@photics, I think the reference to the tool is in the analogy of what QS mentioned. If GS was that bad (memory management, lack of leaderboards etc, etc), how come TSB, FMG and utopian are making the big bucks?
Some times you have to work with what you have.
If a construction worker (which I was at one time), only has a nail and a hammer, he'll make the best with that and perhaps start nailing all panels (might be slower), but it gets the job done. Sometimes having a power tool isn't that faster if you don't know how to use it.
I have to agree with what QS said on the previous page, and what rdcube said above.
You make the best with what you have. GS has a great engine, that goes without saying. There are some significant limitations, so the types of games you can do also become limited. There are other options out there, but it comes with a comparatively larger learning curve.
That being said, the past five days I've been learning Lua. But, more importantly, I've been actually having fun learning and experimenting in Corona. Some of the stuff I've done could have taken mere minutes in GameSalad, but it's the fun of discovery and thinking outside the box that has ignited my old passion of coding I thought I lost a long time ago.
Now, some of the other stuff I'm doing makes me feel like I could be in the bigger leagues of app developers - with one of the games I'm starting to work on, I added in a few lines and, boom, my game is OpenFeint enabled.
Within the past five days, I have been able to code the ability to pull down files from the web, such as images and data files, which opens the doors for downloadable content, and multiplayer gameplay. I have been able to access the microphone and have it display the note I'm singing. I have been able to alter gravity in any direction as I see fit. I am able to use standard iOS GUI elements to pop up web pages and prompts. It really feels more like a natural iPhone app, and it boots up and begins instantly.
The more I'm learning, the more doors open up and my imagination is no longer as limited.
But, believe me when I tell you that I miss the ridiculous ease of GS' drag-and-drop of actors. The game I'm designing right now can probably be created in a day in GameSalad, but what I won't be able to add, which I feel can greatly add to its likability and replayability factors, and ultimately its profitability power, are a level editor, online leaderboard and achievements, and in-game linking to my other apps on the AppStore.
Going back to GS, like I said, I could easily create a working model of my game in a day, maybe a few hours. And while the lack of those additional features that I'd like to add can hurt me, it's the fact that GameSalad is imposing a cut in my net profits and a name over my title, for no good reason, mind you - that just pushes me over the edge to create the game elsewhere.
I'm glad Corona is around as a viable alternative for me. It doesn't make game developer easy, but it does make it easier than trying to do it in Objective-C and Cocos2D or some other middleware.
That being said, I've decided to recreate the original Archangel: FGC in Corona from scratch, and likely all my current GS titles. The mere fact that I can release them as updates for all my tens of thousands of current customers should be a given. I can't say the same if I stuck with GS and their GS Direct.
It's obvious that we can't get GS to speak up about anything regarding numbers or the state of existing subscriptions, or even speak up about why they really don't speak up. That's just like rubbing alcohol on an open wound. But, I'd consider using GS again if some of those issues are addressed or at least acknowledged. I thought we'd see something by the end of this month, but it's already the end of the month and 0.9.0 is nowhere in sight.
@jweaver911, I read yours and phonics post (between QS and my post). I am too a musician and when I started playing guitar, I could only afford an acoustic guitar while I learned to play (I didn't saw the need on investing on an electric guitar package).
As I learned and started getting request to be on some bands, I worked my way up to buy my fender and an amp...but didn't had mug money to buy pedals...so I worked with the built in distortion my marshall had.
For me, starting out small and getting better and having fun was what was more important.
Quoting QS again "Say what you like about the GameSalad team and its new dire direction. But don't blame the bloody tool. We all use the same tool pretty much, and hugely successful games have been made with it."
Like I said, SOMETIMES, you just have to work with what you have...I might add, there are definitely other alternatives and that's why Corona (sticking to subject) is around.
Sorry, I don't mean to sound rude and don't want to offend anybody...I'll retract from my 'ALL' comment and say 'some of us'.
I wished GS would stick around (my acoustic) and When they get better (acoustic/electric), I'll be around (buying pedals
Photics said: If GameSalad had better memory management / performance, Game Center and iAds for Express, I'd be making better games and making more money.
