iAD's are not annoying enough to pay to unlock!!! Ways to take advantage of iAD's...
EIGHTHSIN
Member Posts: 132
Hey guys,
I'm trying to crack down on the various advertising tools we have and finding out ways we can exploit them to our advantage, being the little guy of course!
Take iAD's for example. It's an excellent revenue generating programme, that sits nicely within your game and keeps the money flowing. Now the only way currently to take advantage of iAD's is to have a kick-ass game! If you fail to bring this, you would give your few users very little reason to return to your game!
The way I see it there are 2 type of Ad-based developer, one type that wants to create a game, which could benefit from iAD's and keep the game experience a good one and for this type, this thread is really of no use. However, there is another type, these developers create games and include iAD's in the hopes of generating money via iAP's when the user pays to remove the ads.
For the latter, the iAD's are just not annoying enough for users to pay to have removed. Even if your game is awesome!!! Like always, something has to give!!!
There are ways to use iAD's to our advantage in addition to other tools!
1. Your game could have a feature that the iAD hinders - This could be something as simple as a HUD. For most games, a HUD is not even really needed, and only highlights info to the user, now hiding the HUD with the iAD would give the user a reason to pay to remove it other than the fact that they look ugly, which most users do not care about!!!
2. Combine extra levels with iAD's for greater success - If users know they could pay to not only remove iAD's but also to benefit from extra levels they are more likely to pay for the iAP!!!
3. Provide an additional feature with the iAD removal - This could be a unique theme, or perk to increase the gaming experience!
4. Increase the annoyance factor!!! - Why not create an actor that spawns upon an action, which contains an ad for another game of yours that the user must exit to continue. This not only would promote your other apps, but would also increase the annoyance factor of the ads, which would give the user reason to pay to remove them!!!
These are just a few ideas, if you have any to add please leave a comment for others to see and together we could really start taking advantage of the tools we have!!!
Thank you for reading,
EI8HTHSIN.
I'm trying to crack down on the various advertising tools we have and finding out ways we can exploit them to our advantage, being the little guy of course!
Take iAD's for example. It's an excellent revenue generating programme, that sits nicely within your game and keeps the money flowing. Now the only way currently to take advantage of iAD's is to have a kick-ass game! If you fail to bring this, you would give your few users very little reason to return to your game!
The way I see it there are 2 type of Ad-based developer, one type that wants to create a game, which could benefit from iAD's and keep the game experience a good one and for this type, this thread is really of no use. However, there is another type, these developers create games and include iAD's in the hopes of generating money via iAP's when the user pays to remove the ads.
For the latter, the iAD's are just not annoying enough for users to pay to have removed. Even if your game is awesome!!! Like always, something has to give!!!
There are ways to use iAD's to our advantage in addition to other tools!
1. Your game could have a feature that the iAD hinders - This could be something as simple as a HUD. For most games, a HUD is not even really needed, and only highlights info to the user, now hiding the HUD with the iAD would give the user a reason to pay to remove it other than the fact that they look ugly, which most users do not care about!!!
2. Combine extra levels with iAD's for greater success - If users know they could pay to not only remove iAD's but also to benefit from extra levels they are more likely to pay for the iAP!!!
3. Provide an additional feature with the iAD removal - This could be a unique theme, or perk to increase the gaming experience!
4. Increase the annoyance factor!!! - Why not create an actor that spawns upon an action, which contains an ad for another game of yours that the user must exit to continue. This not only would promote your other apps, but would also increase the annoyance factor of the ads, which would give the user reason to pay to remove them!!!
These are just a few ideas, if you have any to add please leave a comment for others to see and together we could really start taking advantage of the tools we have!!!
Thank you for reading,
EI8HTHSIN.
Comments
Just my two cents.
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It's a fair point though, myself, I prefer to give extra features away in addition to the removal of the iAD's, so as to reward them. I've simply listed the various methods above for whoever may benefit from the methods.
You have to bear in mind that although our own experiences play a large role in how we base a users reaction, this isn't always the case, and may result in losing out in a potential market.
Cheers for the comment though, I think from these sort of comments we can deduce how others may react to the methods listed.
I'd just like to stress that these are simply methods that may increase a member chance at success, these do not reflect my opinion, I just thought they might help someone else, for many people it seems to be working...why not work for you?
So far method 1 and possibly 2 are bringing a bad reaction, which is exactly their purpose and why so many developers are benefiting from it. This is a method of advertising where you kinda corner the user into purchasing the iAP, however this still requires a good game!
