Sales in China? Any results coming in ?

Zero sales so far. But I'm not on any of the lists there, so that's not terribly surprising.

 

I have sales from Hong Kong sometimes for Cheese Collect.

 

Wasn't Hong Kong always open, and treated as a separate store? I have sales there, but Rogue Touch does not even show up in the China App Store yet...

 

I'm still trying to figure out what you have to do to get your game even listed in China. Apple aren't answering my questions. If anyone knows how to get listed please PM me.

We even translated Darkest Fear to Chinese arrggg

Cheers

 

has the device officially launched yet? i thought it was for the end of the month. - we haven't seen any sales from China ever (in last year)

 

The iPhone has really landed in China, but to a cold reception it would seems

http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/iPhone/iPhone+news/news.asp?c=16472

Most article I read are similar, no big buzz or huge line of people waiting. So will see how it goes.

 

Apparently a big reason for the tepid launch is that there are already a lot of imported iPhones in China.


Does anyone have an idea of what types of game might get censored from China's app store?

 

hey guys, as a developer in china, I really don't think market here will be big unless the paid method changed.
in china now, to buy app in app store,you must use a credit card,which is not very populor online payment method here.

also, costomer base is small now

but I do hope all things will be better soon, then I can make the app with my own language

 

Well, my results are in! Sold exactly one copy of one of the Lite version of my game, and nothing else. Gonna try to double that today!

 

I sort of had a feeling China sales would be next to nothing. Maybe it will improve after a few months though. I went to China once, and from what I saw there, (this was back in 2001) there were a lot of very poor people that I couldn't imagine affording an iPhone, much less than being able to buy food for their families. Maybe its changed in the last 9 years...
I would think sales in Hong Kong (which is a lot like NYC) to be much higher.

 

I've only sold about 250 copies in Hong Kong in the last year, so nope.

 

I thought ppl in China lived on trees. They have iphone now?

 

Nothing yet.

 

As the iPhone was officially released in China on October 30th 2009, it remains to be seen whether legitimate app downloads will provide a substantial revenue stream for developers. It would be foolhardy, however, to extrapolate a long-term conclusion based on two days worth of data.

First, it is important to provide some clarification. At present, all games available in the US App Store are also available in the Chinese App Store.

Piracy is one of the primary issues at stake for developers hoping to benefit from the Chinese market. Illegal download of applications is already hurting sales in the US, and Chinese consumers are traditionally particularly averse to the idea that non-tangible objects like music and software should be paid for (especially when there is no physical media involved).

However, the App Store does have something going for it, and that is the relatively low cost of apps when compared to those on any other mobile or stationary platform. Never in history has quality software been available for such a low cost. As a result, piracy is in most cases no longer driven by actual economic barriers, and any app under $10 is within the reach of Chinese iPhone and iPod Touch owners.

In addition, the roughly 2 million grey-market (read: pre-10/30/09) iPhones being used in China at present have, without exception, been both jailbroken and unlocked. These users are naturally predisposed to partake in piracy. The non-technically proficient users often visit their original iPhone retailers in order to procure pirated apps. However, with the recent official entrance of the iPhone into China via China Unicom, future iPhone users will no longer be forced to take the often hazardous and troublesome steps of jailbreaking and unlocking their devices. These new users will be more inclined to take advantage of the convenience and security offered by the App Store.

Finally, downloadable content seems like it has the potential to both increase sales and discourage piracy, especially in markets like China. It may be the best strategy for developers eager to protect their revenue streams. ngmoco's much-ballyhooed 'Eliminate' will be serve as an excellent test-case for this model. We are eager to hear of your continued results.

Andrew

 

I meant higher than China sales.

 

I see. Then you are very much correct so far.

 

thats a bummer. Also a bummer that Verizon isn't getting the iPhone - which could have easily doubled the amount of iPhone sales... or tripled?

 

I'm hoping the tablet/slate is App Store compatible. Think of all the fun we could have making stuff for a giant screen.