Releasing your first game... what was some of your expectations, fails and successes?

PixelPun

I am very close to putting out my first game on the Apple App Store. I'm sure that we all have delusions of grandeur after we complete our first app and maybe even a small few of us actually achieve what we want. I am honestly just happy to have this game finished. I think that I have realistic expectations for my game because I know its short comings and strengths, but the knowledge I have gained over the past months has been invaluable. I sorta figured it was time to finish the game up and take my growing knowledge and start on something new... rather than constantly going back and implementing into my current game.

My question to you guys is what were your expectations when releasing your first game to the app store? Did your game do better or worse than you expected? Did anything happen with your game that you didn't expect after you released it (for better or worse).

DreamLab

Still working on my first game, haven't had much time with school and all. But the only advice I can give is make sure it's polished and looks like it came from Chillingo, Gameloft, EA, ect. If you want a successful game, the first step is having a great game.
Looks good- Attracts buyers
Game is fun- Word of mouth, good reviews
Word of mouth and good reviews- more buyers

Not all great games get noticed right away, so don't get down if your first game doesn't do so well.

patapple

I released my first game till 2 months ago. I'm 15 and one of my dreams was to publish a game on the app store and earn some money. Before realese it, I thought can I do millions, but immediately after I understand that can't be possible. In 2 months I earned 60$ but now I have one of my dreams came true. Don't be afraid to fails with your game, if your happy to do that do it.

SAZ_1

yea... going in with high expectations for your first app is a given i think... we all think we can be the next angry birds!.. most of us however don't end up taking off quite as we expected... Fowl Ops. didn't do well at all (we've nick named it fowl flops .. lol.. because of that disappointment) .. but that drive and hope is what makes you improve your work for the next game and so on.... simply put just enjoy the experience! .. knowing you have a game out there in the same genre, platform, app store as the classics you played like sonic as a child, is a huge buzz on its own accord... do it just for that feeling!

PixelPun

@patapple Thanks for the comment! Yeah I told my wife if I could buy lunch once off of what my games makes then I would be happy!

mynameisace

Expected $100k, got $100 lol.

Ace

Nmdogdude

From my experience, publishing was easily the hardest part, where one thing would work, but another wouldn't or it would work half the time. Word of advice, update Gamesalad, Xcode, Application Uploader, etc. as often as possible.

PixelPun

@SAZ_1 Yeah, it really feels good to have it almost finished.

tatiang

When I made my first app (not very long ago), I just wanted to have the experience of creating and publishing an app. Making a $1 would be great, making $100 would be amazing. I made $4 so far and it's not looking like I'll make much more than that. So... I exceeded my expectations! I think the thing I most underestimated was the importance of understanding and implementing a marketing strategy. I just published it and waited for the masses to buy it. Which didn't happen. But as you said, I've learned so much through that process and since then that I've been applying to other games I'm working on.

Good luck!

quantumsheep

When I published my first iPhone game (the second to be published with GS EVER ), I did no marketing for it at all and it sank without a trace.

Mainly because, while I was proud of the accomplishment, the game just wasn't good enough.

This was back when GameSalad didn't even have a 'save' feature!

My first games aren't available anymore. But I learned the value of having good graphics, gameplay and music, and of taking my time to make something I was truly proud of.

So much time and effort goes into making a game that it does take it out of you after a while. I try, these days, to have no expectations going in as to how much it might sell.

Instead I focus on trying to make the game fun

Hope that helps,

QS :D

MarkOnTheIron

With my first game I expected to become millionaire. Then the harsh reality hit me with only 30$.

Then I took a good look at the game I thought it would make me rich and I said: "I was really thinking on becoming rich with this crap?"

Take your first games as a learning experience and then move on to make your games better and better until hopefully one day you will have your hit

patapple

With my first game I expected to become millionaire. Then the harsh reality hit me with only 30$.

Then I took a good look at the game I thought it would make me rich and I said: "I was really thinking on becoming rich with this crap?"

Take your first games as a learning experience and then move on to make your games better and better until hopefully one day you will have your hit

exactly my same experience

imGua

I expect commercial failure. Just because it's a statistic, and I don't have enaught time for the proper marketing.

PixelPun

Yeah, I believe the knowledge that comes from creating your first game is worth so much more than the app itself. I am debating on starting on the sequel to the game just because I really want to apply everything I know now. Its funny also because I think I could make a better sequel in half the time it took me to make the original one.

Ebreeze

The kindle market is hot right now...that should be an avenue to consider to make some cash

PixelPun

Well I hit the button to make my game kindle ready... :P I think I could build a new game in the time it would take me to reformat all the graphics for Kindle... But I really want to get something on kindle also...

SAZ_1

depends how you made the game @PixelPun there are some good work arounds rather then resizing all your artwork etc... mainly playing around with camera size.. if you built it on ipad/ retina display you might not need to reformat everything.

LeonardDeveloper

Expected lots, Got little

macewan

I read an article somewhere that your first 10 games need to be put out without expectation of success. Just do 'em up and get them out. Like learning to ride a bike.

mynameisace

In all seriousness, completing your first full game is worth more than money. Not only do you learn the tool, learn what people expect, learn your mistakes, but you also learn, which is never really talked about, how genuinely difficult it is to complete a game. Not because of money/time restraints, but the mental push and strain that it takes to cross the finishing line.

But then yeah, you look at it and it sucks, but that doesn't matter

Ace

xforce

i havnt released my first game yet but its around the corner. in saying that i really have no idea what to expect. i can and am doing the best i can but taking into account i cant work on it forever as the perfectionist side of me would like to keep doing. but in saying that i'd be happy if i somehow could make 20-100 a week. thats not my expectation but its definetly my goal. though my long term goal is to slowly build up a portfolio of very very very good games that will hopefully give me credibility as a videogame designer.

PixelPun

Yeah... Its hard to come home from working a 10 hour day... and instead of relaxing and playing games... Sitting in front of the computer and designing. Plus... I really want to finish this game before May 15th... :P if ya know what I mean..

heathcc

Unrealistic expectations are part of the allure of an App Store release! Every time I release something I'm excited to see what might happen. I hoped for a big result on one release that amounted to almost nothing and a few others have been nice money makers. The release I hoped would be big....only 1-2 sales until ONE day in Japan when I got several hundred and then back down to 1-2. Strange ;-).

The only tip I can give is this: The last 10% of an App is about 50% of the total effort if polished and honed well. And at that point, you just want to get the thing published. Take the time to make good screenshot/art for previews and a great product description. Look at other apps from proven developers to see how they describe their product and present images. Don't skimp on this- it is the ONLY thing aside from word of mouth that will get someone to pull the trigger on a purchase or download.

H