World of Goo says iPad launch beat peak WiiWare, Steam sales
The developer of World of Goo has profiled its iPad launch as being "by far" the fastest selling and highest revenue generating game platform, thanks to promotion by Apple.
The developer reported "a new perspective" on the relative importance of various game platforms open to indie development after achieving 125,000 sales of the title in its first month of iPad sales, compared to previous peaks of 68,000 set on Nintendo's WiiWare store aided by a mass mailing, and a 97,000 unit record set on Valve's Steam market for Mac and PC users involving two promotion at discounted prices.
"What makes this even more amazing is that this is a two year old game released on a platform that is less than a year old," the developers pointed out. "The iPad doesn?t have the benefit of an install base built up over several years."
Previously, game developers saw living room consoles as "where it's at" for indie developers, the developers noted, with app markets for WiiWare representing the largest installed base, Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade the largest number of registered users, and Sony's PlayStation Network offering the "strongest growth momentum."
"In the short term, we still think that if an independent developer can get their game on a console it?s a safer bet than playing the App Store lottery," the developer concluded, "but one might wonder whether, in the long run, it even matters who wins the PSN / WiiWare / XBLA race."
Critics mocked initial observations that Apple's iPhone could possibly challenge dedicated mobile game devices like the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP two years ago, but now the App Store is rivaling the online markets of the top game consoles, a remarkable turn of events given how new both the App Store and the iPad are, and particularly given how inexperienced and even resistant Apple has been when it comes to embracing gaming as a market.
Secrets of success in the App Store
The surge in iPad sales was aided in large part promotion by Apple, the developer said, an idea it said "was confirmed by more experienced iOS devs we talked to." Another important factor was external promotion of the game.
Sales volumes in the App Store explode when titles enter the top rankings, with the developer noting, "when World of Goo was hovering near the top of the charts we saw that the #1 app was selling about twice as much as the #2 app."
Plotting out the relationship between developer net revenue and top grossing rank, the developers noted that "once a game breaks into the top ten, the amount of revenue it generates skyrockets," while also adding, "it is encouraging to see that when a game drops off the top 10, revenue declines fairly slowly. Even the lowest data point in this scatter plot still represents daily revenue measured in thousands of US dollars."
The report also profiled how much impact discounted pricing made to attract buyers, noting that after sales began to fade following the end of Apple's initial promotion period, a well publicized price cut caused the title to jump back up from 51 to number two again within 24 hours.
Mainstream casual gamers not amused by challenge
Regarding the App Store audience, the developer also observed that "the average iPhone/iPad gamer is more interested in pleasantly passing time than being intellectually engaged or challenged," noting that the most critical reviews involved frustrations with the difficulty of the game.
"Don?t get it, it will get you very frustrated if you don?t beat a level bottom line don?t get it," one negative reviewer complained, while another posted, "I?m only on the 6th level and I hate this game. Levels are ridiculously hard from the start and are just stupid. I spent an hour on one level and still cannot beat it. Screw this crap. Worst. Purchase. Ever."
"We?ve also never received this type of complaint for either the PC or Wii version," the developer noted, adding, "the iOS audience might be looking for a different kind of fast-fun entertainment, where punishment for failure, no matter how slight, is not an option, and no matter how badly you play the game you always feel you have a reasonable chance of success."
The report also alluded to a feature added to the popular Angry Birds game, which sells a 99 cent "Mighty Eagle" as an in-app purchase to allow frustrated users to skip levels they can't figure out how to beat.
The developer reported "a new perspective" on the relative importance of various game platforms open to indie development after achieving 125,000 sales of the title in its first month of iPad sales, compared to previous peaks of 68,000 set on Nintendo's WiiWare store aided by a mass mailing, and a 97,000 unit record set on Valve's Steam market for Mac and PC users involving two promotion at discounted prices.
"What makes this even more amazing is that this is a two year old game released on a platform that is less than a year old," the developers pointed out. "The iPad doesn?t have the benefit of an install base built up over several years."
Previously, game developers saw living room consoles as "where it's at" for indie developers, the developers noted, with app markets for WiiWare representing the largest installed base, Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade the largest number of registered users, and Sony's PlayStation Network offering the "strongest growth momentum."
