Hi all. Got any tips on building a following and sales for an iPhone game? Ours (Howard Nager and me) game has been out almost a month and we're having trouble getting traction. Game is BuzzBall (see link in signature for the game blog) and we're charging $.99. Any thoughts you have would be appreciated. Thanks! Jeff
We have all that at the game blog. There's a video review there and the link to iTunes is there too. Didn't want to be spammy here and duplicate it all. Is that considered OK? Thanks, Jeff
Ok well I just checked out the YouTube vid on the site, it looks pretty neat, kinda reminds me of Paper Toss. You can embed the video here, I would do it for you but I'm on my phone away from comp.
Thanks. Here's the embedded video...[edit] NOPE, that didn't work. Pulling out Embed code and leaving link to the video. This video was posted by Mike at Crazy Mike's App Reviews And here is the iTunes Link to the game. Thanks! Jeff ***Admins, if this is in the wrong spot let me know. Am new here and want to obey rules. Especially as I'm getting into the whole iPhone app field. Thx.
I will create a thread for your game with appinfo and embedded video later if no other member has done it by then. Mods will explain why it was moved probably because you started the thread as a general question instead of a game introduction
Checked out the game because of this thread. Looks really cool and engaging like paper toss (as freedog said) - good pick up and play type of game. One thing - I thought it was a bowling game because of the icon and first page. But when I started reading the description I realized it was wiffle ball. So neither the title nor the icon told me what the game was about so if someone saw it in a list of new releases or sports games etc, they might not know exactly what this is and might not even take the next step to click on the game page for a description. EDIT: Just watched the video again (this time with the sound on) and he called it a bowling ball too!
Here's the info for the game BuzzBall Not to be confused with real Wiffle Ball, this game is as close as you can get to green grass, a white ball and a yellow… Free Buy Now Watch Media DetailsNot to be confused with real Wiffle Ball, this game is as close as you can get to green grass, a white ball and a yellow bat.Grab a lawn chair and a yellow bat. Pull out a cooler and turn on the baseball game or your favorite tunes. Then take some masking tape, an old lawn chair and your backyard. You’ve got the perfect venue for curving balls in and out and all around. It’s BuzzBall - not Whiffle Ball - and it’s the latest craze in pitching fun for the iPhone.Curve the Wiffle-style BuzzBall left to right, right to left, up to down and down to up. You can put crazy action on the BuzzBall so it floats all over before crossing the plate.Adjust the ball so it dips and dives all over the place. Pick your direction and power. Then flick it sideways or forwards - or at any angle - toward the strike zone. Consecutive strikes activate a “throw through a hoop” difficulty level.Play by yourself or against friends. This is just like Wiffle Ball but it’s even more fun. See who can pitch the most strikes in a row.Or play target-practice mode. Make the BuzzBall nail the bulls-eye with pinpoint accuracy. More points for hitting the center and maybe you’ll get yelled at for losing the ball over the fence or off the screen.BuzzBall also features variable wind and a high-score feature. So take your Wiffle style to the next level and play BuzzBall. It’s a buzz! KEY FEATURES-Toss BuzzBall for strikes against the lawn chair-Get high score by taking on the bulls-eye-Authentic sounds of the game-Variable wind affects the curve of the ball-Fun voices from neighborsFuture BuzzBall versions to have more game modes and languages. Look for updates this fall. Information Seller: Genre:Sports Release:Jul 30, 2010 Updated:Nov 30, -0001 Version: Size:0.0 TouchArcade Rating:Unrated User Rating:Unrated Your Rating:unrated Compatibility:HD Universal New England Gamer Moderator Staff Member Patreon Silver Patreon Gold Patreon Bronze Jul 30, 2009 6,143 1 0 #10 New England Gamer, Oct 4, 2009 Need to also change the name of the thread so people know that this is actually a description of a game! jeffcutler Member Oct 4, 2009 14 0 0 http://jeffcutler.com #11 jeffcutler, Oct 4, 2009 Thanks for the help. Looks great. Have already talked with Howard about tweaking the ball image so the slots are thinner and the ball might have an equator seam. Might even put a yellow bat on the home page. Trouble we have is that we haven't reached an agreement with Whiffle Ball so we don't want to use their name in the game. That might come in the future. Lastly, if you have other ideas for tweaks, we're about set with v1.01 but already have ideas for 1.02 and would love to incorporate your improvements. Jeff jeffcutler Member Oct 4, 2009 14 0 0 http://jeffcutler.com #12 jeffcutler, Oct 4, 2009 Going back to the topic of the post - is it acceptable to put the game on sale for a period as short as 10 days? We're thinking of doing a promotion during the World Series. And THEN, November may bring with it a jump in price to $1.99. Strategy comments are encouraged and welcome. Is this a good move? Thanks, Jeff DaveMc99 Well-Known Member Mar 1, 2009 4,761 0 0 Seattle, WA USA #13 DaveMc99, Oct 4, 2009 Alot of sales are for a day or weekend.. 