Question: iOS Game Center Leaderboards # vs. Sales

[blot-blaqksheep]

So we released our first game, Deadstorm back on September 8th.

I heard it is best to keep out numbers and $$$ so with that being said, we have sold X copies of our game for $0.99.

My question is that I am seeing (X * 3) players on our Game Center's Leaderboards...

It is my understanding that the Leaderboards for a game is a one-to-one kind of thing. I know Game Center is not the most solid thing out but this is just boggling my mind and I would love to have some light shed on this.
I am under the impression that you use your Game Center account (prob your Apple ID that you bought the game with) and Leaderboards = only one entry with your highest score listed. If I played a game 10 times I should only see my highest score from those 10 games in the Leaderboards.

We have released 2 updates to the game since release. We never altered Game Center in the updates or reset anything?

We would obviously love the (X * 3) cash so that is why I am questioning things... We keep taking a look at the Leaderboard and see the numbers going up and up yet our daily sales isn't hitting the same increase that we see.


Any insight would be much appreciated.
blot

[PikPok]

Originally Posted by blot-blaqksheep

My question is that I am seeing (X * 3) players on our Game Center's Leaderboards...

Your game is (roughly) being pirated at a rate of 2 pirated copies for every 1 copy that you sell.

[slewis7]

The game is almost certainly being pirated at a rate higher then 2 to 1 since many purchasers (and perhaps even pirates) don't use Game Center.

[PikPok]

Originally Posted by slewis7

The game is almost certainly being pirated at a rate higher then 2 to 1 since many purchasers (and perhaps even pirates) don't use Game Center.

For the purposes of my napkin math, I assumed the uptake of Gamecenter was the same across pirates and legitimate users :P

[blot-blaqksheep]

Aw man, I was hoping this would not be the case... What exactly do you mean about the "uptake of Game Center" PikPok?

So Apple has the binary, how are these pirates getting it?

Is there anything I can file or complain about? I'll have to start finding out how people get these pirated copies and go from there. I know it is impossible to prevent but maybe I can slow that rate down. This may be a great marketing campaign: "Deadstorm, the #1 most pirated game on the App Store" Lol.

This is our first game and we want to keep doing more and more but I feel like I have to constantly babysit, advertise and market this game to lay a foundation for the company and get some residual income in between development.

[PikPok]

Originally Posted by blot-blaqksheep

Aw man, I was hoping this would not be the case... What exactly do you mean about the "uptake of Game Center" PikPok?

I mean the rate of usage of Gamecenter between pirates and non pirates is probably around the same, implying there are twice as many pirates as legitimate customers.

[Blackharon]

Originally Posted by PikPok

I mean the rate of usage of Gamecenter between pirates and non pirates is probably around the same, implying there are twice as many pirates as legitimate customers.

Not necessarily. My wife and I use the same Apple ID, but she has a separate GC ID. Meaning there'd be 2 entries if we both played your game. When my son is old enough to know how to log in, he'll have a separate GC ID as well.

But, the spirit of the conclusion is right, your app is being pirated more often than sold. Nothing new here, we all have it.

Just be hopeful the pirates are the ones with a soul and will purchase apps they like Not that other kind.

[blot-blaqksheep]

Originally Posted by Blackharon

Not necessarily. My wife and I use the same Apple ID, but she has a separate GC ID. Meaning there'd be 2 entries if we both played your game. When my son is old enough to know how to log in, he'll have a separate GC ID as well.

But, the spirit of the conclusion is right, your app is being pirated more often than sold. Nothing new here, we all have it.

Just be hopeful the pirates are the ones with a soul and will purchase apps they like Not that other kind.

Ok well good to know. Thanks for all the helpful info everyone. Much appreciated.

I guess this would be one perk to going "freemium" with our next game. We're giving the game away so no need to pirate. If they are engaged with the game then they will buy some stuff via the in-app purchases...

[nicolasgb]

Originally Posted by blot-blaqksheep

Ok well good to know. Thanks for all the helpful info everyone. Much appreciated.

I guess this would be one perk to going "freemium" with our next game. We're giving the game away so no need to pirate. If they are engaged with the game then they will buy some stuff via the in-app purchases...

Our freemium game got pirated anyway and players with jailbroken devices made fake IAP puchases. I actually don't really mind as I don't think those people would have completed regular IAPs otherwise (though I did hear there could be an uptake of ~10%), but it did mess up with our metrics as we couldn't separate actual payers from pirates.

[phongtt]

Originally Posted by nicolasgb

Our freemium game got pirated anyway and players with jailbroken devices made fake IAP puchases.

Don't you use a validation server?