"In the short term, we still think that if an independent developer can get their game on a console it?s a safer bet than playing the App Store lottery," the developer concluded, "but one might wonder whether, in the long run, it even matters who wins the PSN / WiiWare / XBLA race."
Critics mocked initial observations that Apple's iPhone could possibly challenge dedicated mobile game devices like the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP two years ago, but now the App Store is rivaling the online markets of the top game consoles, a remarkable turn of events given how new both the App Store and the iPad are, and particularly given how inexperienced and even resistant Apple has been when it comes to embracing gaming as a market.
Secrets of success in the App Store
The surge in iPad sales was aided in large part promotion by Apple, the developer said, an idea it said "was confirmed by more experienced iOS devs we talked to." Another important factor was external promotion of the game.
Sales volumes in the App Store explode when titles enter the top rankings, with the developer noting, "when World of Goo was hovering near the top of the charts we saw that the #1 app was selling about twice as much as the #2 app."
Plotting out the relationship between developer net revenue and top grossing rank, the developers noted that "once a game breaks into the top ten, the amount of revenue it generates skyrockets," while also adding, "it is encouraging to see that when a game drops off the top 10, revenue declines fairly slowly. Even the lowest data point in this scatter plot still represents daily revenue measured in thousands of US dollars."
The report also profiled how much impact discounted pricing made to attract buyers, noting that after sales began to fade following the end of Apple's initial promotion period, a well publicized price cut caused the title to jump back up from 51 to number two again within 24 hours.
Mainstream casual gamers not amused by challenge
Regarding the App Store audience, the developer also observed that "the average iPhone/iPad gamer is more interested in pleasantly passing time than being intellectually engaged or challenged," noting that the most critical reviews involved frustrations with the difficulty of the game.
"Don?t get it, it will get you very frustrated if you don?t beat a level bottom line don?t get it," one negative reviewer complained, while another posted, "I?m only on the 6th level and I hate this game. Levels are ridiculously hard from the start and are just stupid. I spent an hour on one level and still cannot beat it. Screw this crap. Worst. Purchase. Ever."
"We?ve also never received this type of complaint for either the PC or Wii version," the developer noted, adding, "the iOS audience might be looking for a different kind of fast-fun entertainment, where punishment for failure, no matter how slight, is not an option, and no matter how badly you play the game you always feel you have a reasonable chance of success."
The report also alluded to a feature added to the popular Angry Birds game, which sells a 99 cent "Mighty Eagle" as an in-app purchase to allow frustrated users to skip levels they can't figure out how to beat.
Comments
I own this game and beat the game on the Wii. And I have to say that wow, some people can't get past the first level? Wow. Just wow.
I have never even heard of it! I am still working my way through Half-Life on my MBP.
You'll just slop together any article with a graph about Apple, won't you?
AppleInsider
Imagine that.
You'll just slop together any article with a graph about Apple, won't you?
I like your two genius responses to every article:
"WAA, an article about Apple"
and
"WAA, an article not directly about Apple, what is this, AndroidInsider?"
the average iPhone/iPad gamer is more interested in pleasantly passing time than being intellectually engaged or challenged... The most critical reviews involved frustrations with the difficulty of the game.
I guess this explains the popularity of The Sims.
"Mainstream" gamers really need to suck it up. I found the difficulty gradient for World of Goo to be extremely well thought out. Sure, I had to take pause for thought every so often. After all you are continuously being bombarded with types of challenges you've never seen before.
But that's the stuff every gamer should dream of.
It's a interesting game, but I got frustrated at level 3. But I was just casually trying it. I'm also trying the cube version of f-zero and got frustrated with it as well.
"I'm getting too old for this kind of stuff." - Raynor
Regarding the App Store audience, the developer also observed that "the average iPhone/iPad gamer is more interested in pleasantly passing time than being intellectually engaged or challenged,"
Totally agree. When I play on the tain on the way to school I don't want to keep replaying the level or getting angry. In fact I am still quite sleepy (or tired on the way back) that I just want to do something easy and fun, rather then challenging. Ideally levels should be bright and colorful and should not take more then 2 tries to beat. If I get stuck in an iPhone game, I won't play it anymore.
