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I'm making between $3'000 and $10'000 Dollars with native apps/games and html5 games. I made much much more a few years ago but app store revenue is decreasing

I'm making between $3'000 and $10'000 Dollars with native apps/games and html5 games. I made much much more a few years ago but app store revenue is decreasing each month and all my latest apps made me nearly nothing. (My portfolio: http://intermediaware.com http://intermediaware.com).

lj3 10y ago
Do you advertise or do any marketing, or are you dependent only on app store searches and word of mouth?
- joemanaco 10y ago
  I've done press releases here and there but never put money in advertising or stuff like that.
vatotemking 10y ago
This is something ive been meaning to get into. Any tutorials, sites, or books to recommend?
- joemanaco 10y ago
  Watch Handmade Hero from Casey Muratori.
ejanus 10y ago
I would like to get into games, any pointers(books, article, ides, and so on).
- joemanaco 10y ago
  Watch Handmade Hero from Casey Muratori.
cableshaft 10y ago
I used to make native apps/games and some web games, and I was wanting to start making small games again, but I keep hearing how revenue has dropped precipitously for them and it makes me worried. As someone who's experiencing the drop in revenue firsthand, what are you thinking of doing to address that? Shift platforms to PC/Steam? Change the designs of future games to reflect current trends, etc.? I was considering I might just make games using a simple cross-platform tool like Love2D, keep the designs of the games small but addictive, single player only, no levels but can be played endlessly to failure (i.e. Tetris or 2048), either make them free with a simple consumable or a dollar, and distribute them on PC, Mac, iOS, and Android. I don't expect to make a ton of money for most of them but I hope I'll get lucky with one of them and it becomes a hit. I have about 3 past web games to port and update that could work. Does this seem feasible? What would you do differently?
- joemanaco 10y ago
  I think you should have a good concept/idea how to reach your audience without to rely on the app stores. When I started that wasn't required. You just released your game and users are coming in for free. So I decided to do lots of small apps - but in the long run it would have been wiser to do apps that engage the users for a long time and constantly update with new content to keep those users engaged. For myself I'm currently moving to bigger projects and also release for consoles and PC/Steam. But it's very risky for a small developer - because if you develop serveral months or years and the game flops you're basically out of business.
  - cableshaft 10y ago
    That's unfortunate. I'm totally a small game designer. I come up with concepts that excite me all the time but "adding new content" i.e. seasonal hats and new weapons and crap doesn't excite me at all (and I did it professionally for a year at one game company, I can do it for work but I'd hate to do it in my spare time). Adding features or levels is different, and I could do some of that, but I think I just want to make a games that are addictive to play and give you the "oh, I can get a little farther this time!" feel, like again like 2048. Oh well, if they're not successful then that's just too bad.

lj3 10y ago

Do you advertise or do any marketing, or are you dependent only on app store searches and word of mouth?

joemanaco 10y ago
I've done press releases here and there but never put money in advertising or stuff like that.

vatotemking 10y ago

This is something ive been meaning to get into. Any tutorials, sites, or books to recommend?

joemanaco 10y ago
Watch Handmade Hero from Casey Muratori.

ejanus 10y ago

I would like to get into games, any pointers(books, article, ides, and so on).

joemanaco 10y ago
Watch Handmade Hero from Casey Muratori.

cableshaft 10y ago

I used to make native apps/games and some web games, and I was wanting to start making small games again, but I keep hearing how revenue has dropped precipitously for them and it makes me worried. As someone who's experiencing the drop in revenue firsthand, what are you thinking of doing to address that? Shift platforms to PC/Steam? Change the designs of future games to reflect current trends, etc.? I was considering I might just make games using a simple cross-platform tool like Love2D, keep the designs of the games small but addictive, single player only, no levels but can be played endlessly to failure (i.e. Tetris or 2048), either make them free with a simple consumable or a dollar, and distribute them on PC, Mac, iOS, and Android. I don't expect to make a ton of money for most of them but I hope I'll get lucky with one of them and it becomes a hit. I have about 3 past web games to port and update that could work. Does this seem feasible? What would you do differently?

joemanaco 10y ago
I think you should have a good concept/idea how to reach your audience without to rely on the app stores. When I started that wasn't required. You just released your game and users are coming in for free. So I decided to do lots of small apps - but in the long run it would have been wiser to do apps that engage the users for a long time and constantly update with new content to keep those users engaged. For myself I'm currently moving to bigger projects and also release for consoles and PC/Steam. But it's very risky for a small developer - because if you develop serveral months or years and the game flops you're basically out of business.
- cableshaft 10y ago
  That's unfortunate. I'm totally a small game designer. I come up with concepts that excite me all the time but "adding new content" i.e. seasonal hats and new weapons and crap doesn't excite me at all (and I did it professionally for a year at one game company, I can do it for work but I'd hate to do it in my spare time). Adding features or levels is different, and I could do some of that, but I think I just want to make a games that are addictive to play and give you the "oh, I can get a little farther this time!" feel, like again like 2048. Oh well, if they're not successful then that's just too bad.