Piracy

Discussion in 'Public Game Developers Forum' started by IPhoneAppLover, Aug 15, 2013.

  1. IPhoneAppLover

    IPhoneAppLover Well-Known Member

    Nov 18, 2009
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    One of my free app I get around 100 downloads per day. So I recently changed the price to $0.99.

    From ITune report I see download is zero everyday after that. But from Chartboost new Install I see now around 30 downloads per day. So average 30 people are still getting the app free.

    What should I do? Should I make the app free again? Is there any way around?
    It's really frustrating.

    Please advice.
     
  2. waderain

    waderain Active Member

    Feb 3, 2013
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    yuma, az
    The only thing you can do is search the Internet, find the sites that are downloading your app and email them a take down letter, it should stop it.

    But on the other hand if you setup your app as free, at least know who's downloading it. Maybe make a in app purchase deal or have a second premium app with more features.
     
  3. Destined

    Destined Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2013
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    how do chartboost measure downloads?

    Free downloads don't immediately mean you will get paid downloads.

    I know some who had 10K downloads on the free version and the premium version only had a handful of purchases despite being a pretty decent game with lots of extra content.
     
  4. IPhoneAppLover

    IPhoneAppLover Well-Known Member

    Nov 18, 2009
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    Chartboost has mechanism to find new installs and also total boot ups vs unique boot up.
     
  5. EvilArev

    EvilArev Well-Known Member

    Mar 24, 2011
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    #5 EvilArev, Aug 15, 2013
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2013
    I suggest using that energy for something else. Making another app maybe?
    You'll waste a lot of time spying for new links on warez sites and it still won't boost your sales.
    As for what to do next - if the paid model doesn't generate revenue it's obvious there's no need for keeping it. However, with 100 downloads a day for a free app you won't get much cash from ads or IAPs either (average conversion rate for IAPs is somewhere around 2%). If visibility is the problem - try more marketing. If it's the content quality - perhaps focus on polishing this app, making it more appealing. Or create a new one.
     
  6. Destined

    Destined Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2013
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    What marketing do you suggest?
     
  7. CharredDirt

    CharredDirt Well-Known Member

    In my experience, revmob and chartboost have outperformed paid game sales. It's really hard to pirate a free game. At least with revmob and chartboost, those pirates are making you money.
     
  8. EvilArev

    EvilArev Well-Known Member

    Mar 24, 2011
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    Any. I'm not a marketing specialist. I'm a dev. I see the need for marketing, not what exactly to do.
    However, since we seem to be talking about 2 Pics One Phrase app, I don't belive marketing alone will help. Sure, we could go with a better icon and a more proffesional iTunes description out of the box, but in my opinion it's the content, not visibility that's faulty here.
    - looking at the screenshots doesn't make me belive that. Aside from really poor graphics, the phrases themselves don't seem interesting, funny or catchy at all. And even completed sentences seem like they would be faster to come up with by just messing with the letters, then trying to figure out the connection between the pictures. "Open and shut"? The pictures look more like "Oooo and Shhhh". This idea could work better if it had a strong social aspect. Possibly be a party game for a few people taking turns, trying to put the phrases together before others can do it.
    Sorry if this seems a bit harsh, but I don't think I'd be doing anyone a favor by sugar-coating it.

    Best regards,
    P.
     
  9. IPhoneAppLover

    IPhoneAppLover Well-Known Member

    Nov 18, 2009
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    Well, your harsh opinion does not matter much. If you are not polite it's your problem. Customers are the one who makes a choice. But I agree on few points like graphics etc.
     
  10. ThreeCubes

    ThreeCubes Well-Known Member

    Oct 13, 2012
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    Well I don't think EvilArev is being rude, the app store is a harsh place and if the art work does not look absolutely amazing then there is no hope for your app. Even then its still highly unlikely that any app will make money. The over whelming majority of mobile developers lose money. This app is not losing money because of piracy, people arnt buying it because it looks like its been thrown together over a weekend. The images don't even have the right aspect ratio. Can you not tell that the images look squashed? or did you just think people buy anything on the app store i can cut a few corners?
     
  11. IPhoneAppLover

    IPhoneAppLover Well-Known Member

    Nov 18, 2009
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    As you are pretty right that I made the app in a week-end and looking for an artist who can work with my budget. But I never mentioned that the app I referred is '2 Pics One Phrase'. Actually I didn't mention this app. This app was never paid. I don't know how people just started assuming that this is the app.
    The app which I referred also made in a week-end and to my surprise it got a position to number one free app in Australia and New zealand. And also got more than million downloads and gave me thousands of dollars from Ad revenue. Used to get 2k/3k downloads per day in US too.
     
  12. ThreeCubes

    ThreeCubes Well-Known Member

    Oct 13, 2012
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    Sorry I assumed it was that app as you did not correct EvilArea on it.

    It might help people on here if we knew what app your talking about though?
     
  13. EvilArev

    EvilArev Well-Known Member

    Mar 24, 2011
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    How about your thread about looking for someone to market that app, some 12 hrs after I suggested it?
    If "2 Pictures.." isn't really the app in question then sorry. You're free to disregard anything I said. Or you may take it to your other thread, since it would still apply.
    Please understand, that my post wasn't meant to offend you. I thought I'd share my experience, hoping you could benefit from it, but you decided to take it as an offence just because I wasn't gentle about it.
    Good luck with your app. This or the other one.
     
  14. IPhoneAppLover

    IPhoneAppLover Well-Known Member

    Nov 18, 2009
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    artist..

    That thread is about investment...is there any publisher who can invest in marketing and artistic work.
    Where is the best place to find an artist to work with low budget? I'm trying in odesk.com
    Till then I'm trying myself with gimp and self learning....which I know would be impossible to compete with professional artist.
    Here is my latest try...
     

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  15. Destined

    Destined Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2013
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    What is the app you are talking about and what did you do to get that number of downloads?
     
  16. IPhoneAppLover

    IPhoneAppLover Well-Known Member

    Nov 18, 2009
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    App name is 'What's My Age? Magic'...I didn't do anything to get the downloads. I don't have any idea how it became viral and got number one position in Australia and Newzeland. Also it was top 25 Trivia app in US for a very long period. I just spent two days to develop it because one of my other game was taking very long time - so I thought take a break and develop something in a week-end.
    But I felt good that at least one of my apps got little success and was able to beat big guys in two countries.
     

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