Comments on: The App Store is a gamble – so what should you put your money on? [...] first blog post on #AltDevBlogADay is about the AppStore being a gamble. In this blog post, I will continue where my story left off.The App Store is a gamble, so what [...] [...] first blog post on #AltDevBlogADay is about the AppStore being a gamble. In this blog post, I will continue where my story left off.The App Store is a gamble, so what [...]

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By: Doctor Mike Reddy/2011/05/21/the-app-store-is-a-gamble-%e2%80%93-so-what-should-you-put-your-money-on/#comment-6229 Doctor Mike Reddy Thu, 23 Jun 2011 07:21:33 +0000 Alright, can't wait for it :) Alright, can’t wait for it :)

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By: Doctor Mike Reddy/2011/05/21/the-app-store-is-a-gamble-%e2%80%93-so-what-should-you-put-your-money-on/#comment-6168 Doctor Mike Reddy Wed, 22 Jun 2011 01:25:34 +0000 Thanks for the comments :) and the advice, although I might not move to Android just yet. Thanks for the comments :) and the advice, although I might not move to Android just yet.

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By: Raul Aliaga Diaz/2011/05/21/the-app-store-is-a-gamble-%e2%80%93-so-what-should-you-put-your-money-on/#comment-4698 Raul Aliaga Diaz Sat, 21 May 2011 18:12:34 +0000 almost surely- not enough to have a successful product, because development and distribution have widened, and the rules, models and “theoretical mechanics” or marketing and design are a work in progress and not as provable as actual physics.

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By: Brad Larson/2011/05/21/the-app-store-is-a-gamble-%e2%80%93-so-what-should-you-put-your-money-on/#comment-4688 Brad Larson Sat, 21 May 2011 15:08:56 +0000 two App Stores: low-priced games and applications that are built fast and rely on getting on the bestselling charts, and higher-priced ones that are more polished, more elaborate, and that use other means like advertising to make people aware of the product. The latter approach is the one employed by almost all of the Mac and iOS developers I know, and all of them have built sustainable businesses out of it.

Personally, I have a visual equation layout and evaluation application called Pi Cubed that has made $53,200 in net revenue since I placed it on the App Store two years ago. It’s a $10 application and has sold at a roughly consistent rate over that period. While this isn’t enough to live off of by itself, I consider it a success for a part-time hobby project. Were I to invest more time in it, I’m sure it would sell a lot better, and if I were doing this full time I’d certainly supplement it with a few other applications.

This has sold well despite not appearing on the top lists because the $10 price allows me to advertise via banner ads and other means and turn a profit by doing so. A $0.99 application gives you no room to advertise on a continuous basis, but you can put everything into a large media push around your launch and hopefully get yourself into one of the bestselling lists, which will amplify your sales.

If you want to hear a couple other App Store success stories, I recently taught a class on advanced iPhone development and invited in some local developers to relate their experiences. The videos for this class are available for free on iTunes U, with Steve Glinberg talking about the success he’s had in selling educational applications like KidCalc, and Justin Beck describing how Parallel Kingdom has done well in applying the free-to-download, pay-for-content MMORPG model to iOS and Android (from what I hear, their revenue figures are now much higher than he describes there).

You’ve made the correct first steps in just getting something out there, so that you learn the platform and what’s needed to get something on the App Store. I released a free, open source molecular modeler as my first application on the App Store just so that I could understand the issues involved. It’s turned out to be a great marketing tool, because 1.2 million people have downloaded it (it’s currently being featured on the front page of the App Store, in fact), which has led to a lot of recognition for the other things I’ve done. My Pi Cubed application would not have sold as well as it did without this. Likewise, I’m sure that you’re building a solid base of people who recognize the quality of the applications you’ve already released.

My one recommendation would be build applications that come out of some sort of unique experience that you have. The common ideas that all of us have for applications (to-do lists, tip calculators, etc.) have been done, and done well, by many others. The problems you’re having with visibility aren’t because there are so many games starting with the letter `A`, it’s that there are so many shooters. Find a niche for yourself, something that you can do better than anyone else or that you will have a unique take on. For me, I focus on scientific applications that draw on my personal experience. Steve wrote educational applications for concepts he was trying to teach his young daughter. Your team might have a great gameplay idea, or unmatched OpenGL ES experience, so build off of that to make something different from what’s already out there.

If the App Store was such a crapshoot, small companies like the Omni Group or the Tapbots wouldn’t be as consistent in their successes as they have been. We just have to learn from their example.

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By: Daniel H.K./2011/05/21/the-app-store-is-a-gamble-%e2%80%93-so-what-should-you-put-your-money-on/#comment-4687 Daniel H.K. Sat, 21 May 2011 14:38:49 +0000 Unhelpful it might be, but I don’t think the question to ask is ‘what will do well’, but rather ‘what can we market’. There are, of course, app concepts that have a broader appeal on the platform than others, but with such a wide user base most ‘genres’ are potentially successful. Given the time lapsed since the inception of the platform, finding an untapped or undersupplied market would be tricky, instead I would (personally) focus on product differentiation. The trouble being, of course, most app-store focused developers are smaller and can scarcely afford a significant marketing budget. While basic, I’ve found this guide useful. Though I notice you’ve done your research and have likely already seen it.

Alternatively, there’s the option of pursuing another market place. The Windows Phone platform is similar in development scope, if not simpler. The marketplace is not yet flooded, and the user-base, while currently much smaller, is looking to expand rapidly. That’s the initial market my own organisation is looking to exploit.

Still, the problem of market research is a very real one. If one has significant resources, one can source detailed market analysis from organisations devoted thereto. Other than this, data is scarce and unreliable. The best I have managed to achieve in this field so-far, however, is slightly dated sales figures modified by recent growth figures both sourced from leaked industry analysis and GDC Vault presentations. Having a number of contacts inside Microsoft has also helped, but unfortunately that’s all NDA.

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