Here's the simple question: Why is Line Up Pro: Selling more copies than Match 3D: I think if we can understand that, we can make Match 3D into a better game. I really do appreciate your help in this.
Match 3D was $0.99 for quite some time AND was featured by Apple. So I don't know if that is exactly it. The Free version of Line Up also out downloaded the Free version of Match 3D.
Line Up Pro comes from an established developer of the popular game Flood-It. Line Up lite was the top free game because it is simple. Match 3D looks too complicated.
Heh, thats a million dollar question. Have you tried a Lite version maybe? edit: nevermind, it was answered above
Luck. The more and more I try to figure out how the top 20 apps got to where they are... and consistently stay there... the more I've decided luck plays way too much part in it all. Once Apple opens the door to "every app is free to download, but you need to pay to make it actually work"... the worse it's going to get. Honestly I don't know why I'm still developing for this platform.
When you take things to 3D you automatically complex the matter for a great number of people. For a historical reference see Tetris vs 3D Tetris. Or to put it another way, simplicity is King. Also, not everyone is entitled to have success on the App store. This attitude has to change.
Yep: Match 3D Flick Puzzle Free: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=324009097&mt=8 Available the day the paid version came out. I think 'simple' is the key. Match 3D isn't simple enough. How do we fix that?
No doubt. For nearly 30 years I heard bitching about how closed the game markets (Console and PC) were. Now we have the best opportunity for independent gamers to build successful products since The Atari Program Exchange in 1982 ... and all I hear is whining. This is an awesome opportunity and we have success (defined as PROFIT). I just want to have a number one title
Picture 1: A simple (and simplistic) match game. Picture 2: The borg appear on 'What not to wear'. More seriously, just the name of 'Match 3D flick puzzle' makes it sound complex. The M3DFP screenshot does little to dissuade one of that notion. Line Up Pro's simpler screenshot is instantly understandable. Price notes aside (no matter how good a match 3 is, people do want the dollar price), I think people may be finding your screenshots and concept a bit intimidating (and in my opinion, a bit gaudy, but Line Up doesn't do much better in that department). Edit: My post took too long. I agree that 'simplicity' is a big factor in games of this sort. I think your best bet is to leave Match 3D flick puzzle more or less as is (maybe change the color scheme), and proceed to develop your next game - 'Match Flick Puzzle'.
I actually completely overlooked Match 3D because it looked to complicated for a match 3 game. I'm going to give the lite version a try now and I'll tell you what I think.
Yeah, after looking at the two listings just in itunes and trying to do so from a standpoint of only seeing it there, I have to say that the pictures posted on Line Up look very clean, colorful, and crisp. The app description is very short and easy to understand, ...and yeah it's 99 cents. OTOH, screen 3 looks rather complicated...I would put a screen shot of the most basic of directions here...I've played flick puzzle, and lol I can't recall exactly what this screen does, and screen 4 has the slice at such an angle that I don't know if it is that "exciting" an example of the game. Also, with the inclusion of the reviews and such, your app description is really long...it's not until over halfway you reveal any of the gameplay...it's a lot to read and digest. Screenshots are really a hard way to convey how cool Match 3D is in motion...you could include a link to youtube video, but that might not help since it's not clickable within itunes.
Not every game gets to number 1. Maybe you should develop another game. If you're looking for a collaborative effort PM me. I have more ideas than I know what to do with.
These are really EXCELLENT suggestions and are in line with our thinking. OK, so here's an idea I'd like to throw out there: Have AUTOMATIC NAVIGATION be the the default mode of Match 3D. The game would show you a face of the cube that has potential matches. If you run out of matches the game would automatically navigate you to the next face that had matches. Spin the cube, go thru the planes ... all automatic. This would be a setting in the game you could change, of course. I'm also interested in NAME SUGGESTIONS. What should we call it?
We have a whimsical game in development. Not a puzzle game. Of course we will have more to say as that develops.