Apple surprised by App Store success as Tapulous claims $1M/mo

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
iPhone game maker Tapulous now earns nearly $1 million per month in sales from the App Store. It's just another example of the store's incredible success -- which allegedly even caught Apple off guard.



In September, Apple announced that total downloads on the App Store had topped 2 billion. In profiling the success of the App Store, the Financial Times spoke with Matt Murphy, partner with Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, the venture capital firm that created the first investment fund for iPhone developers, worth more than $100 million.



"We had no idea there would be 2 billion downloads by October," Murphy said. "Most people within Apple, if you had told them it would be a fifth of that by now, they would have been pretty happy."



The App Store achieved a number of milestones in 2009, including in November when Apple announced that the digital download destination had more than 100,000 applications available. The six-figure accomplishment was achieved less than a year and a half after the App Store debuted.



Earlier this month, Apple promoted a list of the best-selling and best-reviewed iPhone and iPod touch applications of the year in its iTunes Rewind 2009 feature. Among the "Best of 2009" was Tap Tap Revenge 3, from development studio Tapulous. The $0.99 rhythm game (iTunes link) has more than 20 million downloads, and the developer claims it is the most popular on the platform.



The Tap Tap series has produced a number of artist-specific spinoffs, with top-tier names like Metallica, Dave Matthews Band, Coldplay, Weezer and Lady Gaga. The company found quick success, achieving more than a million downloads in its first three weeks. Through 2009, despite the entrance of big game publishers, the independent studio managed to maintain its success.



Tapulous was profiled by Reuters this weekend, which revealed that its sales have approached $1 million per month. The company, which says it is profitable, has also raised $2.8 million from investors. Chief Executive Bart Decrem said he expects his company to continue to grow as the iPhone and iPod touch platform continues to expand.



"It's going to be big and all of a sudden people are going to say, 'Holy cow, where did those guys come from?'" Decrem reportedly said.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 23
    In this economy that's great, good for them.
  • Reply 2 of 23
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    It makes me smile to read this, albeit about apps but just last night I was reading how AC/DC band singer Brian Johnson felt iTunes was a disaster for the music business. This was his reason for refusing to allow his band's songs to be sold by Apple. I think Brian should re think his position and come up with an app
  • Reply 3 of 23
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    iPhone game maker Tapulous now earns nearly $1 million per month in sales from the App Store. It's just another example of the store's incredible success -- which allegedly even caught Apple off guard.

    Gut Reaction:
    • Apple Surprised

    • RIM Shocked

    • Nokia Asleep

    • MS Comatose

    • Palm Dead

    • I'm Happy

  • Reply 4 of 23
    Good job Apple, not just don't pull a Kubiak and take your foot off the pedal.
  • Reply 5 of 23
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Abster2core View Post
    Gut Reaction:
    • Apple Surprised

    • RIM Shocked

    • Nokia Asleep

    • MS Comatose

    • Palm Dead

    • I'm Happy





    Me laughing
  • Reply 6 of 23
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Slow news day much? The "Apple Surprised" part is two month old news, and was clearly mashed into the Tapulous story to pad it out and make it seem like a worthy article. The headline is pretty clumsy too.
  • Reply 7 of 23
    Now get the iApps on the Mac and realize even more money.
  • Reply 8 of 23
    quinneyquinney Posts: 2,528member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post


    It makes me smile to read this, albeit about apps but just last night I was reading how AC/DC band singer Brian Johnson felt iTunes was a disaster for the music business. This was his reason for refusing to allow his band's songs to be sold by Apple. I think Brian should re think his position and come up with an app



    Yeah, well his voice is a disaster for my ears.
  • Reply 9 of 23
    dluxdlux Posts: 666member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post


    I think Brian should re think his position and come up with an app



    The way some 'apps' are written (they should really just be web pages, given how little functionality they provide), I wouldn't be surprised if some bands create 'apps' that did nothing but play their songs.
  • Reply 10 of 23
    A million $ a month... that's all we ask.
  • Reply 11 of 23
    bageljoeybageljoey Posts: 2,004member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    Slow news day much? The "Apple Surprised" part is two month old news, and was clearly mashed into the Tapulous story to pad it out and make it seem like a worthy article. The headline is pretty clumsy too.



    Yeah, I was thinking exactly the same thing. What exactly was the article about?

    Still, can't complain too much--it is a free site... (and it is nice to see the little guy make it big...)
  • Reply 12 of 23
    jfanningjfanning Posts: 3,398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Abster2core View Post
    Gut Reaction:
    • Apple Surprised

    • RIM Shocked

    • Nokia Asleep

    • MS Comatose

    • Palm Dead

    • I'm Happy





    Yeah, the app store is huge....





    Quote:

    The number that matters, is that all apps sold in all 'apps stores' this year, 2009, will be worth 343 million dollars, as measured by the Yankee Group just a week ago. If you think that is ''impressive' and numbers in the 'millions' impress you - then you clearly are not part of the mobile telecoms industry. The mere value of 'mobile apps' BEYOND apps stores was worth 7 BILLION dollars last year, as measured by Juniper Research. So this market, 20x bigger than all apps stores combined, is where those other mobile applications were sold globally, to smartphones such as RIM Blackberries (often business/enterprise apps, not sold through apps stores) or Symbian apps such as the installed base of over 250 million Nokia branded smartphones - or the various other mobile applications pre-installed to several billion non-smartphone type of more basic phones.



    http://communities-dominate.blogs.co...he-answer.html
  • Reply 13 of 23
    dluxdlux Posts: 666member
    Quote:



    That's a good bit of perspective, but that article also expends a lot of words discussing big pools of money spent on 'dumb' phones, ring tones, messages, and other low-level sales. Are they consequential? Certainly. But not mentioned is how much (or more likely, how little) profit is made for the sellers. And very little of those sales are very durable - I doubt that much mobile software sold in 2005 is still in use today (especially if the phone it was purchased for is no longer supported).



