one week, only 85 download,please help

Discussion in 'Public Game Developers Forum' started by fwish, Aug 11, 2009.

  1. Hug_a_Panda_Ben

    Hug_a_Panda_Ben Active Member

    Aug 11, 2009
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    Janitor
    California
    Yeah, I definitely think it is challenging for non-english developers. You are already 1000x better than I am in any other language. I can't imagine even posting in a forum where I can't speak/type the language let alone creating and marketing a game in that language.

    Your best bet is to find a camera to record the game play. The best is if you could borrow from a friend...or if you live near an electronic's shop that sells cameras (here we have Best Buy) you could bring your own memory card, plug in the memory card, and then tape yourself playing the game at the store... it's probably not the best, but if you are on a budget it's one way you could get it done...
     
  2. Draven

    Draven Well-Known Member

    Apr 20, 2009
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    Yeah we did some lite versions for a US client who insisted they were the only thing that would boost sales. They did nothing. For three different games. For our own stuff we are avoiding Lite versions like the plague.
     
  3. GamerOutfit

    GamerOutfit Well-Known Member

    Oct 28, 2008
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    You actually have had more downloads than my game, War 3100. I spent close to a year on it and having 5 sales or so a day isn't exactly overwhelming. I get lots of good personal reviews and comments but so far no real sales. I did much better with my XBox 360 Community Game Exisled. I'm hoping sales of War 3100 pick up to justify it's website and of course future development.

    I did the same thing as you as well, submitted it to many sites with promo codes but so far have not received a review. I may get one, but so far nothing.
     
  4. fwish

    fwish Well-Known Member

    I made a video,but I don't think it's ok because it's too hard to make the screen clear

    check it out
     
  5. yas

    yas Well-Known Member

    Aug 7, 2009
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    Rōnin developer
  6. Mormoop

    Mormoop Well-Known Member

    May 20, 2009
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    #26 Mormoop, Aug 13, 2009
    Last edited: Aug 13, 2009
    It's kind of sad... I don't know what to tell you. There's just too many games out there and not enough customers. Most iphone owners don't even play games on it, after all, and of the ones that do it's still a small percent who buy them more than occasionally. It's just not as great a market as it may seem to be. Plus there's a new great-looking game coming out every day now, so it's easy for something like this, that looks decent but isn't a Minigore or Defender Chronicles, to just get passed over.

    Maybe developers with games that just aren't selling (and that don't look like they're ever going to sell) should consider teaming up. I bet a lot of people might buy a "game pack" with a bunch of overlooked games for 99 cents who wouldn't have bought them individually. I know, you won't make much money at all off that, but at least you'd get something

    Just a thought.
     
  7. fwish

    fwish Well-Known Member


    yes,I know, today. only 2 download:(

    let's see if video will do some good
     
  8. rIcHrAnDoM

    rIcHrAnDoM Well-Known Member
    Patreon Silver

    Nov 17, 2008
    7,936
    30
    38
    Steelworker/Welder
    Indiana, USA
    Best of luck to you fwish. It is encouraging to read through all the advice and feedback here.
     
  9. fwish

    fwish Well-Known Member

    just add the large photo as you said,check it out
     
  10. fwish

    fwish Well-Known Member

  11. nightbeaver

    nightbeaver Well-Known Member

    Dec 13, 2008
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    after looking at the video the game does look pretty decent. the accellerometer controls look very accurate and the graphics look really good in motion. although, the basic idea of the game still deos not appeal to me, i think that as a developer you show alot of promise and i hope that your not disscouraged by the response you get from this game. i decided to buy the game and try it out. its an alright game and the controls are decent. i am still a little turned off by the lack of depth and one small change i think that might be easy to implement maybe a bonus multiplier for having sharks chasing you as you go for the treasure. you can have most sharks add 1 to your multiplier and the slow pink ones can add two becuase its hard to keep them chasing you. overall its not asnd awful game but still not something that i would eager to buy.
     
  12. fwish

    fwish Well-Known Member

    thanks for your advise,a bonus multiplier ,very good idea, I will think about it,and see if it will be done in the next update
     
  13. 99c_gamer

    99c_gamer Well-Known Member

    Mar 23, 2009
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    I played the demo . Its all very well made

    The one suggestion I would have is to have game larger than 1 screen. I think it would be cool to be able to keep going down and explore deeper in the ocean.
     
  14. fwish

    fwish Well-Known Member

    thanks, that will be a huge change of all the levels that I have designed,I will thingk about it,but maybe it will be more fun
     
  15. Gabrielo

    Gabrielo Member

    Jul 12, 2009
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    Hong Kong
    The reason why is the Application Description
    Your presentation is not good enough

    7 points here:
    1. the title and the icon is not understandable
    2. the icon giving a wrong information/expectation/impression
    3. the screen shot is telling nothing about the game play
    4. the game graphic maybe too fancy
    5. wrong order of the description in app store
    6. lack of instruction in the website
    7. only give a youtube link in your site

    before I explain my point, I apologize here for my poor english, I am from Hong Kong, english is not my first language.


