How to sell a ten dollar app.

MammothMammoth Member Posts: 640
edited November -1 in Business and Marketing Theory
So I have been working on the art for a very big project the size of an XBLA game like limbo. My goal is to sell in on the marketplace for 10 dollars. What does it need to havein order to have people actually buy it.
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Comments

  • quantumsheepquantumsheep Member Posts: 8,188
    You're a brave man.

    Personally I wouldn't recommend selling at the price. At most, $5 I'd say, and even then you're stretching it.

    Don't look at XBLA games as a point of reference. Look at what's on the app store.

    If you can honestly say your game is better than everything else that's cheaper on the app store, graphically, gameplay wise, sound wise, feature wise, then go ahead.

    But the competition is fierce. Infinity blade, for example, is about $3 these days.

    QS

    Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
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  • SilencingMachineSilencingMachine PRO Posts: 16
    quantumsheep said:
    Don't look at XBLA games as a point of reference. Look at what's on the app store.

    I couldn’t have said it better; apples and oranges for sure.

    But yeah, look at what’s selling on the App Store presently and compare the quality. EA Games is selling some pretty high quality content for a great deal less than that. Even they are falling victim to the race to the bottom.

    Infinity Blade is a decent example; it’s usually 6.99, but 2.99 “for a limited time” because of a recent content patch. They’re trying to attract new players to recoop their dev costs, and don’t forget that they have in-game purchases also.

    To answer your question to some extent though… just a few of the things that people would likely (in my opinion) expect from a $10 app store game would be: (in no particular order btw)
    1) Online multiplayer
    2) Realtime scoreboard (of some kind) to measure e-peens
    3) Compelling game-play; the type that makes it almost impossible to put down. (Maybe through unlockables, leveling character/equipment up, etc etc)
    4) No less than 3-4 solid hours of gameplay (More would be better, as would any number of repeatable tasks – ie grinding, aka “the treadmill”.)
    5) Eyecandy – like particle effects, motion blur, fluent animations, etc etc (read as: well polished)
    6) Memorable, and well produced sound effects and musical tracks
    7) *Insert more here and continue down the list…*

    Anyhow; yeah, it would be a tough sell… could be done for sure; but it might take something like Blizzard joining the bandwagon to accomplish. It’s definitely a lofty goal though.
  • SkyMapleSkyMaple Member Posts: 817
    can you post a video of your game? Im interested.
  • AsymptoteellAsymptoteell Member Posts: 1,362
    This seems like too much. I could get both monkey island games for $6 put together, or both Myst and Riven for $10 put together.
    If you honestly think your game is worth this much, then go for it, I guess, but I think $2.99 is a better price for a really high quality game, think fantastic contraption, etc. $6 for a REALLY REALLY high quality game, like Riven normally is I think and like infinity blade.
    Otherwise, I'd lower the price down.
    sorry.
    Asymptoteell
  • PhoticsPhotics Member Posts: 4,172
    Mammoth said:
    What does it need to havein order to have people actually buy it.

    The Unofficial GameSalad Textbook is $24.99 — so it's not impossible to have a successful app that's more than 99¢.

    With games, that's really difficult though. I'm planning to release BOT at 99¢. It's by far my most advanced GameSalad project, but I don't think it would be successful if priced higher than tier-1. I tried apps at $1.99, but I think it hurt the popularity of those apps.

    If I made BOT with Unity... and it had cool 3D graphics... I still think more than 99¢ would be tough. The most successful games on the iTunes App Store are 99¢.
  • PhoticsPhotics Member Posts: 4,172
    Test complete...

    Traditional - 4.3 Seconds
    White Box / 0.01 timer - 3.3 Seconds
  • AsymptoteellAsymptoteell Member Posts: 1,362
    Photics said:
    Test complete...

    Traditional - 4.3 Seconds
    White Box / 0.01 timer - 3.3 Seconds

    wrong thread.
  • SkyMapleSkyMaple Member Posts: 817
    Asymptoteell said:
    wrong thread.

    darn...too late! :)
  • PhoticsPhotics Member Posts: 4,172
    Well, at least my test was accurate. HA HA :)
  • LumpAppsLumpApps Member Posts: 2,881
    LOL, I was just reading the other thread and when I came up to Photics post I thought I'd lost it.

    I think $ 10,- is much but on the other hand people bought a red diamond for $999 or something so I heard...

    If I knew a game was really good and had features so new and shiny I would buy it. I bought PS3 games for like 50 bucks so why not?
    On the other hand customers in the app store are used to getting stuff for free or little money. And then complain that an app sucks. Perhaps a trend should be made to make quality apps at a higher price... I dunno
  • PhoticsPhotics Member Posts: 4,172
    I think companies like Nintendo could change things. Something like Zelda, Metroid or Mario could go for $20 and probably still do well.

    But when you have companies like SEGA, releasing old Genesis games and Capcom and EA dropping big titles down to 99¢, it creates a pattern for consumers to follow. Why pay more than 99¢ for an app when so many developers play pricing games?

    One thing's for sure. I don't recommend trying it around a holiday. I'm thinking all the price-drop 99¢ apps would likely crush a $10 app.
  • MammothMammoth Member Posts: 640
    I feel that all developers should slowly push their apps up higher in price.

    But I will keep everybody posted on this project. I think I can do it (sell a game for 10 dollars).

    I think NOW it's hard to pay money for a game on iOS in a few years it will be standard.
  • calvin9403calvin9403 Member Posts: 3,186
    $10 is too much for a GS game, you sales might not go well
  • DimensionGamesDimensionGames PRO Posts: 993
    calvin9403 said:
    $10 is too much for a GS game, you sales might not go well

    A GS game..? Gamesalad does NOT affect sales. End of.

