I have to warn you that gamedev is very addictive.
So, you are not going to update your spaceship game? That is probably the best part, when all the hard task have been done, and you just tweak some values, add a new enemy, other map…
Remember that it will cost you 99$/year
I may update it, but only if I choose and I’ll probably keep it on the store for a few years before ending the Apple Dev subscription. To be honest, if two hundred people can look at my game and download because they think it’s interesting, that’s enough to make me happy. The main thing right now is that I need to make the game enticing enough that those two hundred people will want to download it, but I have to make sure not overcomplicate it as I’m working on it less than most people, and I’m a beginner (more or less). If it does slightly better than I expect, I’ll update it once or twice perhaps, but I don’t think I’ll continuously do that. While I enjoy working on my game, it is time consuming and there may be another small project I want to try out. I really appreciate the fact that you’ve taken the time to respond with several pieces of advice, it’s been extremely helpful!
When you publish a game, normally you think on winning money, so make some ads/iap, because the idea is that you end up winning money.
Also, 80% of mobile users have an android phone, so consider it (If you want, you can give me the files and I will port the game to android ;))
I’ll definitely look into adding IAPs and ads, although I’d like to start with publishing to iOS because I don’t have any Android devices. How difficult is it to port a game from iOS to Android if I wish to do that later on, after I publish it to the App Store?
If the UI is done to scale correctly, I think it is only adding some Google Play compatibility to the ads and iap. Im going to check it now.
I support Unity IAP. Very little if any changes would be needed to go from iOS to Android for IAP. I have the same codebase that I can build to either platform, you can start with this project https://discussions.unity.com/t/700293/4
Thank you! I’ll definitely look into that, but is it feasible for me as a beginner? I’d like to include IAPs if possible because this’ll be my only game (again, side project, not hobby). Also, is it difficult to port an iOS game to Android and Vice versa? Thank you again for taking the time to respond!
I might suggest that you are already wasting time! So what difference does knowing all this make? Will you slow down, speed up if I said feasible or not feasible? Just get busy! We would not know how “fast” you can learn! But to your question specifically, to port the example that I shared from iOS to Android, you click Switch Platforms and you’re done. Takes about 1 minute.
You’re right, this thread has anyway gone on pretty long, and I know what I need to know to build my game (for now). Thank you!
If you have any questions, feel free to DM me.
Good luck with your project!
I’m not trying to be mean but you need to come up with an original idea, 3D Space Invaders has literally been done to death.
… I haven’t seen any 3D versions of Space Invaders on the App Store, can you maybe provide an example?
There were 2 games on the consoles towards the end of last year, Super Destronaut DX 1 and 2, both Space Invaders clones.
Google is your friend.
On the consoles? I’m planning on publishing to iOS, and even then, my goal is 200 downloads and maybe 20 reviews (again, I’ll try to include IAPs but money isn’t the big concern). Even if there are a couple other clones on iOS, I’ll try to include different features. Besides, while I value your opinion, I’ve already spent 1.5 months working on my game, I’d rather not trash it now and create something entirely different. Thank you, however, for taking the time to respond - I really appreciate it!
This was a thread about helping @arcturus783 on making an iOS game.
I think this thread is done.
@hippocoder @zombiegorilla please, close the thread.
Some suggestions from a lifetime developer and mistakes made \ lessons learnt when developing \ publishing my first two games…
So keep it simple & focused. Prioritise gameplayer over ui. Release when the core gameplay experience is working well. You can then either spend N amount of time polishing (and taking on-board any feedback received) or just move on to the next game.
You will likely learn less (about the design, development & publishing processes) the longer and more drawn out the process is. For your first handful of games, rapid iteration will likely serve you better.
Good luck whatever approach you take and keep us posted on progress 
PS: I would target Android first than iOS imho. It’s easier for many reasons.
Thanks for the reply! You’re probably right about targeting Android first, although supposedly I can always easily port between the two if I choose. To be honest, game development isn’t really for me, especially given the time commitment it requires, but I’ll absolutely still finish the game I’m making. I agree with your idea to keep things simple, I’ve realized by now that the amount of money I’ll make (probably barely anything ), and the reviews and number of downloads don’t matter too much to me. I’ve kind of been learning as I go, probably not the best idea, but it’s worked out for me so far, and as I mentioned, I don’t plan to pursue game development further after I finish this project. Thanks again for taking the time to reply!
There’s no porting required with Unity as it has multi-platform at it’s core. Write once, run (within reason) anywhere. You’ll find 99% of your code will run the same on Android & iOS with only a few #if statements to handle differences.
I think that depends on the person. Some prefer to dive in head first and get their hands dirty. Others prefer to study first and be prepared. I would say there are pro’s and con’s to each approach, but there is no right or wrong imho.
Well done for seeing it to the end at-least, but never say never! Don’t forget designing, developing and publishing a game requires a multitude of skills (coding, art, audio, marketing etc). You may find you’re enjoying one of these disciplines more than the others and that could lead to something if pursued.
You’re welcome. Good luck and as I said, keep us posted.