    1. the title and the icon is not understandable

    When I read the the title "Shark's Treasure", I think the treasure is belong to the shark, and I am the shark defeating enemy to protect my treasures. But the second minute, I think maybe I am a diver who chasing and defeating the shark to get the treasure. I am not sure, but okay, I know it’s about Shark and treasure, and it should be excited.

    suggestion: something like “Getting Treasure”. I mean add a verb into the title. Because what is lacked in the title is a purpose/an objective/ a goal/ the reason why a player should avoid the shark and diving under the sea. They don’t care it was a shark or a lion, they care about how happy they are when they play,
    Beside, here’s a shark on the icon already, you don’t have to mention it again.


    2. the icon giving a wrong information/expectation/impression

    What make me think like that?
    Because the Icon, it seem like a very excited action game, I expect its style is "metal slug"-like game. However it is not, The icon is giving wrong information/expectation/impression to me. The icon and the screenshot is totally different, i feel like being tricked. It’s not what i expected, I think the STYLE inside the GAME should be SIMILAR to the ICON. However, it’s only a Casual game....
    Come on!! Can you see the mouth of the shark on the icon ????
    The Sharp’s BITING!!! So Dangerous!!!
    It scare you!!! Make you nervous, Right!?
    But what’s this screenshot?
    Is it scaring you ? making you nervous, feel dangerous?
    NOoooooooooo, it’s not.
    Divergence of the screenshot and icon is disappointing me.
    even though both icon and screenshot are great.


    3. the screen shot is telling nothing about the game play

    Okay, whatever. let me take a look on the screenshot.
    mmmm...... a lot of shark, a lot of treasure,
    mmmm...... which shark am I ? or OH~ I am the treasure!?
    no no no I am the submarine, it’s too small, and look like a shark, I just didn’t see it.(screenshot 1)
    so what should i do next? attack the shark to protect the treasure?
    yes i think so. i got a lot of ball under the sea (screenshot 2) which are not shown on the screenshot 1 and the numbers of the sharks decreased. These should be the weapons:my bombs, but hold on why is the shark on right top corner seems not getting hurt? how does it work?

    er?? wait, attack shark to get 20 point?(screenshot 3)
    what? and defend submarine to get 100????
    so what character is my role?
    hey finally an instruction in the screenshot, but it’s not readable
    because font is small and the complicated background raise the difficulty for reading...
    after i read it i finally found that i was wrong , i should avoid the sharks and collect the treasures to win..
    it’s really not what i expected at the first time i saw the icon........
    and it seems boring because the screenshot is lack of motion
    i know it’s not a video, but i can’t see any visual effect about:

    a. how submarine move(change the ways of bubbles and make it bigger)
    b. what’s happen when submarine is attacked(blink or submarine cry)
    c. anything special when submarine got the treasure

    the first 2 screenshot are no different to me until i see the screenshot 3
    and so does the screenshot 4, it’s similar 1 and 2. And finally the screenshot 5, is it any meaning about score when the players don’t understand the gameplay??????


    4. the game graphic maybe too fancy

    actually it’s not what i want to say, but i don’t know how to say it because my poor english..whatever, okay. Look at the screenshot 5 again, the “numbers” of the treasure and “percentage”, “time” is too thin and close to the color of the water and so does the next button and main menu button, it’s my suggestion

    a: after clear the stage, don’t show the score immediately on the
    background. change the screen first, because the last image when
    clear stage is too complicated for display the score (since a lot of
    sharks and sea urchin there)

    b: paste a transparent box between the score and the background


    5. wrong order of the description in app store

    similar reason to my 3rd point
    in my opinion, a good presentation emphasis the focal point
    is it any meaning about scores(reviews) when the players don’t understand the gameplay?

    before you tell them iphonetech78 reviews: what 4.5/5, what 4.7/5
    there is something more important, it’s
    “INTRODUCING YOUR GAME”
    I think the below paragraph should be the first paragraph
    “The deep blue ocean is full of luxurious treasures ...............are you up to the challenge?”
    because almost all the information about your game is in that 4 lines.

    “how to play” should be the second part of your description
    and “Features” is after it.

    an example, imagine it’s website about a product
    it tell you Someone reviews like this
    10/10
    10/10
    Fantastic, beautifully, perfect, irresistible, very cool
    an underwater product

    what kinda image is in your head now?
    a camera case for diving? frogman’s flipper?
    or a brush for brushing toilet?