This again. You've completely ignored what I've said and buried your head in the sand.
People are making hugely successful games right now with the less than stellar memory issues, no Game Centre and no iAds.
Bumps.
Red Balls of Goo.
Danger Cats.
Stunt Squirrels.
Stuff that StusApps made
All done with Express. Some (Danger Cats, Stunt Squirrels) on much earlier versions of the software that weren't as good as GS is now.
Stop it. Stop blaming the tools. Yell about the rubbish publishing system, sure. Go to Corona if that makes you happy. But stop blaming the tools when it doesn't fit your mental model: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_model
@JM Love that you brought guitars up - I love them!
And I'm rubbish at analogies, so forgive me if this one makes no sense.
If you put a beginner guitarist in a guitar shop, and let him play whichever guitar he chooses (be it the cheap acoustic gathering dust in the corner, or the Jem or Les Paul in the glass cases) then they will not sound good regardless of the tool (the instrument) they pick to play.
A beginner guitarist will know a few chords. Those chords might sound better played with a Jem, but they're still the same chords. They're still played badly (as the guitarist is just beginning) and the same result will emerge.
Till he learns how to play, he's never really going to see any improvement regardless of which guitar he plays.
It's not the guitar's fault. It's down to the player.
So how do you become a better guitar player? Get the latest and most expensive gear? No. You practice. You practice and practice and practice.
Soon you're out of your bedroom and playing with friends in a band in your garage.
The other thing that links making games to guitars is that they're both fun to learn!
Anyway, I think I'm done. To recap:
Rubbish new publishing system. Please go to Corona/Unity/Xcode if you feel the need to, and I wish you all the best of luck (I'm looking forward to BTTs games! And I saw Nulo's platformer in Unity - that looks awesome with just blocks in it! Nice one, mate!) People are making money right now with the same tool you have. Utopian Games uses an express membership. It's what the majority here have. Learn from his example! Stop blaming the tool for your lack of success. Yes it could be better. Yes it could have more features. But it's not the tool holding us back, it's just us.
*sticks two fingers up at GS management, hugs the GameSalad tool*
@QS: I suck at Tennis unless I'm using a Prince Racquet, damn those crummy Racquets!
All joking aside, while there are limitations with GS, you can still get out there and make a game. I have a gazillion ideas for games, and wish I had more time, or people to help me execute them.
What he's saying politely, and what I will say bluntly, is quit your whining, get out there, and make a bloody game.
If FMG, TshirtBooth, Utopian, and other people here can make games, and make money off them, so can you!
quantumsheep said: This again. You've completely ignored what I've said and buried your head in the sand.
I read what you wrote and I disagree. It's simply illogical. Could a company like Netflix exist today if not for the Internet? Humans are the dominate species on this planet because our mastery of tools.
So there have been some success stories with GameSalad... what about synthesis, who had three games shelved because of GameSalad issues? These are 2D games. I shouldn't have to limit the artwork in my game, or use crazy workarounds, just to make a game.
You mentioned Bumps. Some of the biggest complaints about that game are the fault of GameSalad, not the developer. To pretend everything is sunshine and roses with GameSalad is like burying your head in the sand.
GameSalad is a beta. The community provides feedback. The GameSalad team can update the software accordingly.
I've had some success with Android. I made far more money with advertisement based games. The iTunes App store is divided into two categories... free and paid. You think it's OK that it was $1999 a year to access the other market?
Firemaplegames and Tshirtbooth are both Pro subscribers. That's why your logic is completely flawed. Tshirtbooth has increased success because he can actually create hyperlinks in his "lite" apps.
I can complain and I can create apps. It's as simple as that.
That's the one nice thing about GameSalad Direct®. If I choose to use it, I can finally create an accurate iAds test. I strongly suspect that the advertisement based version of Arcade Action would make far more money than the paid version. With GameSalad Direct® I can test it.
@Photics: to hope that iAds will be your saving grace is a huge piftall my friend. iAds will make you minimal income.
Free app users are very different than paid app users.
