App Store Profit

iWiniWin Member Posts: 334
edited November -1 in iPhone and Android Publishing
Hello, I recently submitted my game to apple and im waiting for an approval. This is a question i dont want to ask but on a regular bases how much should i expect to make on my game. Thanks. And is it true that apps that are in the top 100 sell at least 1,000 copies a day..Thats Crazy..THanks
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Comments

  • scitunesscitunes Member, Sous Chef Posts: 4,047
    It all depends on the game and a lot of luck!
  • firemaplegamesfiremaplegames Member Posts: 3,211
    There is a game called Doodle Jump on the app store. It is frequently in the top spot for paid games.
    On the day after christmas, they had 80,000 sales. 500,000 for the month of december alone.

    Although it is certainly possible, that is not typical.

    There is some stiff competition in the app store. Huge games with massive budgets.
    Huge advertising campaigns. Companies like Popcap, EA, gameLoft. You are directly competing with them. There are currently 15,000+ games to wade through. 200 more get dumped on top of your game every day. Your game has to stand out from the rest.

    That being said, there is NOTHING stopping you from creating the best-selling game in the app store.
    That is what is so exciting about this industry, you're always one game away from being a millionaire!
  • SDMGSDMG Member Posts: 280
    Hi iWin,

    i would expect 1 - 10 sales per day for an average game...

    cheers
  • iWiniWin Member Posts: 334
    THanks...Some people have arouend 10-15 apps on the app store..So there making on average 200-300 bucks per game and all together comes out to be around 3 gran a month...not bad
  • scitunesscitunes Member, Sous Chef Posts: 4,047
    I have 5 games up. In the first month I have made $300 NOT $3000. Now, my games are not very "commercial", but one was featured as a "Hot New Game" so don't think you can just put up 15 mediocre apps and expect to retire. Wouldn't want you to quit your job because of this forum! On the up side, even with 5 not very "commercial" apps I am $100 in the black in the first month. This is unheard of with other app development options, but seems to be the norm with GS so I don't want to seem negative because in reality I am tickled pink!
  • JoshKahaneJoshKahane Member Posts: 470
    I love hearing from you guys what your sales are and how they do, as I am only doing my A Levels right now and still at home anything like $300 would be absolutely brilliant for me! Without a doubt! With no bills to pay and what not. :)

    Of course we all like the prospect of $3000 a month but then that is really only quite successful apps. Although Im as FireMapleGames said above, we are always one app away from being the next big hit, you just need to make a good idea come to life which everyone loves, haha.

    I have been waiting 10 weeks now for Apple to fix my darn account and still nothing, but Im really hoping in the next week or two *shudders at waiting any longer* I can get my apps up on iTunes. Im looking forward to it. :) Seeing my first sale come through and then my first payment and just seeing my work on iTunes. I imagine its a satisfying feeling. Anyway, I'll stop rambling now, hehe.
  • BeyondtheTechBeyondtheTech Member Posts: 809
    It can be a hit or miss, and it really depends on how you market it. Go viral, post it on YouTube, have other people post about your game on YouTube. Go on Facebook, use Twitter. Hit up on blogs. Add it to your signature in forums.

    Timing also helps. Last year, I created a Ouija board right before October came around. Spooky music, great graphics. It sold like crazy until I got a Cease & Desist from Hasbro, saying the likeness was too close to their actual product. No harm, no foul, and I pulled it down.

    Archangel (my first game and in Torque 2D) sells about 20 copies a day.
  • UtopianGamesUtopianGames Member Posts: 5,692
    You will need approx a few hundred sales a day to make the UK top 100 and approx few thousand sales a day to make the US top 100.

    We sold a steady 200+ a day for Tumble Jumble and didnt make any top 100 charts...it's very tough but great marketing skills is what you really need along with a great game of course to have any chance.

    We got featured over xmas in the whats hot on itunes and thats where all our big sales came from but now sales are approx 20-30 a day.

    Getting featured is supposed to be random but some of the big publishers like gameloft and chillingo have a head start imo.

    Darren.
  • BeyondtheTechBeyondtheTech Member Posts: 809
    Just as an example of a runaway hit, Pocket God, which sells for 99c, has made the developers as much as $20,000 per day.

    *** And, if you actually played the program (it's not even a game), you would know that it could have been easily designed in GameSalad.

    *** And, if you actually played the program, personally, it's a pointless app. Just a time-waster to knock around some island natives. But, I can't knock it...

    http://games.venturebeat.com/2009/07/10/pocket-god-is-a-case-study-of-a-hit-iphone-game/

    http://www.pocketgamer.biz/r/PG.Biz/Pocket+God/news.asp?c=14383

    As of July 2009, they made over $1.2M.
  • JoshKahaneJoshKahane Member Posts: 470
    They are pretty incredible figures. I guess all developer can only hope that they will be as successful as these big hitters. I guess its also a stroke of luck for these devs as well, I shouldn't think any of them expected the popularity they received.
  • UtopianGamesUtopianGames Member Posts: 5,692
    Dont forget flight control which was made in 2 weeks over the xmas holidays as firemint were making real racing (a year long project) ...it went on to sell millions!

    GL Guys.

