State of mobile game development

glennbjr · June 2012

Market over-saturated? No. It doesn't really matter anyway. Cream always rises to the top. If the game is fun, has nice graphics and you tell everybody how awesome it is. It will rise and you will be successful. If you don't think your game is awesome yet get back to work coding it :-B

Make a living making small games for mobile? Yes, absolutely. I started developing games full-time March 30 this year. I make games I like to play. I play my own games too. I tell everybody about the games. I'm passionate about what I do and do my best to create the best games I can. Find your niche. I enjoy developing and playing Arcade & Action games.

MikeHart · June 2012

@glennbjr, where do you tell the people about your games besides Facebook/Twitter?

glennbjr · June 2012

@MikeHart , I use facebook, twitter, google+ and I email every app review site that I can to tell them about my new game. In some forums you can post a link to the game as well. I do that too. But don't be spammy because everyone hates spam. I think if you want the world to download and play your game you have to tell the world how great it is and where they can get it.

I don't pay for reviews. I don't pay for ratings or links. I think there's something ethically wrong there. I don't think anyone should have to pay for a review. I don't pay for advertising. Being an indie developer you need to do as much work as you can instead of paying out money to everyone else. I do link to review sites and tweet good news about my games. I respond to my customers emails/tweets and update games that are on the market. I also help and work with other indie developers.

Hope you find this helpful.

MikeHart · June 2012

Thanks for all these infos guys.

jack0088 · June 2012

super amazing thread! thank you all for those useful tips! All this gets me motivated again! :d

Scouser · June 2012

@glennbjr: I suppose it also helps having a video pointing down the top of your gf/wife (see *edit*) dress on the download page for Wall Smasher free

*edit* Sorry, I played the video without audio, I didn't realise that the female was actually the reviewer.

Mells · June 2012

Something that has worked for me across the years is to always focus on "building" something of value that adds up to my previous works even if it is in a totally different domain.
Starting from scratch is always what I try to avoid (even if this is fun).

I have been working in the publishing industry for more than 8 years and in my opinion what is happening in the indie scene is comparable with the situation that artists have been facing for decades.

People love to do something (art, code), they think that would be cool to get paid for that (who wouldn't?) and they jump on the train.
But I believe someone can not success if his works don't add to his previous works.

Ex : a lot of artists (in some way, dev are artists -> They want to make something happen) work on something, release, expect some money, then restart from scratch again.

I'm convinced that the money is in the relationship that you have created with people over the years.
I don't do much twitter, I don't have a fb / g+, but I have collected a number of email addresses from people who opted in to get news from me (they followed me from when I started as an illustrator, some of them followed me in my other businesses, etc).

The money is in the relationship, the money is in the mailing list, and that's also the place where I can learn from my readers.

Nothing has worked better for me than growing a *mailing list* over the years, that was my point.

You need to pre-build, pre launch, be helpful before you need people's support.
You don't need millions of "followers", and you can't base your strategy on "if I can get 1% of the total user base".
It seems that it doesn't work, and it will never work like that for the majority (us!).

Grow a mailing list, interact with people, get to know them and how you can help them to get more money/time/fun/happiness/get published/release a game, and they will be happy to support you whatever you do.
It takes time, it's slow, but it's something of value that follows you in every thing you start in the future.

A lot of people have helped me on this forum, there is no doubt that I'll buy their app to support them. It starts like that.

Be useful, share values, spread your ideas, make people hear your voice, be bold and you'll have something that you can turn to money over the years.

Sorry for the broken english, it's not that easy to express something in this language for me.

ndoss · June 2012

Be useful, share values, spread your ideas, make people hear your voice, be bold and you'll have something that you can turn to money over the years.

Sorry for the broken english, it's not that easy to express something in this language for me.

I like what you expressed and thought you expressed it quite well

zakkwylde666 · June 2012

Wow, I started this thread expecting a few crushed dreams and bad experiences. I thank you all for being part of an enjoyable read.