Paid apps are much more sticky than free apps, meaning they tend to stay in the top rankings once there, whereas free apps can roam a bit more therefore, iAds will not be your saving grace.
iAd income is in no way reliable, and you're much better off spending your energy and time into making a nice library of paid apps.
I tried iAds, and it has made me on average, $5 dollars a day with 3 apps.
If $5-$25 ($25 being generous) is the goal you had in mind, then go for it, otherwise it's a wish upon a star to hope that iAds will generate a lot of income.
Now one feature that could make you some serious money is "In app purchasing"
But you have to have the right game, and the right market to use that, and only about 3-4% of people actually pay for the in app purchases, so you better hope your app is in the top 100 free, or forget it.
tshirtbooth said: You need to build with in the limitations of the tool.
It's true and that's what I try to do. I think synthesis was pushing the software too hard... but what if GameSalad had better performance. He would have made more money.
GameSalad's current state = 0 sales for three of his projects So, if he could have gotten his games on the app store, he'd only need to sell ONE copy to be making more money.
I haven't given up on GameSalad and Annoyed Tomatoes is my best GameSalad game yet. However, to tell the community that they need to stop complaining is incredibly shortsighted. That's what this forum is about. It's feedback for the GameSalad team.
...and if the GameSalad team doesn't react to the constructive feedback from the community, then why shouldn't I try competing products?
GameSalad Pluses... + Easy to use + Fast way to make a game + Inexpensive (with Express subscription) + No coding necessary
GameSalad Minuses... - It's not for sale?! (Pro was priced too high, but removing it completely seems like a bad idea.) - It's not customizable. (You can't add your own behaviors) - Games load slowly - Pro features currently unavailable to those who don't have a Pro subscription - Memory Issues - Communication with the community is poor.
The GameSalad team should be fixing the memory issues with the next update. If a sensible alternative to GameSalad Direct® is presented, that should resolve another two issues... pro features and GameSalad pricing. With the memory improvements, perhaps the games will load faster too.
The majority of GameSalad problems could be resolved at any time. A single update could change the direct of GameSalad dramatically. I think the GameSalad team is working towards that goal and they will likely make good things happen with the software. That's why I'm still here. The software could have a bright future... but the community is part of that. We're basically beta testers. Our opinions are important.
quantumsheep said: I look forward to your next excuse.
Heh, that's an odd comment from the champion of the "Pause" behavior. You ranted on and on about GameSalad games needing pause. How many people told you to silence your opinion?
Photics said: Heh, that's an odd comment from the champion of the "Pause" behavior. You ranted on and on about GameSalad games needing pause. How many people told you to silence your opinion?
Yes, and repeatedly stated that, as many pointed out, there were work-arounds. I *chose* not to use them and asked for a simpler solution.
I was blaming *myself* and *my* inabilities rather than the tool. It was a feature that we *had* and was taken away. Others had implemented pause systems, and *I* chose not to do that in the hope it would be put back in as the simple system it was.
The ultimate responsibility and choice was mine.
And despite it all, it didn't stop me making a game. So, next point.
They released the first iphone game made with Game Maker. The Mac version is released. The iPhone toolset will be released shortly (as far as I understand). It costs only 25 dollars. No need for coding (but possible).
Go and try. Make your game while waiting for the iPhone publishing.
butterbean said: iAd income is in no way reliable, and you're much better off spending your energy and time into making a nice library of paid apps.
My plan it to use advertisement based apps it's in addition to paid apps. It's more of a marketing strategy to increase the sales of paid apps. One of the biggest money-makers on the iTunes market is in-app purchases. Not having that is also cutting off a revenue stream.
-- iAds -- in-app purchases -- hyperlinks from lite versions to paid versions of apps
That seems like a lot of money being lost.
butterbean said: If $5-$25 ($25 being generous) is the goal you had in mind, then go for it, otherwise it's a wish upon a star to hope that iAds will generate a lot of income.
That figure is quite scalable. If iAds could generate $25 a day with three apps, then I should be able to do $200 a day with 24 apps. Will I be able to make 24 apps in a single month? Heh... no... but combine iAds with Paid apps and in-app purchases, that $200 mark seems possible.
quantumsheep said: Yes, and repeatedly stated that, as many pointed out, there were work-arounds. I *chose* not to use them and asked for a simpler solution.
