What do u think? advice?

[ootb]

Ok...i know a lot of people have been making those threads and i know it's some kind of repetition...but if some of you have good advice for me...it would be greatly appreciated.
I release my app App Store - Save Dodo

few months back and got 72 dollars and 1 or 2 downloads in a week ...

1 Here is what i have done...
2 Made a free version
3 made a website + video Save Dodo
4 sent for reviews and got some from good websites 148 apps + some more
5 Got 10 reviews genuine one...without aspirator or anything all 5 starts except one
6 got a post by a guy on the Guardian uk
7 made my app free for 2 days 4 times
8 switched my app in a less competitive cat...children
9 use some tap joy pay per download + cross promotion with another app i made (which wasn't great)
10 made a Facebook page + twitter account
11 released app on a thursday
12 made a free version
13 Used PR mac made and submitted 1 when it got approved by apple
14 used Spread (another PR release )


What i didn't do:
1 didn't attack a specific target market such as accountant in michigan
2 didn't chose my keyword carefully
3 No game centre
4 no Retina display for the characters cause it was written on older cocoa and would cost quite a bit to update cocoa version


Results:
$72
10 game reviews
700 total downloads


I know there is no need to flog a dead horse...but i don't see where i faulted or if you guys think it look **** or any recommendation would be more than welcome.

Here are a few promos for those who wants to test it out:

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[Sinecure Industries]

I think I found your problem:

1. Your app description doesn't say what the game does/how it plays
2. Your app description screenshots don't show the game in action

If you focus on what people think as opposed to informing new people what they will experience, you can't get new users.

[rocotilos]

You got a whole screenshot just to show a loading page????



Don't do that. Instead capture the best moments in your gameplay instead.

[ilmman]

Yes screenshot is probably one of the most important thing . You seemed to use half a page to have a pic of a bird. It's also very detailed I don't know where to look. Even I make spam apps which can take 2 days to a week and bring more downloads without any marketing technique simply because of screen shot techniques and icons. Even getting all those 1 star reviews still gets me 10k do a day (for free apps).

[HDshot]

The screenshots are eye catchy, but I think they are abit TOO eye catchy. Too much stuff going off in the screen

[mochibits]

How did you get HTML in your app description?

[ziocleto]

Originally Posted by ootb

1 Here is what i have done...

I'm afraid there's nothing you can do, the game isn't catchy, so the only thing left to do is to move on.

It's heartbreaking I know, but you've done all the right things in terms of exposure and promotion, so the game does sell cos it is not good enough.

PS: I've played it right now, it's just terrible. You need to try MUCH harder than this. You cannot expect to sell well something that is not made EXTREMELY well, especially in this climate and in this market.

[ootb]

Originally Posted by ziocleto

I'm afraid there's nothing you can do, the game isn't catchy, so the only thing left to do is to move on.

It's heartbreaking I know, but you've done all the right things in terms of exposure and promotion, so the game does sell cos it is not good enough.

PS: I've played it right now, it's just terrible. You need to try MUCH harder than this. You cannot expect to sell well something that is not made EXTREMELY well, especially in this climate and in this market.

See if you can get me some feedbacks on why it is terrible it would be awesome. I thought for a Kid game...it is way better than other stuff out there and I looked at your paper camera and tried it and i wanna understand...

Do people talk about you app and tell all their friends to go and try it out?
Do people find you app via keywords...love the screenshots and ddld it?

I think i'll try to find Kids centered website and forums etc...and then i'll give up

[ziocleto]

Originally Posted by ootb

See if you can get me some feedbacks on why it is terrible it would be awesome. I thought for a Kid game...it is way better than other stuff out there and I looked at your paper camera and tried it and i wanna understand...

I think you have a gameplay problem, I'm not sure I've tried hard enough, but all I had to do is to put my finger on the screen when the ducks were in the middle of the screen. I've got bored after the second row.

It's just not challenging, and if it gets better and better as you go along you'd already lost 99% of your players, cos they've abandoned way before.

It crashed a lot as well, the tutorial is messy, I coulnd't get past the second screen and it crashed.

The whole feeling is messy, doesn't feel solid, it feels like I'm nearly scared of touching the wrong thing that the game wil crash, that is never good.

Art-wise you need some hi res graphics, those are no where good enough.

So a lot of work to do, but you've got a game up there, so it's a good start. But please move on on something else, don't waste your time with this, it won't sell enough to make it worthwhile.

[dacapo]

Originally Posted by ootb

See if you can get me some feedbacks on why it is terrible it would be awesome. I thought for a Kid game...it is way better than other stuff out there and I looked at your paper camera and tried it and i wanna understand...

Do people talk about you app and tell all their friends to go and try it out?
Do people find you app via keywords...love the screenshots and ddld it?

I think i'll try to find Kids centered website and forums etc...and then i'll give up

I downloaded it as well.

Two comments.

1. Reworking your screenshots to be more attractive would help. The quilted patch look for dodos seems a bit unstable to my eyes. It makes me feel more nervous than attracted to it.

2. The gameplay could use some tweaking. The rats are too big and fast, and the birds seem too small. And even when the rats aren't really touching the birds, your birds die out. Make it a bit tighter.

Point 1 above will likely help with your download numbers, as that's what I think a lot of people will look for in game apps.

Point 2 will help your users to get more excited about the game hopefully.

My thought is that the "dodo" character should be more likable. But right now, they're just little blobs.

[mochibits]

I played your game. Some comments...

1. Swiping: The swiping caused the rats to just disappear. They should at least fly off the screen or something. Some indicator that your swipe succeeded.

2. Birds: It was not fun to line up the birds. I got bored after a few lines.

3. Image Clipping: the birds have their textures clipped. It looks bad.

4. Screenshots: They should represent the game play at some level. Screenshots need to show gameplay.

Plus, what everyone else said.

The main thing is that while this game is a unique idea, it doesn't keep me interested and it isn't very fun to play.

I agree with ziocleto. This game cannot be salvaged into something profitable. Take what you have learned and get on to the next game.

[ootb]

Originally Posted by mochibits

I played your game. Some comments...

1. Swiping: The swiping caused the rats to just disappear. They should at least fly off the screen or something. Some indicator that your swipe succeeded.

2. Birds: It was not fun to line up the birds. I got bored after a few lines.

3. Image Clipping: the birds have their textures clipped. It looks bad.

4. Screenshots: They should represent the game play at some level. Screenshots need to show gameplay.

Plus, what everyone else said.

The main thing is that while this game is a unique idea, it doesn't keep me interested and it isn't very fun to play.

I agree with ziocleto. This game cannot be salvaged into something profitable. Take what you have learned and get on to the next game.

Cool lads, i understand...a lot of fair/true points. The reality is i got into this by getting an outside programmer...i don't do it myself. A lot of those points were raised by me and there was kind of an excuse that it was hard to make by the programmer etc...
It's my fault all up...but good exp and good learning.
Cheers guys