First App / Game

cookies_never_lies · 12-30-2011, 01:24 AM

Hi! Guys,

I'm an experienced iOS developer. I'm working on iOS may be around 3 years. But I really don't have much idea about earnings.

Now, I'm kinda sick of job and want to do something on my own. So, I have started to make my own App and I think, I'll release it within 3 / 4 days.

So, my question is... how much money do you guys make per month? Is it possible to earn 2000 USD to 2500 USD per month using free App / Game?

Do you think, its better to add game center feature in App?

Thanks.

AragornSG · 12-30-2011, 09:44 AM

Search first, ask later. This topic has been beaten over many times.
Yes, it's possible to earn decent money with free apps, much more than $2k a month.

As for game center, depends on a game, it'll most likely be of more use in a single player game, not so much in a MMO.

fouldsc · 12-31-2011, 04:08 AM

I have found IAP and making the game freemium works best.

So give them so much for free , with ad's - but offer more levels etc. for a small fee that also kills the ad's.

You then have the ability to add new levels/add-on's etc. and continually remonetize your existing userbase.

merlin · 01-01-2012, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fouldsc

I have found IAP and making the game freemium works best.

It really depends on one's style / preferences. Some people prefer getting paid (me, Tap Tap Tap, Rovio), while some others prefer an IAP/Ads model (Zynga, Smurf's Village).

It also depends on the kind of an app. If @cookies is building a niche app, it may not be such a good idea, if he's making a mass-market game - why not. Some target groups don't mind paying at all, some will not pay even a dollar.

My suggestion, @cookies - check out your competition, and see how exactly they earn on ads/iap. It's not as simple as making the game free & putting iAds in it.

Also - if you expect the app to be any easier to promote because it's free, don't. Surprisingly, it's sometimes easier to promote a paid app (promo codes, occasional sales), and also - in case of a free game, you usually need 10x-100x downloads to earn decent money.