I'm not sure the pause workaround is acceptable. If you have a lot of actors, already pushing the limit of 2G devices, adding the extra rules could cause a severe drop in performance.
I thought it was funny that you complained about pause. I didn't see it as a bad thing. Heh... maybe you're one of the reasons the 2-3 month delay with GameSalad updates. Pause is coming. That's what the last monthly update from Yodapolla said.
The words "Quantum Leap" were used. It seems that you influenced the future of the software. The GameSalad team couldn't easily implement pause. They had to look at the software and figure out this challenge. Why would they do that if the software was good enough?
This is not about the community choosing to accept an inferior tool. This is about progress. The GameSalad forum exists so that the community can post their feedback about the software.
@Photics: When I mentioned $25 dollars per day for 3 apps, I said that was "generous"
I myself have never made $25 bucks off iAds with 3 apps, I think $10 was the most in one day, and usually it's on weekends.
On average, I make about $80 per month on iAds. It pays the electric bill
As for improvements, GS has more maturing to do, and I would like to see in app purchasing myself, but for now, I'll continue to make what games I can with the tool now, and worry about the bigger stuff later when it comes.
Blaming GS for a lack of initial success on an app is obviously stupid, as many members here have had successful apps.
However, if GS would continue to update the engine and strive to give the developers the most tools and abilities, these successful games could easily be MORE successful. Thus GS is empowering by the sheer speed of development, but it also will hinder the success of the app.
Making a game with GS will always (in its current state) result in a game that will not be as successful as if it were made with a different devkit. Bumps wouldn't crash, Grisly Manor wouldn't have any load times, all of these games could have facebook integration, OF, etc. for free advertising, and some people won't buy a game if they know it was made with GS. The list goes on and on.
But again, you are provided with a GUI, rapid game development, and the ease of scenes.
And GS sounds like it will be a much better tool whenever this update comes out, and hopefully this additional time is being used to re-work the GSDirect strategy to include a pro option. So *hopefully* those limitations will be a thing of the past, we can all go back to making games quickly (and publish them ourselves), and all will be swell.
Eastbound said: Blaming GS for a lack of initial success on an app is obviously stupid, as many members here have had successful apps.
Heh... when the community relations was... "rhymes with iPad" ...and I design a game based around iAds... and then the feature was released as Pro only I don't see it as "stupid" to blame GameSalad. It could have easily been announced beforehand, "Hey everyone... we're adding iAds to GameSalad. It will be a Pro only feature."
Photics said: Heh... when the community relations was... "rhymes with iPad" ...and I design a game based around iAds... and then the feature was released as Pro only I don't see it as "stupid" to blame GameSalad. It could have easily been announced beforehand, "Hey everyone... we're adding iAds to GameSalad. It will be a Pro only feature."
Oh, no doubt. I forgot about that hooplah.
The lack of GSDirect communication now makes the iAds ordeal look tiny, in retrospect.
Soldiers don't fight wars with crossbows anymore. They use guns. Construction works use power tools. Farmers use tractors, not oxen. Modern computers tend to have graphical user interfaces, not DOS prompts or BASIC.
If GameSalad had better memory management / performance, Game Center and iAds for Express, I'd be making better games and making more money.
GameSalad is a step towards modern programming, by making it more accessible. GameSalad Direct® is a step backwards, because it limits it to novice developers... those not interested in freelance projects or building a game development company.
+1 I agree with Photics. But I also think developers that are not willing to put time and money into there projects also do bad.
No time + No money = bad quality? I think is mainly about spending good amount of time to plan your game, polish and work within the limits of the software to make a great game.
To photics, I thinkist of the stuff you want right now can be or will be able to be done with corona (sticking to subject).
One thing we might be forgetting, is that corona is cross platform.
Quoting Carlos from ansca: "that is Corona's goal, that level of integration so that you can benefit from the cross platform strategy."
They're currently recruiting beta testers for their IAP. Next stop will be game center, but since this is specifically to Apple, we might get additional features to include in open feint...and if you're not happy in that direction, you can always build your own leaderboard and receive/transmit data from your own servers (or hosting).