    I don’t mean iphonetech78’s review is bad
    but first let your target customers understand the game first,
    then place the reviews in the last part of your description
    to tell your target customer that your game is great
    the second reason to place that review in the last part of your description, because there ‘s url in the review
    “find video here: http://www.fwish.net”

    if that line is near Orangefish.INC WEB Site,
    don’t you think it’s better?

    and introduction of your game should be short, because it’s only a casual game, your description seems a bit long, (just like my reply :) )
    another reason is that the usage of description is to make people understand your product, so please keep it simple, readable.
    I think not much people is willing to read that long description in app store because the font so small
    if they want to know more they will click your web site

    6. lack of instruction in the website

    a.
    as your site, it’s great to keep not too much things on it(home page)
    but i think the icon is too small and and words is too long
    i think you should make it shorter, and delete one of those sentence like:

    Shark’s treasure
    A great action and puzzle game
    learn more

    and make it into 1 link.
    before i tried all 4 links, i thought “the best acc....ever made”
    is an external link to some review, but actually no different all 4 links.
    the reason to delete “the best acc....ever made”
    is that your game is not on the top 100
    and a lot of dev not on the top 100 say that as well

    b.
    and the “i.Decide” should not be in the same column
    because it’s not clickable
    you should put it the bottom of the page
    and the font of “coming soon” should be bigger

    c.
    after click in the page of Shark’s treasure
    it’s so messy i think
    c.1. logo of orangerfish is too big, it should be smaller because i have seen it in the homepage already
    c.2. the logo of the game should be in the middle of page, it’s okay not in the middle, but not that right to the edge
    c.3. the paragraph is too high, i think it’s describing orangefish rather than shark’s treasure
    c.4. font too small
    c.5. picture is too small and clickable
    c.6. the background color is blue, which too closed to the screenshot make screenshot unreadable


    7. only give a youtube link in your site

    why you don’t embed it into the website? it’s much better to read your introduction, and it had better embed in homepage under the logo of shark’s treasure







    I haven’t try the lite version yet.
    if i tried it, maybe i can give you more comments
     
  16. fwish

    fwish Well-Known Member

    I really don't know what to say except thank you
    but since we came from the same country--China,maybe next time ,we can talk in chinese ,easy for both you can me :)

    please ,please try my lite version.

    my email [email protected]
     
  17. fwish

    fwish Well-Known Member

    I did something based on your advise ,such as video embed in homepage,change to a better screenshot,ans so on,thanks again

    and after the video out, download increase to 8 from 2,when lite come out,it's back to 5 a day. I think I don't have much to do right now, just wait the 1.1 update,then begin with 1.2 . good luck everyone
     
  18. ShadowsFall

    ShadowsFall Well-Known Member

    May 15, 2009
    2,006
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    Summer job soon
    TA 09'
    To tell you the truth.. It's the app store market. Several people dont find 2D games very entertaining. But there is something I could give you ideas on that hopefully will work. If you really want to sell that bad, i suggest making the submarine with a very close view, then add controls to it to make it move aroud, this will make it harder, but graphic wise, more fun. This is just something simple, im not shure if it will work, but small things could mean a lot. There is something else which is making letters/numbers more colorful. You've already got some good reviews, so the gameplay looks nice. And $160- is pretty decent (if you've already got a job).
     
  19. ShadowsFall

    ShadowsFall Well-Known Member

    May 15, 2009
    2,006
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    Summer job soon
    TA 09'
    Acually just make it more visually appealing :D!! I acually enjoyed the game very much! The problem is is that my mom wont let me use her credit (i have money, and 16, but not old enough) until later on.. But i really recommend this game! Also add saving and 3 player slots (if you havent done so) and make the sub bigger and a bigger map :D, sorry if im asking too much.
     
  20. Dimarchi

    Dimarchi Member

    Jun 29, 2009
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    There are lots of good comments in this thread which I think apply to many cases nowadays. I'll add another, from my own point of view as a customer whose money you're after, and as an observer. :)

    App store deluge. Yes...there's too much to keep track of. This is probably one of the reasons. I have limited amount of money I use for iPhone apps - be it games, utilities, or whatever...and limited space on the device. Not to mention limited time I spend on these things. Personal thing. Also the tyranny of low, low prices ("Customer! Do not go there! We have lower prices!" "No! We just lowered our price, just for you! Always look out for the sale!"). We have been quite indoctrinated in this matter. Bad for you, good for me - and I always look out for me...you do not matter. But in the end, bad for both, eventually. But I ramble...

    Reviews. The culling of "please review my game" mails. Another source of deluge? Sites and their reviewers may be swamped with this kind of mail...no idea if this is really so. If so, they may be quite selective and only review apps from a "credible" source (where credible is somebody already proven to be more or less successful, the EAs of the world and such...and in some cases some apps which just strike their fancy). "Yawn...yet another app...why should I review this?". This is where I suppose presentation (advertisement) matters. Or not. Are sites and reviewers following some other sites to see if there are possible apps they should also review? Another way to lessen their burden, perhaps. It is where getting one review may matter. One site reviews, others may follow. Indies have it hard in this case, I would say. App store reviews...don't know what to say about them, really.

    Users, users with authority (trusted review skills, reputation, that kind of thing), sudden site visibility by users. This may very well be site specific or become a fashion of the moment for many sites, and provide only a temporary surge. Very much subject to whims, I would say. I have found some gems this way I would have otherwise missed, as well as some things I would not touch (pardon :p). I have also fallen to victim to this kind of approach and purchased an app, sometimes.

    Freak accidents from outer space. The rest - it sells, or no matter what you do it does not sell...or it sells *because* you do nothing. Go figure.
     

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