    Cheers.
  • DhondonDhondon Member Posts: 717
    I buy a lot of games. But if something is over 5$ I just wait for an sale. 10$ is just too much for an iPhone game. Unless you're making an perfect port of Civ 5 :)
  • MammothMammoth Member Posts: 640
    The reasoning behind the 10 dollar price point is that its becoming more evident that tablets are KEY to the future of gaming. Right now there are not a lot of expensive apps on there but in the future there will be. I feel that in order for big studios to remain open they can start to sell at the 60 dollar price point and then drive the price down later.

    Perhaps 10 dollars for an opening price is good but something lower when the app is older.

    There is also the piracy issue. If you market your game and the price point is too high, then people will pirate it. ;)
  • calvin9403calvin9403 Member Posts: 3,186
    PossesiveGaming said:
    A GS game..? Gamesalad does NOT affect sales. End of.

    Cheers.

    I don't mean by that
    GS still can't do a lot of things, like IAP, 3D etc
    so there will be some limits
  • ozboybrianozboybrian PRO Posts: 2,102
    i'm Going $2.50

    Is that safe?
  • calvin9403calvin9403 Member Posts: 3,186
    $2.50 is not a price tag
    try 2 or 3
  • MammothMammoth Member Posts: 640
    I like the idea of 3 dollar games. Ill probably sell a few at that price point. To me

    That way you can gain some extra publicity when you sell it for 1 dollar.
  • GamersRejoiceGamersRejoice Member Posts: 817
    I'm considering selling my game for $1.99 but I haven't settled on it yet. I keep going back and forth.
  • olster1olster1 Member Posts: 396
    Mammoth said:
    Right now there are not a lot of expensive apps on there but in the future there will be. I feel that in order for big studios to remain open they can start to sell at the 60 dollar price point and then drive the price down later.

    You couldn't be more wrong. (In my opinion) The fact that there will always be cheaper apps with mean there is always a competition in terms of price. Game apps will never get that expensive on the App store. When you look at the thousands of good and bad £0.59 apps out there anything more expensive seems instantly unattractive. Big studios make a fortune even with this small price tag. With an insanely large user base they can afford it.

    As a result I would't go charging more than the 2nd tier price range. Any higher and your pricing yourself out of a potentially huge market.

    Let us know what you end up doing, if it's anything like limbo the projects should be really good.

    Good luck with the sales. (when ever it goes up)
  • tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
    I think your gonna have to make a pretty intense game to succeed at $10. Tablet gaming is the future but for now ppl are not ready and the hardware really cannot support the type of game ppl will pay big money for. I think you have a better shot at slowly pushing the price up as you prove yourself as a developer. I wouldn't go higher than $5 for iPad and $3 for iPhone right now though. then push it up on new projects once you have success with those.

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  • MammothMammoth Member Posts: 640
    People always compare games but at the end of the day it is all about the actual game itself.

    If you look at fast food prices versus restaurant prices they are different because you get something different. You can get a 2 dollar burger or a 20 dollar burger. The reason why it works is that they are different.

    There are all you can eat buffets and appetizers. Two different products with out of proportion prices.

    I have a series of games that I am working on and I do plan to sell them for 2 dollars. They will "overpriced" as viewed by some, but I know people will buy it because they are different. And some people wont and some people will pirate it.
  • MammothMammoth Member Posts: 640
    I should also point out the best example of this is bottled water. (at least in North America). It'e free, yet you can buy 2.00 water at starbucks and people do ;)
  • DizkoDizko Member Posts: 498
    EA can get away with selling a $10 app, independent developers cannot.

    Why?

    Because buying an indie is a risk, no one has a reference to how good your games generally are. When you buy and game from a big publisher/developer there is some prescient of quality to look back on.
  • tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
    Dizko said:
    EA can get away with selling a $10 app, independent developers cannot.

    Why?

    Because buying an indie is a risk, no one has a reference to how good your games generally are. When you buy and game from a big publisher/developer there is some prescient of quality to look back on.

    Exactly my point. You have to prove yourself as a really great developer before you will pull down those prices. you wouldn't buy that $20 burger from McDonald's would you? no. and neither would anyone else. the $20 burgers are at restaurants that cater to a very specific market. the AppStore doesn't have those elite markets yet and prob wont so long as there are big name developers selling iOS games based off their $60 console counterparts at $2 -$5. its gonna be hard to accomplish. I hope your successful but I really doubt a $10 game will be.
  • MammothMammoth Member Posts: 640
    Great points everybody. I'll keep everybody posted on the development of this idea.

    I feel that the answer lies mostly in the marketing. If people want your game they will get it. This is the way The music and publishing industries work, they hype in a certain way that people must have it and will pay anything. Personally the game industry could learn from that. After all albums on iTunes are roughly 10 dollars. I've personally released 4. And I would say that my puzzle game will take Bout as much work as writing an album.
  • kapserkapser Member Posts: 458
    If the game is as big, pretty and good as limbo, then you can probably make it 10$, but if it's 99c I could only imagine the game being a sure hit.

    Most Square enix games are in that price range, so you need to compete with those, whithout having their notoriety. I actually want these games, but I'm not ready to invest the 12$ for it.

    Yes, it's all about the hype, but the people on the iphone are impulse buyers. It's really easy to buy a game when it's just a buck, and convince your friend to buy it also, etc.
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