I know this idea of Arcade Action and iAds has been mentioned before. I said my thoughts when I paid for and played the game. Unless you can get significant downloads then it will make minimal amounts through ad revenue. To me, the game was just not that appealing and I think it would struggle to shift any amount. I remember at the time I said this as you were contemplating dropping $2000 just for iAds and didn't want you to waste money. There is an easy way to test it though before GSD is released. Just make the game free for a week, if it seems to be shifting good numbers then your iAds strategy might work. I have 1 game that is free that has done over 50000 downloads and another paid one that I made free and moved 20000 units in 4 days. These 2 might make a little if they had iAds, perhaps.
On the point of whether GS is in desperate need of new features .... well if you are FMG or Tshirtbooth then perhaps you can raise this point, as you have managed to make successful games as the software is now. If you can't make a game successful using the current features then you are not gonna thrive on more advanced ones.
My wants for GS are still very simple. Fix the bugs and make it quick and stable, also keep the ability to publish our own games. Simple! Hell, I'll even give you $2000 if you can do this.
Ha ha... that's funny... but I like Corona. They were opportunists that shook GameSalad back to sanity. With Corona's "XGS" meddling, it was obvious that GameSalad was on a suicide run. If I had to stop using GameSalad today, Corona would likely be the replacement.
I haven't bought Corona just yet, but I still plan to. This incident has forced me to consider my options, and the more I look at Corona, the more I like it. I've never done any real coding, but I am beginning to understand the key components of lua.
The news about GS is great, but it is still incomplete...like a few things around here. I'm pretty sure that the damage done is permanent for some and we will not see everyone return, even after a real announcement. Of course, GS doesn't care as long as they can convince thousands of new users to join up, since that doesn't involve family friendly-ing yourself out now.
Comments
I think the reference to the tool is in the analogy of what QS mentioned.
If GS was that bad (memory management, lack of leaderboards etc, etc), how come TSB, FMG and utopian are making the big bucks?
Some times you have to work with what you have.
If a construction worker (which I was at one time), only has a nail and a hammer, he'll make the best with that and perhaps start nailing all panels (might be slower), but it gets the job done.
Sometimes having a power tool isn't that faster if you don't know how to use it.
All takes time and getting used to.
You make the best with what you have. GS has a great engine, that goes without saying. There are some significant limitations, so the types of games you can do also become limited. There are other options out there, but it comes with a comparatively larger learning curve.
That being said, the past five days I've been learning Lua. But, more importantly, I've been actually having fun learning and experimenting in Corona. Some of the stuff I've done could have taken mere minutes in GameSalad, but it's the fun of discovery and thinking outside the box that has ignited my old passion of coding I thought I lost a long time ago.
Now, some of the other stuff I'm doing makes me feel like I could be in the bigger leagues of app developers - with one of the games I'm starting to work on, I added in a few lines and, boom, my game is OpenFeint enabled.
Within the past five days, I have been able to code the ability to pull down files from the web, such as images and data files, which opens the doors for downloadable content, and multiplayer gameplay. I have been able to access the microphone and have it display the note I'm singing. I have been able to alter gravity in any direction as I see fit. I am able to use standard iOS GUI elements to pop up web pages and prompts. It really feels more like a natural iPhone app, and it boots up and begins instantly.
The more I'm learning, the more doors open up and my imagination is no longer as limited.
But, believe me when I tell you that I miss the ridiculous ease of GS' drag-and-drop of actors. The game I'm designing right now can probably be created in a day in GameSalad, but what I won't be able to add, which I feel can greatly add to its likability and replayability factors, and ultimately its profitability power, are a level editor, online leaderboard and achievements, and in-game linking to my other apps on the AppStore.
Going back to GS, like I said, I could easily create a working model of my game in a day, maybe a few hours. And while the lack of those additional features that I'd like to add can hurt me, it's the fact that GameSalad is imposing a cut in my net profits and a name over my title, for no good reason, mind you - that just pushes me over the edge to create the game elsewhere.
I'm glad Corona is around as a viable alternative for me. It doesn't make game developer easy, but it does make it easier than trying to do it in Objective-C and Cocos2D or some other middleware.
