Release strategies and tactics

tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
edited November -1 in Business and Marketing Theory
Valentines day is comming up as well as the upcoming Verizon iPhone launch. I was wondering what everyones thoughts were on release tactic.

For holiday apps should they release before the holiday or on the day?

For the verizon release should we release day of or a day or two after?

I'm thinking a couple days before the holiday and day after verizon release.
What do you think?
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Comments

  • quantumsheepquantumsheep Member Posts: 8,188
    My next game will be out on February 17th - a week after the Verizon thingy.

    My thinking is that *everyone* will be trying to get stuff out that day or around it, and it'll be impossible to find the app in a sea of releases.

    I could be wrong of course!

    QS :D

    Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
    Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io

  • PhoticsPhotics Member Posts: 4,172
    tenrdrmer said:
    For holiday apps should they release before the holiday or on the day?

    I'm waiting for Apple to Approve "Secret Admirer". I scheduled it to appear tomorrow.

    That means the app should be around for two weeks. If I wait until Valentine's Day, it's too late.
  • xyloFUNxyloFUN Member Posts: 1,593
    I am releasing my Valentine's Day app one day before!

    It is called: I will NOT marry YOU!

    Based on 12.943 % of proposals that get rejected every year on that day, my app will making the "thanks but no thanks" or simply "NO" or "ewwww" message a sweet one.

    Now, a lady no longer has to tear her heart when saying no and simple can point her "want to be" hubby to my game. The game ends with two possible outcomes. Yes and No.
    If he makes it, then it's yes and if not ... well ... sooooo sowy .. I hope you understand one day ...

    p.s. My game is impossible to win ;)

    p.p.s. Next year, I might update with a reversed feature so that he can do the Charlie Sheen thing on her! LOL

    p.p.p.s. my app will be $49.99 (a small price to pay for what it does so well)
  • tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
    Photics said:
    I'm waiting for Apple to Approve "Secret Admirer". I scheduled it to appear tomorrow.

    That means the app should be around for two weeks. If I wait until Valentine's Day, it's too late.

    The idea behind secret admirer is to be gifted though right? I would think that needs to be early for that kinda app.
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  • EatingMyHatEatingMyHat Member Posts: 1,246
    You need to remember that Valentine's is a bit more international so releasing on the same day means that you missed all of Europe.

    I also have a Valentine's app waiting, so Verizon was not good news for me since everybody are going to release that same weekend. If your game is not Valentine's related it is better to wait. ( http://pureiphone.com/quick-ios-developers-aiming-for-some-verizon-cash/ )

    BTW - if you are planning on Valentine's I hope you already submitted it to Apple. I'm seeing VERY slow processing by Apple, probably due to the extra work load.
  • tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
    I'm thinking I'm gonna go for the 13th. and hope for the best. This one has only taken two weeks to put together so not a massive loss in time if it flops like my last game which a christmas release was a definite mistake for that one. LOL
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  • PhoticsPhotics Member Posts: 4,172
    tenrdrmer said:
    The idea behind secret admirer is to be gifted though right? I would think that needs to be early for that kinda app.

    Yeah, the main intention for the app is that it's to be gifted. You can send it to someone that you like, either with an email message through iTunes... or with a printed card with instructions on how to get the Secret Admirer app.

    That means the app should be released before Valentine's Day.

    However, if Valentine's Day is like Halloween, Apple will likely feature some Valentine's Day apps. If I wait until the last minute, Apple won't likely include my app to be featured.

    Plus, a marketing blitz is important. If the app can get features on Valentine's Day... either in New and Noteworthy or What's Hot, then it might be more successful.

    Heh, but right now I'm looking forward to my homemade Angry Birds replacement. I enjoy playing the pinball game included in Secret Admirer app. It has unlimited multiball, so I find it quite entertaining.
  • EatingMyHatEatingMyHat Member Posts: 1,246
    I always wondered if app gifting is a big market or not. Do you know if the App was gifted or not?

    As said before, my concerns with this Valentine is that we'll get double "blitzed" and I don't think that the Valentine blitz will win...
  • PhoticsPhotics Member Posts: 4,172
    Gabbyr said:
    As said before, my concerns with this Valentine is that we'll get double "blitzed" and I don't think that the Valentine blitz will win...

    I realize that there's a wave of activity on the way, with the Verizon launch and Valentine's Day weekend, but my app is approved. I have a two week head-start to make something happen.
  • tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
    Well Crazy.Cupid was approved Last night and now i'm starting to doubt my decision to wait till Feb 13th for release. Anyone think I should go ahead and launch it now or in a couple days. I didn't expect to get approved so fast. It was 5 days max from submission. So I'm just having a feeling its a bad idea to wait till its so close.
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  • scitunesscitunes Member, Sous Chef Posts: 4,047
    Maybe go a little earlier considering the name starts with "C"
  • tenrdrmertenrdrmer Member, Sous Chef, Senior Sous-Chef Posts: 9,934
    So maybe the 10th, 11th? idk part of me want to release tomorrow and part want me to release after the 10th
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  • firemaplegamesfiremaplegames Member Posts: 3,211
    Personally I would release it as soon as possible. In all honesty, I think it may already be too late.

    There are currently thousands upon thousands of Valentine's day apps already, with hundreds more being released daily. A lot of them are free.

    It has been my experience, that you will only get sales if you are actually featured on the device itself - which has a limited number of spots.

    So you need to get lots of downloads, favorable reviews on blogs, favorable reviews in iTunes, etc. etc. And hopefully the game will stand out enough to get Apple to notice it and feature it during Valentine's day. Also your icon has to be perfect, the screenshots have to be perfect, etc.

    Trying to get all of the sales for your app in just a few days is really difficult. So many things have to align perfectly for anyone to be successful. There's such a limited window of time. I can only imagine that sales will drop off instantly after the holiday.

    You're also competing against all of the regular games in the App Store. And it's a pretty safe bet that you will see Valentine's themes from Angry Birds or Doodle Jump.

    Another thing to consider is making the app free and linking to your other games.

    Also, all of this all may be way off the mark as I don't actually buy any Valentine's day apps.

    I guess that is also something you can ask yourself. How many Valentine's apps have you purchased? Have you spent a lot of money buying up all of the holiday-themed apps? How many Valentines apps have your friends and coworkers purchased?

    What made you or your friends purchase them? What stood out? etc.
  • quantumsheepquantumsheep Member Posts: 8,188
    firemaplegames said:
    Also, all of this all may be way off the mark as I don't actually buy any Valentine's day apps.

    You're just dead inside, aren't you?

    QS :D

    Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
    Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io

  • firemaplegamesfiremaplegames Member Posts: 3,211
    quantumsheep said:
    You're just dead inside, aren't you?

    QS :D

    hahaha. I save all my money for Easter apps!
  • quantumsheepquantumsheep Member Posts: 8,188
    firemaplegames said:
    hahaha. I save all my money for Easter apps!

    You mean you spend your money on cute bunny rabbit apps?

    Cute bunny rabbits. With Cold. Dead. Eyes.

    You've changed, man,

    QS :D

    Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home...
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/Quantum_Sheep
    Web: https://quantumsheep.itch.io

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