I’m a developer, and I was going to start my first mobile game app. I had some good ideas for some fun little one-switch games, but it seems there’s so much competition on Google Play, that I can’t seem to find a topic that isn’t already crowded. I know with games, quality matters, but with casual, I’m sure finding a niche is just as important. Or am I exaggerating, I’m itching to start something, but I need to have confidence in what I’m doing, which is something casual and quick to build.
So are niches all that important? Or is marketing more important? For me, I just search google play for games, which I assume most do, is there evidence that online marketing drives downloads significantly?
Marketing and good game design IMO are more important than anything. If you make something that’s been done before, and it’s well designed and people know about it, they will give it a shot. If it’s well monetised then no reason why you can’t make some money.
Of course finding a niche that works is difficult but if you can pull it off it can be even more successful.
I’d suggest starting off with something simple for your first mobile game and focus on good design and monetisation principles and build a solid skills core.
Once you’re comfortable you will have learnt a lot from your game and market penetration. Then use that knowledge and build your niche game.
What have you developed?
I’m an astronaut, and have flown many times on passenger’s airplanes.
What do you mean every idea is taken? You mean you literally came up with angry birds, match3, tetris games only to find out they have been developed?
If you find it difficult to cope with something been already invented, you give up iwhat you do.
Every story, book, game, movie idea has been done and dusted, some redone many times.
To answer your question don’t be bothered by a thought you are making something that has been done.
You are right, I will just build what I want to and then learn what works from there. I was going to make a few games then buy pro and mobile licenses to help pay for it potentially, which is why I want to be wise in this. It just seems like whatever is high up on the list get’s the downloads, but I suppose mine could rise up if it’s good enough. Any marketing tips? Youtube? Forums? PPC? Blogging? Press releases? anything else?
And Magico, I am a developer. I’ve programmed for more than 10 years, and no I haven’t released a mobile game, which I why I’m posting. And I didn’t say every idea is taken, I said that I couldn’t find a uncrowded niche. I’m not trying to build something grand, just something quick and fun, which is why I believe niche-ing is important. I wonder if you even know what that means. And granted, I could look longer and probably find one, but I was simply asking a question. Please be respectful.
Is there evidence that online marketing drives downloads significantly?
Sure
I’ll quote it again, since it’s such a fitting quote on the mobile indie market at the moment:
It’s such a huuuuuge undertaking to get the mobile market, it’s kinda tough to talk about all these things that you mention. It’s not just 2-3 short answers. How to gather a niche is a huge topic, how to get the word out there as well. It really can’t be said in one short paragraph. But if you look around the gossip forums, there were some great threads about the mobile world lately. There’s a shitload of super valuable blog posts, post mortems on developers mobile experiences, such a worthwhile handful of stuff that you can study
If you have some timr on your hand, this guy’s twitter account is a source of golden information: http://twitter.com/gameproject10k
He gives me stuff to read pretty much daily on anything mobile or gamedev related in general. Also his blog is a super interesting read: http://mygamingproject.blogspot.de/
It not just about finding a genre less crowded, You have to market your game right. Even if you have the most unique game around, it won’t sell if no one knows it exists.
As an exemple, (shameless plug ahead). My game Castle Ball is a “Super Monkey Ball - Type” game. There dosen’t seem to be that many games on Google Play of that type, but if I do nothing to advertise it, to make it known, nobody will download it.
Of course you have to find a way to make your game unique, but many succes stories are not of those who made something that was like no other, they made it (and marketed it) better than the others.
'Tis okay if I sound like a broken record? One game is NOT enough. You need to develop game after game after game.
Here’s a path to success. Start with the premise that your first game will suck. Write that down on a big sheet of paper, ‘MY GAME WILL SUCK!’ Then, build it anyway. After you finish that one, start another one. And this time write, ‘MY GAME WILL SUCK LESS!’ And build that one too. And keep doing that.
It’s called Deliberate Practice - doing things ALMOST beyond your ability. The quicker you get the sucky products out of the way, the quicker you get to ‘good’. Instead of wondering if your product is unique, spend your time building and releasing products! You’ll be ahead of 99% of your peers. An attainable and worthwhile goal.
Instead of thinking up a game, start by coming up with a name for the game - without any idea of what the game will be about or what kind of a game it is. Then take the name literally and imagine what game it represents and make that game.
e.g.
Monster Pants - umm… a game where you wear increasingly large pairs of underpants?
Severed Limb - I won’t go there
Toilet Attack - A sanitary/cleaning game
Gold Mountain - Some kind of inca gold quest/treasure hunt thing?
etc
I think the game has to have a unique selling feature, why would I want to play the same game I already played 100 times before when it was already made better, unless it has something to set it apart why would anyone be interested. Think of something like VVVVV with the gravity swap mechnic, max payne with the bullet time, portal with the portal
But I’m coming from a marketing perspective. I’m not making my dream game, I’m trying to convert code to cash to pay for my dream game by pumping out a few mobile games before I buy my Pro and Mobile licenses with reasonable hope that it will pay for itself. Thanks again, but I think I’ve figured it out.
I’m with you, My mobile development has turned into a plate spinning act. You know the one, a guy on stage with a dozen poles with plates sinning on the top. I develop about 1 game every 3 months and release it, so far about 50% of them flop, but the other 50% do quite well so every 2 months i do some more work on those ones and release an update. Hence the spinning plate analogy. This grows the successful ones and leaves the runts to wither. This strategy allows me to actually try new stuff out and only nurture the good stuff.