If I put my user hat on, I absolutely appall advertising! I can't stand it, just the thought that people out there wish to force useless garbage into my subconscious makes me feel violated...
But when I got my developer hat on I'm looking at ways to take advantage of ad revenue, the way others are and hopefully be in a position some day where I no longer need to rely on ads for revenue.
I am starting to realise that this thread may reflect poorly on myself as a developer, but sometimes, someone needs to point out the harsh reality of this business we find ourself in...
Your logic is a bit off dude... always focus on the game, make sure people don't put it down, if you do that - they might be willing to be ok with well placed ads. Anything short of that + annoying ads = instant delete + maybe a one star review it is was really annoying.
I have titles which are unapologetic in benefiting from ad placement due to the type of app they are. They are not games - they are 'self aware' attempts at attention/eyeball seeking and benefiting from that through ad placement. Clear and simple.
I like people expressing viewpoints like this, makes for interesting reading.
...I think there are plenty of people here "desperate to make a buck", I don't think they are publishing as a charity....(and if they are they are free to do so).
Ethics and capitalism is a current issue many are trying to deal with and many are not. That is why Europe is a mess and 1% of the wealthy hold onto the bulk of capital in the U.S.
Making apps is a way to scrounge a few dollars from the masses and hope for a hit to make it to the super wealthy bracket.
My points relate to an app I have made. Based on my past ethics as a designer I would never have made it. It was made and published in conjunction with a friend (so the blame is not all mine). I was not that proud of it (I am now). However it is the biggest thing I have ever done - seen by more people than I could ever have imagined for any other work I have ever made. It has been quite a learning experience to see what the masses really go for. It is a success, unexpected and perhaps.
I have other apps I want to make that I am confident in and believe them as a worthy legacy (like you). I have learnt I have to make other things to get there though.
Well guess what, that doesn't always work, as I'm sure most of you know. That game "long way home" was awesome, and last I heard it hardly made anything.
Remember that guy had that game "ball drop" or something, which was just a mediocre "tiki totem" style game. He got 30k $0.99 downloads in a month. He wrote everyone a generous and legnthy article on how he did it. By releasing hundereds of stupid mini apps and cross promoting.
And everyone just said "oh that's wrong, you're flooding the app store with dump apps blah blah"
Well guess what he made 30k in a month and you didn't. So obviously there's something worth listening too.
Take "Office Jerk" for example, that's not even a game, just a stupid ad delivery system, and that was on the top 10 for a while. Or the soda pop fountain, or whatever that was called, the whole thing was a commercial itself... and I'll tell you right now it got more downloads then anything made with GS ever has.
If you are of the school of thought "just build it and they will come" fine, you are entitled to you opinion and I respect that. But it's annoying to hear everyone say that their great apps aren't making any money. And then when people start a discussion on aggressive ways to market, everyone shuts them down.
Last I checked I can count the number of developers on two hands, that are actually getting a substantial income using GS. So obviously the mainstream approach in the gamesalad community IS NOT effective. There clearly something that sells apps other than quality alone, so until we figure out what that is how about we stop with the book(thread) burnings.
My game elastik is doing pretty good. I offered ten level free and unlock the remaining 50 and remove ads for a dollar. It's doin well. Also I have another game called name it. It's totally free with the option to remove ads. Doing ok. So u see it depends on the game too.
Until someone consistently makes successful games, I'm going to say, we haven't got it down yet. So lets just keep the discussions open until we do. That's all.
Hello, I agree with you for what you said this, I believe that only the "quality" in a game is not enough to make many sales; i mean from experience here on the forum I've seen only a few games make a fortune in sales; so for now I prefer giving many small endless mini game in the free version with ads and playhaven.
Fortunately they are making me earn some money, so every strategy to improve the sales is good to know to make more money; while it's frustrating read whenever:
"DO NOT USE ANY STRATEGY JUST MAKE A GOOD GAME"
anyone knows what are the five best-selling games made with GS?
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And in this case I do attribute that success to a high quality game with excellent artwork.
That is another thing. What is a great game? Sure, we have the Angry Birds and Tiny Wings of the world where majority of people who play it, like it, but what is the definition of a great game? It can be SO subjective. I received 2 reviews this week for one of my games. 1 person thought the game was absolutely horrible and not worth a cent. Another person thought it was amazing. So is it a great game? One person thought it was. Another person didn't.
Going back to the game I mentioned above that I play every day, it has quite a few 5 star ratings. But it also has quite a few of 1 star ratings.
But it's a great game, I swear!
Like many developers I ignore ratings as they often really offer little insight. One persons like is another's hate.