Promoting your game with Monsterfreeapps

I just ran a one day promotion using Monsterfreeapps. They promised 5,000 downloads for $1761.00. The result was 10,434 downloads. I was thrilled. However, this has not translated into players on GameCenter (?) I would think that I would get at least 1,000 new players on Game Center from 10k+downloads. I am questioning just how legit the downloads are... of course the downloads are real but could they all be done somehow by MFA? Out of 10,434 downloads I gained 40 players on Game Center. Something just doesn't add up. As soon as level 1 is played you are signed into Game Center - does this mean 10,000 people downloaded it and never tried the game? Seems unlikely. Has anyone had a similar or better experience?

Comments

  • UtopianGamesUtopianGames Member Posts: 5,692
    Not sure about Monsterfreeapps but my advise in general is not to pay anything.

    I had a freebie on http://freeappaday.com (one of the biggest i think) and the downloads were simply not worth it if i had to pay the asking price.

    Darren.

  • CodeMonsterCodeMonster ACT, AustraliaMember Posts: 1,078
    if your app was paid i wouldnt complain lol
  • BazookaTimeBazookaTime Member Posts: 1,274
    Free or paid downloads? What is the name of your game? I wouldn't be willing to shell out money like that but it is interesting information.
  • MayhemmmartyMayhemmmarty Member, PRO Posts: 39
    My game is called JAX. It's currently 0.99 I've changed the price around experimenting with download results. I've also tried Apples iAD. There's another story... lot of money and poor results. I am coming to the conclusion that a good game or app will be self perpetuating. The business model discussed at a recent Apple meeting I went to was what they called "freemium". A full featured app for free and the user either pays for additional items/levels/powers etc.
    I believed that some advertising was or would be necessary no matter how good your app is - to at least get it going. I still believe that, even though it hasn't worked yet. Which tells me I probably need to try and make a better game. I thought JAX was a decent game and I put a lot of effort into it... art, languages, story, IAP's, a lot of testing... but it's obviously missing something. When it's free, I'll get 5 to 20 downloads a day. When I switch it to .99, it's like hitting a light switch. So, I'll possibly go back and rework the IAP's to make them more necessary at earlier levels, but I don't think that's the solution either.
  • tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
    Yeah those sites are a joke IMO. You should not be paying for services like that nor should you have to pay for a review. Its rarely worth the cost.
  • fadamionfadamion Member, PRO Posts: 309
    I used monster free apps and the results ended up being crap. That was a year+ ago. Now i have found having a great game, great icon, great graphics and a good description will promote itself. I do nothing to promote and get 5000+ downloads a day.
  • gyroscopegyroscope I am here.Member, Sous Chef, PRO Posts: 6,598
    .... I do nothing to promote and get 5000+ downloads a day.
    Hi @fadamion Flippin' Nora, that's impressive without any marketing… B-) =D> Can I ask the name of the app? Is it free + ads, free +IAP, just free promoting your other apps, or paid, for interest?

    ""You are in a maze of twisty passages, all alike." - Zork        temp domain http://spidergriffin.wix.com/alphaghostapps

  • KevinCrossKevinCross London, UKMember Posts: 1,894
    edited December 2013
    Now i have found having a great game, great icon, great graphics and a good description will promote itself. I do nothing to promote and get 5000+ downloads a day.
    Since iOS 7 and the App Store changes I no longer think having a good description and icon is good enough. Before iOS7 it was easier to see new games, now you have to drill down through multiple pages and categories before seeing new games. The ones that are shown in the first few levels are all new featured games.

    I'm not going to say I have good icons or descriptions but my first game hit about 300-400 downloads in the first few days where it was a lot easier to find new games, but my second released after iOS7 hasn't even made 20 downloads in the first week (and in my opinion I think it looks and plays better than the first, it's just no one is finding or seeing it)

    It'll be interesting to see a small unknown developer release a new game now without any marketing and reach the same numbers as you are each day.
  • CodeMonsterCodeMonster ACT, AustraliaMember Posts: 1,078
    But 5000 downloads a day is really good!
  • jigglybeanjigglybean Member Posts: 1,584
    My first app on Amazon, I didn't promote it, market it or anything. Just pushed it out there to take advantage of the GS/Amazon promo.

    On Kindle, it averages between 20-50 downloads a day (until my recent patch screwed things up! LOL) and since release some 3 weeks ago, has around 400 downloads. The game is free.

    My 'main' game - Santas Present Drop, I spent some money on facebook ads, gained over 800 Likes from these adverts(people actually had to click the advert and then LIKE), yet downloads on google play have been VERY poor.

    On Amazon - again on Kindle, its being downloaded around 20 times a day during a free promo week, which ends today.

    The only way to get some serious coverage is to get in contact with the media sites and give them some hands on preview and review time - this will help increase coverage. Of course during xmas, all the established developers have taken every slice of the pie, making it harder to be seen.

    The changes to google/apple have made it harder to be seen and sorry to say, unless you have a truly unique game idea, the chances of an indie making major bucks have ended.

    But dont lose hope - it took Rovio 9 attempts I believe before Angry Birds became a hit and even then, its the only thing they can make.

    Like Balls? Then click here! We've 100 coming soon

  • imGuaimGua Member Posts: 1,089
    edited December 2013
    Rovio made like 27 games before they found their success with Angry Birds.
  • KevinCrossKevinCross London, UKMember Posts: 1,894
    What is an indie game?
    Independent video games, normally created by individuals or small teams. Normally self funded.
  • mataruamatarua Auckland, New ZealandMember Posts: 854
    edited December 2013
    Rovio made like 27 games before they found their success with Angry Birds.
    Closer to 50 I have read - such a slog story! Respect to them for never giving up eh.

    That's the spirit!

    Also in regards to Indie games, I saw a story on Player Attack about an Indie Games publishing house that works with Indies in Australia - it is run by a guy who was a marketing lead for a massive 200 person plus studio on Aus that shut down.

    So it's been launched recently.

    http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/196536/

    He mentions music in his interview, and how about this...

    Imagine doing a remix of somebodies game?

    People remix music all the time, why not video games?

    That could be something really different I have thought of.

    Further to that collecting is now a big thing online, look at the cards you can collect at NeonMob and on Steam now, so how about putting some collectable items in your game which shares another game. I suggested this to somebody but as I have not really shown much on here was politely refused, but I am trying to put my brain to the task of making a difference in this freemium ad driven economy that is apps. You have to go viral, it was hard in 2009 to get an app noticed and now? Well it's a real uphill battle. What I have learned in life is often it's not what you know it's who, so in terms of marketing this is so true.

    That is where this indie publishing house steps in, it's like Angry Birds was a flop at first, and they had to get a partner to help out and do distribution, once that happened it took off. Like a bird out of a catapult.

    Doodle Jump was a failure, what turned that around at the time was the simple act of marking other players on the climb, somebody at Apple liked that, they got featured, and it went viral.

    Two messages here, don't give up, keep pushing your wares, they are you dreams, and your hard work and to give up on them once over the finish line is not what you should do. In that time, it's share and try get noticed as much as possible. Don't give up on it after a week of dismal results.

    I am yet to release anything, but when I do I will no doubt have to suffer the sadness of lack of attention, but I will do everything to try and get through that and push on to make it better and better.

    It's a journey, lets enjoy it :)

    Cheers, M@
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