How many times has your app been downloaded?

WhySoCREATIVE

Just curious, how many downloads should I be expecting when releasing my app to App Store?
Is it better to have free app with iAds or Paid app with no ads?

gyroscope

@WhySoCREATIVE You're not the first person to ask your first question, and probably won't be the last.

Just think about it for a minute. Your first question can't be answered, can it? Every app is different, everyone's amounts of downloads is different, ranging from hardly any to lots.

One thing's for certain, you have to make the best game you can - because you're competing with a lot of high quality apps already in the store, with more added every day, and even then your work isn't finished. You have to get people to know about it. If no one knows about your game, you can't expect many downloads.

Here's a thread about marketing apps which you should find useful:

http://forums.gamesalad.com/discussion/comment/445222#Comment_445222

As for your 2nd question, personally I think that's difficult to answer as well, although I would say iAds isn't as lucrative as you might think, in a lot of situations; also, there's a third option to consider, being some levels of game free, (the app free to download too) with IAP used to unlock all the levels in the game.

Thunder_Child

Well my app with no marketing other than friends and FB has be downloaded 4 times and its $.99. As far as ads go...since you "I" cant get any information as to how much an ad click or "seen banner" gets me...I have no intentions of using ads. Asking people on the forums how much you get for ads has bever been a complete answer. GS will not tell you if you get anything for using their start up ad. I have searched for the answer. Added my question to other posts and there is no answer. If you look at Apples iAds benchwork...you can have a budget of $5000...get almost 4million views...18,000 clicks and 3000 downloads. So hopefully you charge more than $.99 to even...break even. Unless you can market or have a hit game...I believe ads wont pay so well...this is my opinion and I dont have a lot of experience...but a little forum and net searching can tell you the same thing. Good luck

VGX

This was the last game** I made in 2011 got about 20 downloads at 69p. The graphics were ok and the gameplay was a little Angry Bird-ish (used a template I bought to create the game called hit the balls, I think) anyway the game didn't do that well so made it free no ads or iAP and got I think around 13,000 downloads. No marketing, no facebook, no twitter nothing. So if you use all this social networking and maybe contact some of these official reviewers i.e, toucharcade, appspy, etc... You could have a higher chance of more people downloading it.
** (not on appstore anymore)

WhySoCREATIVE

@VeiraGames Wow what a big difference a free / paid game makes.
In your experience I guess it is better to launch a free app first and have in game purchases for full version or upgrades then.