We're wondering what makes a good game name on IOS. We have come up with two choices of names for our game and we need to choose one so we can do a proper logo and start promoting: 1. "Slice Fight!" or "Slice Fight" 2. "Slice Crisis" I know on the App Store users often get very little information about the game they are about to click on... often just a name and an icon... So if there were to be an icon it would either be a meaty tentacle being sliced... or a blue tie in a pool of blood. The game has a lot more depth than what I just explained... But I need opinions and advice from people who know a little bit about the App Store users and who aren't already intimately familiar with our game (as we are). This is going to be my first game release after Pocket RPG, but this time I'm working without Tasty Poison and I'm trying to do everything right (or as well as I can). But then again... I'm not sure that either of these names qualifies as a "Good Game Title" My favorite titles generally just sound ridiculous or silly, like "Insane Twisted Shadow Planet" or "Sword and Sworcery"... I'm not sure that I'm the best judge of IOS game names.
This is NOT about iOS games or the App Store at all but I liked the names from the Half-Life AddOns with more than one meaning very much. Like: -Opposing Force or - Blue Shift This were good names because they sound cool and have a deeper meaning. So if you play the game first you like the name and if you know the game and the background you understand the deeper meaning. Maybe games with names like "Fight" or "Crisis" sell in the App Store but for me this always sounds a little cheap (but I may be wrong on this). But one the other hand there are some cheap games in the App Store which sell quite good. When I look for good names I search Wikipedia . For example, if I would create a game about wind I would look here for a good name: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_local_winds
Thanks! Those are good suggestions! Oddly there is kind of a Half-Life parody theme going on in our game... strangely prescient that you would bring it up O_O There is also sort of an office theme... We were debating over a few others like: "Deadline" "Employee of the Month" "Critical Existence Failure" "Job Cuts" "We Come in Pieces" "Divided They Shall Fall" "Worst Monday Ever" "Of Vending Machines and Super Science" "Closed for Science"
Please keep in mind that all this is just MY PERSONAL OPINION and I'm neither a marketing professional nor a game developer but I like all of your ideas in the second post better than the two in your first. Also keep in mind the limited letters to display on the device and that the look of a game is presented by the icon and name on the users homescreen. I like the name "Deadline" for example it's not too vague and not too clear - despite I have no idea what your game is about. Edit: The names in your second post could sound like chapters, too. Some may be to long for a game title.
I have the exact same problem. We're making a ski slalom game and I can only think of bland generic names such as Alpine Ski, Extreme Ski, etc. I'm afraid a more unique name will not help when players look for a skiing game specifically.
The iOS versions are named after ski resorts. http://www.ubergizmo.com/2011/12/ios-code-names-revealed/ Maybe you can get some inspiration there . Or look for inspiration in the type of snow, like "Powder" or choose a word from a different language like "Tiefschnee" (deep snow).
I would go with "Slice Fight!" but i think what you really should worry about is the icon. I don't know about other people but thats what draws me to a game most of the time
Both options in your original post are generic and forgettable. Any one option from your follow up post would be a better alternative. Very general rule of thumb: avoid cliches. This works for everything from titles to epic novels.
Not knowing what the game is about, my favorite from that list is "Slice Fight!" as well. All of the names that you posted in your second list were either too long or too generic. I just recently read this article on iOS marketing and it says what you'd expect about game names. Have a title that makes sense for the topic of the game but don't be too specific either.
Thanks for the feedback! Although I'm not too sure where it leaves me. Opinions seem to contradict each other (which probably means all of these names have something lacking). "Slice Fight!" was the name originally because it describes the main mechanic of the game. However the problem with this is that it suggests the game is about one mechanic and that it has little depth. Since we are putting a lot of work into creating a story driven campaign we now think that "Slice Fight!" undersells our product. Yet, at the same time, "Slice Fight!" does at least describe something players might like to do... which as that article you linked to Opsive is kind of the convention of App Store naming. The second list are better names... but don't really capture the theme... It's a game set in a corporate office building and is about slicing up undead enemies which were created in a science accident that you are both the cause of and the final solution to. Thanks again! I guess I'm back to the drawing board. I'd like to find something that makes it clear what the game is about AND sounds clever. I think that's the advice I'm getting. Also @ ... That sounds like a good idea for naming a skying game (naming them after skying locations or resorts)
Choosing a name is very important, and it can also be absolutely meaningless. Many popular games have not-so-interesting titles. I don't see anyting particularly appealing or eye catching about these: Angry Birds Cut the Rope Tiny Wings Tetris And look at corporations...their names don't mean squat half the time: Xerox (whoever thought that would be a marketable name?) Google Yahoo! (took me forever to get used to saying that out loud) A good name is important most of the time, just thought I'd point out some exceptions. Edit to add: I do agree with the icon thing. It's a bit "superficial" but I do it too. For example, there are so many games released every day that I barely even glance at the TA "New Games" page anymore, since, in my opinion, most of them look bad. How do I make that judgement? The icon...sad but true. When I do look though the list, it's a very quick scroll/glance down the page to see if anything jumps out at me - rare that it does anymore. I used to rely heavily on the new games page for my, uh, new games. But it's too cluttered now due to the amount of daily releases. At least all the updates don't show up there.
"Critical Existence Failure" "Divided They Shall Fall" Those are my favorites. The first two were too "generic" like the above posts said. You want something short, interesting and descriptive. Unfortunately, my favorites aren't short. That being said, Slice Fight and Slice Crisis just sound like overrated boring games. Also like said above, focus on the image. That's what will draw people in. Oh, and you could always use a fancy acronym.
This is actually very useful information. I mean, it shows new users DO use the new games section, but serious gamers will sometimes find other better ways of finding good games... I guess reviews on websites might be one way? Maybe through game center... or maybe just googling lists? I don't know... I personally tend to look at reviews that come with screenshots. And this changes what is important about the name. Two naming methods came up that seem to conflict with each other... that probably work better on different audiences. 1. Make the name clear as to what the game does and make it sound immediately fun. In this case "Slice Fight!" is probably the best name. The logic behind this is that the App Store users don't really trust names but are looking for a certain type of game and that theme-wise App Store users are quite conservative (hence all the bizarrely successful "Doodle-clones"). 2. Choose a name that sounds really cool to your audience. People who prefer this naming method prefer names like "Half-Life" and in our case "Of Vending Machines and Super Science" or "Tentacle Holocaust" or "Divided they shall fall"... This is probably a better way to target the game's core audience and exclude potential bad reviews. Plus a cool memorable name could allow the game to spread by word of mouth better.
We did come up with loads of other names... we're still kind of stuck honestly. like : Limb from Limb and : Tentacle Holocaust and : Buckets of Blood Pouring out of Peoples' Heads and : If it Bleeds...
Hey Evan, How about just "Zombie Slice"? Or if it still sounds too generic, something like "9-to-5 Zombie Slice" or "Slice'em Undead Scum" ? Separately, in the developers forum subsection, someone mentionned that a name starting with A or B is preferable as updates kick your game up the list of new releases and they are sorted by alphabetical order. Angry Birds, AB.... hmmmm ? And thanks to O__o for your feedback! Didn't know this internal naming scheme. Really great to learn that Apple loves skiing. Your message could actually end up going a long way : I'll make sure now to mention the anecdote in my communications with Apple, perhaps that'll increase our chances of getting featured
