Average revenue from free game with 10,000+ users?

Discussion in 'Public Game Developers Forum' started by xzcxzcbvzxczdfhnd, May 16, 2013.

  1. xzcxzcbvzxczdfhnd

    xzcxzcbvzxczdfhnd New Member

    May 15, 2013
    2
    0
    0
    I need to know how much money is a normal amount monthly/yearly for an android or ios game which is based on a free-model, meaning there may be some ads, and there is also a paid version with more features.

    It is a good and addictive game, and it should be able to easily get 10,000+ users. So how much money could be made each year with a game like this? (The game is not yet completed. I am building it. I need to know a general ROI)

    Oh yes, and there will be in-app purchases available for "upgrades" etc.

    Additionally I intend to experiment with:
    * Free version with ads, Paid version without ads
    * No paid version, no ads, only in-app purchases
    * Donate
     
  2. lazypeon

    lazypeon Well-Known Member
    Patreon Bronze

    #2 lazypeon, May 16, 2013
    Last edited: May 16, 2013
    A couple notes:

    Most games don't less a year, so I wouldn't plan on how much you can make a year. Most of your money will likely be made in the first few months.

    Various anecdotes I've seen have put freemium adoption at 1-2% or less.

    Ads are viable, but only if you have a very large and very active userbase (WAY larger than 10,000). Ads are a good option if there is a logical spot to put them without disrupting gameplay, and if users will spend a lot of time on your app. For instance, putting an ad in a 'Scrabble' type game is great -- players spend a lot of time thinking, and you could cycle many ads in that timeframe. A runner (eg: Temple Run) is going fare poorly with ads.

    To answer your question, I don't know. There's too many factors at play. Assuming 1% freemium adoption (1% users pay an average of $1) and 10,000 users, you'd be looking at ~$100.
     
  3. xzcxzcbvzxczdfhnd

    xzcxzcbvzxczdfhnd New Member

    May 15, 2013
    2
    0
    0
    #3 xzcxzcbvzxczdfhnd, May 16, 2013
    Last edited: May 16, 2013
    What do you mean that it would "only last a couple months"?

    And your "$100" estimate - what is the time frame?

    The game is a puzzle-type of game. Like blocks or jewels. Without being too specific. Users may play for as much as hours per session and depending on their free time they may come back daily.

     
  4. lazypeon

    lazypeon Well-Known Member
    Patreon Bronze

    #4 lazypeon, May 16, 2013
    Last edited: May 16, 2013
    I mean, if you look at the traffic chart for most apps, you launch, hit your peak, and crash in the span of a few weeks (or in some cases, days). This is true for almost every app. There are some big, notable exceptions (Angry Birds, Minecraft PE, Clash of Clans) but usually, you're old news after a few weeks. App Store gamers are hungry for NEW. I download new games, play them for a few hours, then start looking for the next big thing.

    Here's one article about one app's experience:
    http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/NicolasGodementBerline/20120610/172101/Freemium_is_no_silver_bullet.php

    That should put things into perspective. I pulled the $100 out of thin air, but it depends on how you monetize. I was operating under the assumption that 1% of your users would spend, on average, $1. The timespan doesn't really matter. It also depends on how your app is monetized. Hearthstone (a CCG from Blizzard) should monetize pretty well, as users will constantly be releasing new content, and users will be buying packs of cards). Other apps, like the Ski Champion app mentioned above, monetize poorly.

    Your 10,000 users remark is vague. 10,000 downloads? Should be easy for a halfway decent free app. Is it 10,000 people who spent at least $1? 10,000 DAU (daily active users)? In my opinion, for a freemium app, what I would be interested in is probably DAU, and how well you can monetize those users. It doesn't matter if a million people download the app if they a) spend no money or b) uninstall it after a day.

    You need to think really hard about your freemium strategy. What's going to keep people in your app and spending money? Is it that it a social hook? Is it fresh content? At the end of the day, you need to make a fun, compelling app.
     
  5. R3v

    R3v Well-Known Member

    Sep 17, 2012
    139
    0
    0
    CMO @ PIXEL FEDERATION
    There are too many factors. But in very, very, very vague general thinking - ARPDAU in average casual game is about 3-7 cents.

    10k downloads mean absolutely nothing. What is the retention?

    However, if you are talking about sustainable 10k DAU, then you can count on 300-700 USD per day. But people won't stay with your game forever. You will need to buy more users from to keep it on at least 10k DAU. I'm talking about freemium game - going premium these days with unknown title is suicide.

    Therefore you need to realise what's your LTV and what's the real price you can actually pay for a new user.

    TLDR: Your question is too general to be answered properly.
     

Share This Page