a day or two making each games. (around 14 hours overall) If you spend too much time on it and it bombs, then you will feel very down, but if you only spend a few hours on it; You'll be fine. I'm not saying "make crappy apps", but rather make apps that doesn't take much time. I know graphics do eat up most of the time, but Doodle graphics is also a solution. There are also many Royalty free images site than many GSer use which provide from poor - totally awesome graphics.
4. Lastly, don't push yourself. I've been in Germany for a month and two weeks now. I have had no time to spend on making games, but use those time wisely. I usually carry if not a book, an iPad with me. When I have an idea, just type or even DRAW it out. When you are home, do them step by step.
Regards,
If i might add that the icon is everything
Look at what is hot, look at what colors are hot
small details matter and that icon IS 99% what makes the sale
by that i mean if you consider there are thousands to click on and no one will even see anything else if the icon doesn't grab them.
My best selling game to date intentionally used the exact color scheme from AT&T just because the colors are successful and everywhere.
The game has had runs 300+ plus days and i really feel it is just because the icon and name grabbed them. Once someone clicks on your icon your chances of a sale probably increase by 1,000,000 (no joke when you look at your competition)
BOTTOM LINE
get someone to click on your icon
Might I add that Bumps has an amazing icon and great colors... I can see why people were compelled to click it.
Darren is amazing with his eye candy!!!
notice the colors
-there are 3 styles: the montains are cartoon , the clouds are semi realistic, the sky is a solid color
-clouds project shadows at sky?
-the clouds shadow have a abrubt cut on base
just sugestions:
-make cartoon clouds without shadows
-add blue and remove greeen from sky solid color
Regards, Riffel
www.marcosriffel.com
Oh not to hijack this thread, but while we are on the subject I really need to talk to someone about doing some graphics for me. email me at myGSusername@yahoo(.)com for more info
I'm not sure what you mean about the custom fonts. For doing scores the 0-9 actors use minimal RAM and add a total of about 50kb to the binary size. If you mean information text in the game done as pngs then it will take up a little space (maybe 200kb in the binary for a screen full of text), but none of my games have gone over 20mb yet and they are full of png text. The GS fonts are a serious turn off to customers, use them sparingly.
FMG mentioned earlier a good site for music, and I noticed a post on the forums from a musician offering their work for free earlier today.
I know I probably sound horribly arrogant, but as has been mentioned time and time again in other threads crappy looking games don't sell. If you want some return on simple looking things and concepts then think about maybe doing kids educational games. Good rate of return, kinder reviewers and easy to make.
Ultimately look at the top games in each category you are making for, this is what you need to aim for if you want to do well. The other thing to do is look at what sells to kids. Kids don't play as many shoot em ups and fighting games as when we were young, the most popular games are the ones they can play on facebook (time management, thinking games, god games). Of all the ideas I come up with for games most of them get thrown out after a while because I realise they either don't have a good market, they are something I want (not others) or I am making it just because I can.
may be a gradient ( use a png image ) if you have free memory.
Tigerfish art was made with macbook trackpad
www.marcosriffel.com
You create them yourself to a size of 320x480. You can get the iphone and ipad graphics from your apple developer area, they are in the resources bit to download in a zip file. Slot your actual screenshots into the phone and then add graphics, text, fingers, anything to make it look aesthetically good.