That being said, I've decided to recreate the original Archangel: FGC in Corona from scratch, and likely all my current GS titles. The mere fact that I can release them as updates for all my tens of thousands of current customers should be a given. I can't say the same if I stuck with GS and their GS Direct.
It's obvious that we can't get GS to speak up about anything regarding numbers or the state of existing subscriptions, or even speak up about why they really don't speak up. That's just like rubbing alcohol on an open wound. But, I'd consider using GS again if some of those issues are addressed or at least acknowledged. I thought we'd see something by the end of this month, but it's already the end of the month and 0.9.0 is nowhere in sight.
PS.
I like how you didn't even read/consider the posts between QS and yours.
I read yours and phonics post (between QS and my post).
I am too a musician and when I started playing guitar, I could only afford an acoustic guitar while I learned to play (I didn't saw the need on investing on an electric guitar package).
As I learned and started getting request to be on some bands, I worked my way up to buy my fender and an amp...but didn't had mug money to buy pedals...so I worked with the built in distortion my marshall had.
For me, starting out small and getting better and having fun was what was more important.
Quoting QS again "Say what you like about the GameSalad team and its new dire direction. But don't blame the bloody tool. We all use the same tool pretty much, and hugely successful games have been made with it."
Like I said, SOMETIMES, you just have to work with what you have...I might add, there are definitely other alternatives and that's why Corona (sticking to subject) is around.
Sorry, I don't mean to sound rude and don't want to offend anybody...I'll retract from my 'ALL' comment and say 'some of us'.
I wished GS would stick around (my acoustic) and When they get better (acoustic/electric), I'll be around (buying pedals
People are making hugely successful games right now with the less than stellar memory issues, no Game Centre and no iAds.
Bumps.
Red Balls of Goo.
Danger Cats.
Stunt Squirrels.
Stuff that StusApps made
All done with Express. Some (Danger Cats, Stunt Squirrels) on much earlier versions of the software that weren't as good as GS is now.
Stop it. Stop blaming the tools. Yell about the rubbish publishing system, sure. Go to Corona if that makes you happy. But stop blaming the tools when it doesn't fit your mental model: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_model
@JM
Love that you brought guitars up - I love them!
And I'm rubbish at analogies, so forgive me if this one makes no sense.
If you put a beginner guitarist in a guitar shop, and let him play whichever guitar he chooses (be it the cheap acoustic gathering dust in the corner, or the Jem or Les Paul in the glass cases) then they will not sound good regardless of the tool (the instrument) they pick to play.
A beginner guitarist will know a few chords. Those chords might sound better played with a Jem, but they're still the same chords. They're still played badly (as the guitarist is just beginning) and the same result will emerge.
Till he learns how to play, he's never really going to see any improvement regardless of which guitar he plays.
It's not the guitar's fault. It's down to the player.
So how do you become a better guitar player? Get the latest and most expensive gear? No. You practice. You practice and practice and practice.
Soon you're out of your bedroom and playing with friends in a band in your garage.
The other thing that links making games to guitars is that they're both fun to learn!
Anyway, I think I'm done. To recap:
Rubbish new publishing system.
Please go to Corona/Unity/Xcode if you feel the need to, and I wish you all the best of luck (I'm looking forward to BTTs games! And I saw Nulo's platformer in Unity - that looks awesome with just blocks in it! Nice one, mate!)
People are making money right now with the same tool you have. Utopian Games uses an express membership. It's what the majority here have. Learn from his example!
Stop blaming the tool for your lack of success. Yes it could be better. Yes it could have more features. But it's not the tool holding us back, it's just us.
*sticks two fingers up at GS management, hugs the GameSalad tool*
QS
Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io
All joking aside, while there are limitations with GS, you can still get out there and make a game. I have a gazillion ideas for games, and wish I had more time, or people to help me execute them.
What he's saying politely, and what I will say bluntly, is quit your whining, get out there, and make a bloody game.
If FMG, TshirtBooth, Utopian, and other people here can make games, and make money off them, so can you!
The only thing holding yourself back, is you.