I like your two genius responses to every article:
"WAA, an article about Apple"
and
"WAA, an article not directly about Apple, what is this, AndroidInsider?"
HahaHaha!
I own this game and beat the game on the Wii. And I have to say that wow, some people can't get past the first level? Though I don't agree, I can see why some people mock the iOS platform as not for serious gamers.
Herin lies the arrogance of hard core gamers - just like hard core geeks same thing really. Their self evident arrogance pre-supposes that in order for a game to be "good" it has to be hard. Hard enough so that "newbies" or normal folks can't get past certain levels. Now for the first time are we perhaps seeing that as gaming becomes more mainstream the developers are going to be forced to make their levels easier or allow users to skip? Hit these people where it hurts them hardest in their wallet and demand games to be all inclusive. This is a great development
Same thing is happening with PC vs Mac. Geeks deride the Mac because it lets normal folk compete with them in their so-called sacred space. I say F*ck you, you arrogant nerds
Actually my favorite casual game lately was And Yet It Moves, but that was on the Mac App Store.
It's also interesting to see just how important the success and accolades the title received on other platoforms helped the iPad release and Apple promotion.
The fact that there is a very real possibility that if this game wasn't released on the other platforms first it may not have received Apple promotion and simply languished in the App Store backwaters makes me wonder just how many great games are hovering unnoticed outside the top 10 and Apple promoted lists.
Their self evident arrogance pre-supposes that in order for a game to be "good" it has to be hard.
Not hard. Immersive. Involved. Rewarding. A "good" game doesn't need any of those qualities, but a "great" one does.
There can be no sense of achievement if you haven't been made to work for the result.
If you were to receive an Olympic medal because you won a random dial-in competition it would certainly be an enjoyable and worthwhile experience.
However as you stood next to the athletes on the podium that had worked their asses of for years to earn the right to be there, you couldn't possibly hope to experience the same level of excitement, achievement and elation as they did as the flags went up and the anthem started to play.
An overly dramatic example perhaps, but you get the idea.
Not hard. Immersive. Involved. Rewarding. A "good" game doesn't need any of those qualities, but a "great" one does.
There can be no sense of achievement if you haven't been made to work for the result.
If you were to receive an Olympic medal because you won a random dial-in competition it would certainly be an enjoyable and worthwhile experience.
However as you stood next to the athletes on the podium that had worked their asses of for years to earn the right to be there, you couldn't possibly hope to experience the same level of excitement, achievement and elation as they did as the flags went up and the anthem started to play.
An overly dramatic example perhaps, but you get the idea.
You really hit the nail on the head here.
Me personally, I get frustrated, I swear profusely at times with frustration. Sometimes I have to put it down, step away and come back fresh.
But all that is what makes a game actually rewarding.
I have been looking for MORE challenging puzzle/engineering/brain exercise type game just for this reward.
I have only finished the first Level of world of Goo, started yesterday, I think it was about 10 stops, had a couple that took me 2 go's to get it. I think its great.
To me, there is certainly a place for mindless entertainment, but I like something that isn't easy.
What's the old saying? Nothing worth fighting for is easy? Something like that....
Herin lies the arrogance of hard core gamers - just like hard core geeks same thing really. Their self evident arrogance pre-supposes that in order for a game to be "good" it has to be hard. Hard enough so that "newbies" or normal folks can't get past certain levels.
Fair point. That's mostly just xbox live and people taking themselves too seriously. It annoys core gamers as much as it annoys "newbies" though. Don't let them put you off.
Personally, I love introducing people to new experiences and watching their faces light up when it "clicks". Some games are just more quality experiences than other games, particularly if the player is forced to make interesting tradeoffs (starcaft 2) or the mechanics of the game reward experimentation (Zelda ocarina of time). It doesn't necessarily mean they have to be difficult.
For iOS I highly recommend carcassone, peggle, osmos, uniwar, eliss, zen bound 2, canabalt, plants v zombies, world of goo, angry birds, drop 7, unify and cut the rope. Only a handful of those could be called difficult.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/world...401301276?mt=8