Big Thanks to Gamesalad
BigDave
Member Posts: 2,239
1 year 8 months
This is the time I know create games for living, alone from my home, lien in my bed doing what I love most, create video games.
Gamesalad enabled this path for me, together with it's active community and tutorials by @tshirtbooth @The_Gamesalad_Guru which delivered key resources for a fast learning process (1 month full time).
As everyone here I had to learn the hard way, launching plenty of apps which where unnoticed and only resulted in a couple of downloads. Forced to change and re-invent what type of games I create multiple times, finding my path by try and error.
I was many times doubting myself but always could ring down this thoughts with the simple believe that I get better each time I fail.
As I advanced new helpful persons crossed my way and with one of them, his name is Sabba Keynejad we created a simple game called "Three Points" that got featured by apple over a full week Europe wide in the "Best New Games" section. And another week in a few european countries as "What we are playing" and "Best Indie Games". Leading to 400.000 Downloads and ranking us on only 1 spot behind candy crush on the App Store, back than.
We did not know much about monetization and the game was free, the only advertising was an Apple iAD's Banner Unit. Generating in this month around $ 1200, we sold a copy of the game to a marketer for $ 2000 which pushed his app even higher. (he called it Impossible rush)
Since we did not create enough money looking at the incredible amount of Downloads, it was time to overthink the way we make money in our apps. I spend a full month updating my back than 28 Apps with Chartboost interstitial Ad units. Which performed from day 1 well. Unfortunately we were no longer featured.
Calculating backward we could have made extra $ 12.000 to $20.000 if we would have had the chartboost Advertising in the game from the beginning. But thinking like this is poisonous, so I moved on.
Sabbe Keynejad and myself create a game called PewDiePug, two months before the success of Three Points and the Pug game started to take off and this time we were prepared to make money.
It did by far not reach the Download volume of Three Points but it pays my bills since over 6 months, brining it constant cash which I share 50/50 with my partner.
Getting a grasp of what people want and an improved Art Style learned by Sabba Keynejad I created my most recent title called "Orcs". It is the one game that keeps Players in the longest up to 4 hours straight can be seen in the analytics. And it monetizes therefor the best so far, beside of not having the traffic of Pewdiepug.
Also players keep the app and wait for updates, they became loyal fans which is the greatest what can happen to your Indie Game. It's great to know that people look forward to your next update and brings back that feeling you are really looking for when making games, it feels purposeful, you make them happy.
Bye,
David Zobrist
Comments
Well done Dave and I wish you the best in all your future apps.
Dave, you're truly an inspiration around the community. I wish you continued luck in the future!
@BigDave Thanks for sharing, you're doing great:)! Keep it up buddy, I wish you all the luck in the world!
@BigDave interesting post, congrats and good luck going forward
Awesome! thank you for these insights, great to see the dream come true for a talented indie developer like yourself
@BigDave That is great - thanks for your story. I am still in the many apps/low downloads phase and hope to break through someday. Thank you for the inspiration to keep at it.
@wanegroup hard times but if you really love it you can make it through, since there is no option you will make more games and they most likely will get better.
1 year, 8 months and this is all you have to show for yourself?!
Just kidding! You have the right approach - experiment, learn and adapt.
I wish you many more successes!
Awesome Man! You are livening the dream! I wish you continued success!
Great news!
What I love as someone who worked in the media industry for many years is that if you work hard at this you can reap the rewards yourself as the artist, instead of some bull*#itting director taking all the credit!
Hail the revolution!!! Well done mate
Love your update posts like these Dave, keep up the good work
Most Excellent!
@BigDave awesome man keep it up! Orcs inspired me to make a game that no one has done before. Can't wait to show it!
Nice one @BigDave! Great reading posts like this - good luck with your future projects!
@BigDave - Thanks again!
@BigDave thanks for sharing, it inspires a lot of people!
Great post Dave !
Fantastic post, Dave! you're a huge inspiration
Congrats on your success Dave! Its a hard slog at the beginning and lots of lessons to be learned but work hard and it will come.
It took us 3 years to get some success i.e. games on portals like BigFish and into stores like Walmart via retail publishing deals and success on the app store, build brand and market DBA etc etc and few people earn over 150k a year doing something they love but hard work pays and i wish you good luck for your future apps.
@DeepBlueApps would love to read your guys success story too
Congrats! Thrilled for you.
Good job and good luck Dave, keep it up!
good job!!I wish I could do as well
Dave, I'm honored I helped you realize your dream! This kind of story is exactly why I do what I do. I am a dreamer myself and it is just as fulfilling to know my hard work has helped people reach their dream. I do it because I know dreaming can be a lonely road and there was a time when there was little support around here. So instead of complain about the lack of resources I decided to do something about it myself. I took what I learned myself and from others on the forum and put it into video format for others to have instant access to it. never, never, never give up!
@BigDave thanks for sharing this inspirational story Dave - i'm so impressed with what you are building....this is just the very beginning my friend. Can I ask what kind of analytics you use if any? I don't have any visibility right now into how much my apps are used and it would be so helpful. I don't do any advertising or gamecenter...i'm in the education space. Thanks so much
@The_Gamesalad_Guru thank you so much dude!
@jorkos i do use analytics for game salad
http://appformative.com
Its easy to implement, the page has some loading issues sometimes you have to load a tap multiple times but "Sessions length" and "User" analytics, are very useful in gathering information of how long people play and how much come back the next day.
Love the post as many of us can relate to it. Keep up the good work and hoping to hear more
@BigDave Congrats
i am big fan of your game 3 points 
@jorkos Your Maintaining more than 70 apps your saying no visibility, i am bit scared now....because i am also in education space with 2 apps thinking of continue with kids apps only .
@BigDave Grats! It's great to read these success stories with game salad, may your future hold even more on this path.
Thats really awesome @BigDave!
You have inspired me. I hope to be able to one day pursue such a career and do what I love also.
Well done mate, and keep up the good work!