10 days is not that short. New England Gamer Moderator Staff Member Patreon Silver Patreon Gold Patreon Bronze Jul 30, 2009 6,143 1 0 #14 New England Gamer, Oct 4, 2009 I can understand the whiffle ball thing and trademark etc - just need to make the icon and the first screen maybe more self explanatory. And by sale do you mean free? Its a 99 cent game to begin with! But yeah a lot of sales are for a day or a weekend etc - ie Scoops was free for National Ice Cream Day - one of the pirate games was free (or lowered) in honor of Talk like a Pirate day and I am sure there are more. Doing something during the world series would be cool but don't give away the farm! Also since the World Series is a couple weeks away (with the divisional series etc coming first) if people know that you will give it away for free then they might wait and not purchase it now. jeffcutler Member Oct 4, 2009 14 0 0 http://jeffcutler.com #15 jeffcutler, Oct 4, 2009 Point well taken. Maybe we'll raise it to $1.99 with the first round of updates and lower it during the World Series. I'd also like to run some contests for free game codes, but so far we've only been giving those out to reviewers and celebrities. Thanks. Jeff freedog Well-Known Member Mar 11, 2009 6,272 0 0 #16 freedog, Oct 4, 2009 Sometimes a lite version can help boost your sales so people get a chance to try it out first. DaveMc99 Well-Known Member Mar 1, 2009 4,761 0 0 Seattle, WA USA #17 DaveMc99, Oct 4, 2009 Which celebrities? New England Gamer Moderator Staff Member Patreon Silver Patreon Gold Patreon Bronze Jul 30, 2009 6,143 1 0 #18 New England Gamer, Oct 4, 2009 Maybe adding the lawn chair to the load screen would help the whiffle ball backyard association. Since the game doesn't have batting involved that might confuse the issue as well. Now if I know the price will increase I might get it sooner rather than later cuz I would hate to be burned here. There have been some threads that discuss the merits and cons of price raising after game release. You can look in the Dev Threads. Celebrities hmmm? Do you mean someone who might be articulate in a review and has worthwhile ideas to share? eggzbacon Well-Known Member May 17, 2009 5,808 38 38 The Golden State #19 eggzbacon, Oct 4, 2009 I think I am a celebrity, right guys? freedog Well-Known Member Mar 11, 2009 6,272 0 0 #20 freedog, Oct 4, 2009 So Barack obama and Madonna get to play a lite version but we don't? lol (You must log in or sign up to post here.) Show Ignored Content Page 1 of 2 1 2 Next > Share This Page Tweet Your name or email address: Do you already have an account? No, create an account now. Yes, my password is: Forgot your password? Stay logged in
Need to also change the name of the thread so people know that this is actually a description of a game!
Thanks for the help. Looks great. Have already talked with Howard about tweaking the ball image so the slots are thinner and the ball might have an equator seam. Might even put a yellow bat on the home page. Trouble we have is that we haven't reached an agreement with Whiffle Ball so we don't want to use their name in the game. That might come in the future. Lastly, if you have other ideas for tweaks, we're about set with v1.01 but already have ideas for 1.02 and would love to incorporate your improvements. Jeff
Going back to the topic of the post - is it acceptable to put the game on sale for a period as short as 10 days? We're thinking of doing a promotion during the World Series. And THEN, November may bring with it a jump in price to $1.99. Strategy comments are encouraged and welcome. Is this a good move? Thanks, Jeff
I can understand the whiffle ball thing and trademark etc - just need to make the icon and the first screen maybe more self explanatory. And by sale do you mean free? Its a 99 cent game to begin with! But yeah a lot of sales are for a day or a weekend etc - ie Scoops was free for National Ice Cream Day - one of the pirate games was free (or lowered) in honor of Talk like a Pirate day and I am sure there are more. Doing something during the world series would be cool but don't give away the farm! Also since the World Series is a couple weeks away (with the divisional series etc coming first) if people know that you will give it away for free then they might wait and not purchase it now.
Point well taken. Maybe we'll raise it to $1.99 with the first round of updates and lower it during the World Series. I'd also like to run some contests for free game codes, but so far we've only been giving those out to reviewers and celebrities. Thanks. Jeff
Maybe adding the lawn chair to the load screen would help the whiffle ball backyard association. Since the game doesn't have batting involved that might confuse the issue as well. Now if I know the price will increase I might get it sooner rather than later cuz I would hate to be burned here. There have been some threads that discuss the merits and cons of price raising after game release. You can look in the Dev Threads. Celebrities hmmm? Do you mean someone who might be articulate in a review and has worthwhile ideas to share?