So there have been some success stories with GameSalad... what about synthesis, who had three games shelved because of GameSalad issues? These are 2D games. I shouldn't have to limit the artwork in my game, or use crazy workarounds, just to make a game.
You mentioned Bumps. Some of the biggest complaints about that game are the fault of GameSalad, not the developer. To pretend everything is sunshine and roses with GameSalad is like burying your head in the sand.
GameSalad is a beta. The community provides feedback. The GameSalad team can update the software accordingly.
I've had some success with Android. I made far more money with advertisement based games. The iTunes App store is divided into two categories... free and paid. You think it's OK that it was $1999 a year to access the other market?
Firemaplegames and Tshirtbooth are both Pro subscribers. That's why your logic is completely flawed. Tshirtbooth has increased success because he can actually create hyperlinks in his "lite" apps.
I can complain and I can create apps. It's as simple as that.
That's the one nice thing about GameSalad Direct®. If I choose to use it, I can finally create an accurate iAds test. I strongly suspect that the advertisement based version of Arcade Action would make far more money than the paid version. With GameSalad Direct® I can test it.
I look forward to your next excuse.
QS
Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io
iAds will make you minimal income.
Free app users are very different than paid app users.
Paid apps are much more sticky than free apps, meaning they tend to stay in the top rankings once there, whereas free apps can roam a bit more therefore, iAds will not be your saving grace.
iAd income is in no way reliable, and you're much better off spending your energy and time into making a nice library of paid apps.
I tried iAds, and it has made me on average, $5 dollars a day with 3 apps.
If $5-$25 ($25 being generous) is the goal you had in mind, then go for it, otherwise it's a wish upon a star to hope that iAds will generate a lot of income.
Now one feature that could make you some serious money is "In app purchasing"
But you have to have the right game, and the right market to use that, and only about 3-4% of people actually pay for the in app purchases, so you better hope your app is in the top 100 free, or forget it.
QS
Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io
GameSalad's current state = 0 sales for three of his projects So, if he could have gotten his games on the app store, he'd only need to sell ONE copy to be making more money.
I haven't given up on GameSalad and Annoyed Tomatoes is my best GameSalad game yet. However, to tell the community that they need to stop complaining is incredibly shortsighted. That's what this forum is about. It's feedback for the GameSalad team.
...and if the GameSalad team doesn't react to the constructive feedback from the community, then why shouldn't I try competing products?
GameSalad Pluses...
+ Easy to use
+ Fast way to make a game
+ Inexpensive (with Express subscription)
+ No coding necessary
GameSalad Minuses...
- It's not for sale?! (Pro was priced too high, but removing it completely seems like a bad idea.)
- It's not customizable. (You can't add your own behaviors)
- Games load slowly
- Pro features currently unavailable to those who don't have a Pro subscription
- Memory Issues
- Communication with the community is poor.
The GameSalad team should be fixing the memory issues with the next update. If a sensible alternative to GameSalad Direct® is presented, that should resolve another two issues... pro features and GameSalad pricing. With the memory improvements, perhaps the games will load faster too.
The majority of GameSalad problems could be resolved at any time. A single update could change the direct of GameSalad dramatically. I think the GameSalad team is working towards that goal and they will likely make good things happen with the software. That's why I'm still here. The software could have a bright future... but the community is part of that. We're basically beta testers. Our opinions are important. Heh, that's an odd comment from the champion of the "Pause" behavior. You ranted on and on about GameSalad games needing pause. How many people told you to silence your opinion?
I was blaming *myself* and *my* inabilities rather than the tool. It was a feature that we *had* and was taken away. Others had implemented pause systems, and *I* chose not to do that in the hope it would be put back in as the simple system it was.
The ultimate responsibility and choice was mine.
And despite it all, it didn't stop me making a game. So, next point.
QS
Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io
Y'all know this applies to anything, right?!
It'll be like auditioning for metallica, when you only know 'nothing else matters' on you acoustic.
Go and try. Make your game while waiting for the iPhone publishing.
