the name of the app itself is crucial some threads i just pass due to a boring name, and later on find out it's an awesome game. crash course for example. that didnt seem to have any relation with the game and sounded pretty dull so i just passed. the game itself was actually great fun LFMAO WIN!!
I think you hit the nail on the head. If a game has a boring name, the only way I'll usually end up clicking on the thread to see what it's about is if it's featured on the front page or (maybe) if the thread has a ton of views. So what makes an app name interesting vs. boring? Getting featured by Apple or by TA on the front page is no easy task, so every little thing a developer can do in their own control to increase their chances of getting noticed is important. Even my stuff that seemed most likely to get a mention (my arcade ports of Kung Fu Master and PunchOut) got passed over, and an exclusive preview of the upcoming tactical RPG World to Conquer was ignored as well. One thing I found darkly amusing: Apple featured Zanshin as a "New and Noteworthy" app. It's an indie port of Karate Champ. Yet the recent official port of Karate Champ by Revolutionary Concepts, which is much better executed in every way apparently got passed over by Apple. On a related note, can anyone think of a more exciting name than "Angry Vicky Viper"? I suspect that name suggests yet another top-down snake game, but it's nothing of the sort. Vicky is a fast paced casual game where you snatch up prey. The thread's gotten relatively few views compared to my other apps, and in fact the most recent batch of 5 promo codes didn't even get used up - I think the app title is a main culprit.
People are saying to include the price in the title. Is that really necessary? IMHO each game should have a "lite" version. I think the ideal title will be: Great App Name - Category - Developer Notes on App Name: Make sure they use search terms. This will increase your views, not only from the forum, but from google as well.
