Niche to meet you! (also: finding success on app store)

[Foursaken_Media]

Originally Posted by yemi

Ok yes mikka mobile has gotten success selling millions with zombieville which is casual game. Thier niche product did not do so well , even though it is polished.
Half-brick did well with fruit ninja , but thier next 2 games didnt even have half the success.
Forsaken media did ok with thier zombie game , but made less money with thier 2nd effort.
Which my final point is no matter the level of polish and shine and whatever buzz word you like to use at the moment , luck is a big factor. If you dont reconize this fact , your in for a harsh reality.

Well, not to rip on Yemi any more but this isn't really true for us either. Bug Heroes is certainly a more "hardcore" game, incorporating a lot of different genres and being fairly complex in nature (especially compared to N.Y.Zombies), but since going free + IAPs, in just 2 months we have grossed over half of what N.Y.Zombies has made in 14 months. In other words, Bug Heroes is doing very well -- for us at least -- and is on pace to easily outsell N.Y.Zombies when all is said and done. Mind you it was even doing well initially, but going free with IAPs was just a great move for us.

I think someone said it well before... its not so much about niche and all that, it just boils down to: is your game fun and is it quality? If it is, you will actually bring in new players you thought wouldn't be interested in your game in the first place! I really think the best thing is just to make a game you want to play, make it polished, do all you can in regards to marketing (whatever the scope of that may be) and hope for the best. If you truly have talent (sad truth: not everyone is cut out for making games), then your passion will show through and you will find an audience for your game. Yes luck may play a role in addition to all that, but its also a VERY dangerous scapegoat which can impede your progress as a developer!

Anyway, as a side note, because we have managed "success" with our first two releases, Foursaken Media will actually become "legit" pretty soon, with 4 full time employees and actual, physical offices Pretty exciting stuff!

[yemi]

I have to admit the route you took in making bug heros free IAP is very smart. I think if you stayed as a paid game you would have not done so well , but the strategy you choose now has been impressive. So I stand corrected , only because you figured out a solid money making plan. So being flexable has paid off for you guys.