-- iAds
-- in-app purchases
-- hyperlinks from lite versions to paid versions of apps
That seems like a lot of money being lost. That figure is quite scalable. If iAds could generate $25 a day with three apps, then I should be able to do $200 a day with 24 apps. Will I be able to make 24 apps in a single month? Heh... no... but combine iAds with Paid apps and in-app purchases, that $200 mark seems possible.
I thought it was funny that you complained about pause. I didn't see it as a bad thing. Heh... maybe you're one of the reasons the 2-3 month delay with GameSalad updates. Pause is coming. That's what the last monthly update from Yodapolla said.
http://gamesalad.com/forums/topic.php?id=9732
The words "Quantum Leap" were used. It seems that you influenced the future of the software. The GameSalad team couldn't easily implement pause. They had to look at the software and figure out this challenge. Why would they do that if the software was good enough?
This is not about the community choosing to accept an inferior tool. This is about progress. The GameSalad forum exists so that the community can post their feedback about the software.
I myself have never made $25 bucks off iAds with 3 apps, I think $10 was the most in one day, and usually it's on weekends.
On average, I make about $80 per month on iAds. It pays the electric bill
As for improvements, GS has more maturing to do, and I would like to see in app purchasing myself, but for now, I'll continue to make what games I can with the tool now, and worry about the bigger stuff later when it comes.
However, if GS would continue to update the engine and strive to give the developers the most tools and abilities, these successful games could easily be MORE successful. Thus GS is empowering by the sheer speed of development, but it also will hinder the success of the app.
Making a game with GS will always (in its current state) result in a game that will not be as successful as if it were made with a different devkit. Bumps wouldn't crash, Grisly Manor wouldn't have any load times, all of these games could have facebook integration, OF, etc. for free advertising, and some people won't buy a game if they know it was made with GS. The list goes on and on.
But again, you are provided with a GUI, rapid game development, and the ease of scenes.
And GS sounds like it will be a much better tool whenever this update comes out, and hopefully this additional time is being used to re-work the GSDirect strategy to include a pro option. So *hopefully* those limitations will be a thing of the past, we can all go back to making games quickly (and publish them ourselves), and all will be swell.
The lack of GSDirect communication now makes the iAds ordeal look tiny, in retrospect.
I think is mainly about spending good amount of time to plan your game, polish and work within the limits of the software to make a great game.
To photics, I thinkist of the stuff you want right now can be or will be able to be done with corona (sticking to subject).
One thing we might be forgetting, is that corona is cross platform.
Quoting Carlos from ansca: "that is Corona's goal, that level of integration so that you can benefit from the cross platform strategy."
They're currently recruiting beta testers for their IAP.
Next stop will be game center, but since this is specifically to Apple, we might get additional features to include in open feint...and if you're not happy in that direction, you can always build your own leaderboard and receive/transmit data from your own servers (or hosting).
Going back to jweaver911, we have options.
And please don't upset the sheep, he's cool!
I know this idea of Arcade Action and iAds has been mentioned before. I said my thoughts when I paid for and played the game. Unless you can get significant downloads then it will make minimal amounts through ad revenue. To me, the game was just not that appealing and I think it would struggle to shift any amount. I remember at the time I said this as you were contemplating dropping $2000 just for iAds and didn't want you to waste money. There is an easy way to test it though before GSD is released. Just make the game free for a week, if it seems to be shifting good numbers then your iAds strategy might work. I have 1 game that is free that has done over 50000 downloads and another paid one that I made free and moved 20000 units in 4 days. These 2 might make a little if they had iAds, perhaps.
My wants for GS are still very simple. Fix the bugs and make it quick and stable, also keep the ability to publish our own games. Simple! Hell, I'll even give you $2000 if you can do this.
Trick or Treat! Particle Candy for Corona
Animated particle systems for your apps and games
http://blog.anscamobile.com/
http://www.youtube.com/v/kq4eFVOvr0Q&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3
attractor, rejector & water effect for particles!!
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The news about GS is great, but it is still incomplete...like a few things around here. I'm pretty sure that the damage done is permanent for some and we will not see everyone return, even after a real announcement. Of course, GS doesn't care as long as they can convince thousands of new users to join up, since that doesn't involve family friendly-ing yourself out now.