Keep positive, but most importantly keep moving forward. $:\$ ">

gorkem · June 2012

Wow, I started this thread expecting a few crushed dreams and bad experiences. I thank you all for being part of an enjoyable read.

@zakkwylde666 Just like this thread: http://giderosmobile.com/forum/discussion/comment/5012

techdojo · June 2012

Sorry to go off topic...

@glennbjr: I suppose it also helps having a video pointing down the top of your gf/wife dress on the download page

"Wall Smasher Free" Best app review in the world ever!

@glennbjr - sorry but you did post the review for all to see (literally), I love the bit where the reviewer is ragging on the sound effects being annoying and you mention the "cool music" and she's like "no there's not - yes there is, you have played it haven't you" and then you grab the tablet back, try and fail to get the music playing... class

So was Wall Smasher a Gideros game?

techdojo · March 2018

I've just come across this thread after over five years - it was a real blast to look back and to hear advice from myself from five years ago. I really need to give myself a kick up the arse - however just in case anyone from the past is listening - I haven't given up on mobile development and my latest app has now surpassed over 1 MILLION downloads across iOS and Android and that's in a very particular niche, so I guess my original advice still holds true.

I'm still working as a full time developer (just not with @Scouser any more - he get's his own coffee now) and still "I have a (mobile) dream", but now I also have quite a bit more "pin money" coming in and I have a long term strategy in place.

As I used to say "Never give up, Never NEVER give up", with a solid mix of both HARD and more importantly SMART work you CAN make a success of "this indie life!"

Jon...

oleg · March 2018

@techdojo if it's not a secret

what profit $ ,of 1000000 downloads?

Apollo14 · March 2018

@techdojo I guess it's much harder now than back in 2012?
Or app market is not that scary, devs come and go, there is enough space for everybody?

totebo · March 2018

I think if you have a quality game with good retention you stand a great chance. Most of the games on mobile are rubbish.

Apollo14 · March 2018

oleg · March 2018

@totebo that for one garbage, for another no

jdbc · March 2018

There are thousands of games in Android stores, it is almost imposible to make visible and make money.

antix · March 2018

@jdbc it's not impossible, just very unlikely

jdbc · March 2018

Just make a game you want to play, do not care if you make money for the moment.

antix · April 2018

@jdbc I totally agree

billydb · April 2018

I work for a mobile games company. It’s a great job and follows the super cell model of very small teams of around 15 people. I would highly recommend it. I used to work for AAA developers in teams of 100+ and it’s fairly sole destroying. I just thought I’d mention finding a small innovative games company as an alternative. It’s still bloody risky as these things go down all the time but at least while they last your getting a steady salary and if your as lucky as me, still getting to do what you love. I learned coding from Gideros and use it in my job despite being a dumb artist. The coders trust me now to do a lot of stuff. I can also do my own projects on the side (although it’s a lot tougher to keep going in the evening when you’ve been working on games all day)

antix · April 2018

@billydb, you have the perfect job.. where do I sign up?

Apollo14 · April 2018

billydb said:
I work for a mobile games company. It’s a great job and follows the super cell model of very small teams of around 15 people. I would highly recommend it. I used to work for AAA developers in teams of 100+ and it’s fairly sole destroying. I just thought I’d mention finding a small innovative games company as an alternative. It’s still bloody risky as these things go down all the time but at least while they last your getting a steady salary and if your as lucky as me, still getting to do what you love. I learned coding from Gideros and use it in my job despite being a dumb artist. The coders trust me now to do a lot of stuff. I can also do my own projects on the side (although it’s a lot tougher to keep going in the evening when you’ve been working on games all day)

@billydb what game engines do they use there in your company?

billydb · April 2018

Unity. Yeah I know. But it's nice to use a different engine outside of work. and @antix move to Finland

A lot of small games studios and the government supports the industry a lot

Apollo14 · April 2018

antix · April 2018

I totally agree. I'm making a game example for my book and it took about 3 days to get it 90% done. Those last 10% are the real hard yards for sure

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