    Darren.
  • SparkyidrSparkyidr Member Posts: 2,033
    It's really cool seeing some of those figures (where do you guys find out these things?).

    In my day job, I am a music producer/engineer, and to me, the app store feels very similar to the fringes of the music industry.

    i.e.
    There are a lot of good tracks/albums out there that never set the world alight with sales, but now-a-days with the "shelf life" of digital distribution, they will tick over for ever, and earn the people involved enough to cover costs, and maybe make a little profit.....The hope is, that you have a "crossover hit" which earns you a lot more.

    The labels I work with have the mindset of "the more stuff you have out, the more all those little hitters add up".....feels very similar to what everyone seems to be saying about the app store sales.

    I think now is a good time to be getting involved, as it feels a little bit like the app store's 2nd generation. There are a lot of bigger companies involved than there were this time last year, and with more providers offering the iphone, the installed user bass is getting bigger and bigger each week.
  • iWiniWin Member Posts: 334
    if you sell 10 copies a day on one of your app thats 1 dollar then thats 300 dollars a month.so lets say you have 10 games...that would be 3000 a month (am i wrong)....And what do you guys think about the app store..Do you ever think it will die out..OR would it take a really long time,,,
  • quantumsheepquantumsheep Member Posts: 8,188
    *IF* you can get your app noticed, then you might have a chance at the big bucks.

    That's the problem. There are tens of thousands of apps, and hundreds added *each day* to the store.

    Unfortunately, from what I've read on the web, there's no sure fire way of getting your app noticed, unless you're featured by Apple. Some people here have been fortunate to have that happen, so you never know!

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

  • iDeveloperziDeveloperz Member Posts: 1,169
    I made 0 sales today :[
  • iWiniWin Member Posts: 334
    what was your game...how do u check how many sales you've made each day
  • iDeveloperziDeveloperz Member Posts: 1,169
    Earth Attack.

    Dev Center > iTunes connect > Sales.
  • rebumprebump Member Posts: 1,058
    @iDeveloperz: How long has Earth Attack been in iTunes? How many have you sold? (If you don't mind sharing more that is! ;-) )

    I have two apps about halfway done. I know once I get on actually making a little bit, it will spur me on (and hopefully spur on the misses to give me a bit more time to work on them).
  • iDeveloperziDeveloperz Member Posts: 1,169
    It's been in 20 hrs

    and 0 sold so far.
  • rebumprebump Member Posts: 1,058
    Well, it's only been 20 hours!
  • iDeveloperziDeveloperz Member Posts: 1,169
    Yeh but 0

    there some promos in the "well what do you think" post

    where does everyone advertise their apps?
  • beefy_clyrobeefy_clyro Member Posts: 5,394
    Is it even showing in the app store yet? From my experience when they tell you its live it doesnt actually appear under the release date section for about 24 hours.
    Warning There was an error rendering this rich post.
  • iDeveloperziDeveloperz Member Posts: 1,169
    No it's there I've seen it ;)

    download link is in the post with the promos
  • quantumsheepquantumsheep Member Posts: 8,188
    @iDeveloperz
    I think what rebump meant was that you can only see daily reports from Apple - so if it's been on sale only 20 hours then nothing will show up yet.

    The reports show the *previous* days sales.

    I can't remember the exact time reports are available, but I usually check mine around 12pm GMT.

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

  • iDeveloperziDeveloperz Member Posts: 1,169
    Ah thanks QS.
  • StormyStudioStormyStudio United KingdomMember Posts: 3,989
    brilliant thread, makes for exciting reading...

    can't wait to get my first app up on the appstore. hopefully in the next week it should be there.

    App nearly finished, just waiting for last problem to be resolved through the power of the GS forum.

    ;-)

    Back to the very first post, doodle jump, which was the first game I played on the iphone, is incredibly simple, yet addictive. I beleive it could easily be made in GS, apart from each time you play it the level seems different, not sure how they've done it, whether they made like 10 levels, or different versions of different sections that alternate as you move up It gets harder the higher you get. Or maybe some random game design feature.

    Either way its simple but addictive I never did get past 38,000 points.

    Please post more sales success stories...
  • iWiniWin Member Posts: 334
    My game Mighty Miyo has been on the app store for 5 days and there are around ive sold around 12 copies + yesterday but its delayed so its not showing.. iS this a fair number considering it was my first game on the app store..

    Link- http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mighty-miyo/id350160648?mt=8
  • iWiniWin Member Posts: 334
    yeah im really excited for my second game..I think it will be a better feeling knowing you have more than one game on the app store so if the first one doesnt sell one day then i have the second one to back it up... :)
  • WeswogWeswog Member Posts: 1,171
    @ iWin Same here :)

    My sales on coconut catcher are 85$ in one month about 2-3 a day on average

    Cheers, Weswog
  • giacomopoppigiacomopoppi Member, PRO Posts: 914
    hi all, i am actually getting quite good sales.
    well.... dururing november-december i hardly got anythging.(50$)
    now i have 12 apps on the appstore and i am getting quite good money. (2-20$ a day)
    these 12 apps are not really good but having more apps means there is a larger chance of someone finding one of them.
    i am at about 220, 0f which 140-170 this month.
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