    The other reason why apps for the iPhone are important and worth reporting is that they represent the state of the art (and also, unfortunately, the state of the fart.) The augmented reality navigation apps could never happen on those platforms boasting 'billions in annual sales'. The same goes for Google's new GPS app - it really pushes the capabilities of today's 'smarter' handsets. So would you rather be developing the next 3D display technology, or the channel-changing interface for a $50 chinese TV? Therein lies the difference between the more sophisticated iPhone developer versus the Symbian contract programmer hashing out a currency converter. As Apple proves with each financial quarter, volume isn't everything.
  • Reply 14 of 23
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    A million $ a month... that's all we ask.



    $300,000.00 a month... that's all Apple asks...



    Lord know what those idiots in government ask per month...
  • Reply 15 of 23
    hill60hill60 Posts: 6,992member
    Without Apple it would be zero a month.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rot'nApple View Post


    $300,000.00 a month... that's all Apple asks...



    Lord know what those idiots in government ask per month...



  • Reply 16 of 23
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rot'nApple View Post


    $300,000.00 a month... that's all Apple asks...



    It's not as if Apple nets a lot out of that cut.
  • Reply 17 of 23
    jfanningjfanning Posts: 3,398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dlux View Post


    That's a good bit of perspective, but that article also expends a lot of words discussing big pools of money spent on 'dumb' phones, ring tones, messages, and other low-level sales. Are they consequential? Certainly. But not mentioned is how much (or more likely, how little) profit is made for the sellers. And very little of those sales are very durable - I doubt that much mobile software sold in 2005 is still in use today (especially if the phone it was purchased for is no longer supported).



    The piece I quoted was for apps only, nothing else, just apps



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Dlux View Post


    As Apple proves with each financial quarter, volume isn't everything.



    As the article stated, non app store sales are 20 times more in $$ than app store sales, so I would say volume is damn good.
  • Reply 18 of 23
    hill60hill60 Posts: 6,992member
    Did Apple trademark the term "App"?



    I always refer to other phone's software as applications as I used to before the App store came along.



    The only real commercial success I can recall was Jamster.



    Here, allow me to refresh your memory:-



    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgAGsaw7YFs



    Give me fart Apps any day of the week.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jfanning View Post


    The piece I quoted was for apps only, nothing else, just apps







    As the article stated, non app store sales are 20 times more in $$ than app store sales, so I would say volume is damn good.



  • Reply 19 of 23
    hill60hill60 Posts: 6,992member
    (removed double post)
  • Reply 20 of 23
    brucepbrucep Posts: 2,823member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Abster2core View Post
    Gut Reaction:
    • Apple Surprised

    • RIM Shocked

    • Nokia Asleep

    • MS Comatose

    • Palm Dead

    • I'm Happy





    and yet another odd weird post from bruce p ..lemom bon bon where are you ? ?ts have you also left the planet earth ?? sa la vie



    WHAT



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by solipsism View Post


    Me laughing



    SCARES

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    Slow news day much? The "Apple Surprised" part is two month old news, and was clearly mashed into the Tapulous story to pad it out and make it seem like a worthy article. The headline is pretty clumsy too.



    , ME

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rot'nApple View Post


    $300,000.00 a month... that's all Apple asks...



    Lord know what those idiots in government ask per month...



    IS

    THAT

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hill60 View Post


    Without Apple it would be zero a month.



    WE

    ARE

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    It's not as if Apple nets a lot out of that cut.



    STILL

    AT

    The very start of this whole world wide immediate gratification ITUNES DOWNLOAD APP / S W movement .FLASH MOBS will appear and vanish real time in color live video ,, i forget what app does that ?



    HARDWARE WILL BE SINGLE SINGLE MODEL

    AND S W will be whats new and exciting



    it's the UN tapped markets that will explode out aapl in 4 to 7 yrs.



    THE future will be A LOW cost APPLE INVENTION of any one of 5 or 6 forms \\and billions of poor people world wide affording at least one or two cheap apps a week/month

    Apple will collect something like 99 ct. a month from 2.3 billion poor chinese/indians/russians /africans .



    THESE poor people can also give a great few one dollar app gifts to family instead of some plastic toxic junk the=y now buy



    the app store has possibilities of far reaching greatness no one has thought of yet

    Not profit per as .

    i mean to help/teach/direct the world



    hey i get my kicks on route 66

    merry xmas

    peace and joy apple fan dudes and dudettes



    9



    PS



    one day

    178 million iphone/touch devices receive a forced D L app from steve jobs >> calling a world wide meeting and message from steve p jobs ..and at the appointed time all devices will buzz and ring ring and turn on by itselfs



    and a 150 million people will look at steves live feed

    steve will start off by saying i have summoned you all here today too .......



    1984 lives on
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