Is it possible to sell iPhone Games permanently to living as sole proprietorship ? (in Germany)
(my first Game will be finished next week)
Actually I’m working in a Company as employed. But I will quit my job. I’m married and have 2 childrens.
Or do I need a other main job?
As what do you working ?
Thanks for honest answers in advance!
I need your advice because tomorrow my boss will make a termination offer. I must quickly decide. But I hate my job 
Just quit your job as soon as you’re making enough money. It might happen, but keep your job as a backup.
My first game is also nearly finished. I have high hopes for it, but you never know if people will buy it.
I’m enployed as a Flash programmer, doing mostly websites, but some games as well.
90% sell 200-1.000 units
7% sell 1.000-5.000 units
3% sell 10.000-300.000 units ( Edited )
So as you can see with this statistic only 10% of iPhone game developers earn enough money to live.
I wouldn’t quit your job. My game was released about two weeks ago (3 July). It’s sold about 16 copies. I still have some hope that it’ll catch someone’s attention and a review might spark some sales, but it currently looks like I won’t make any money at all off of it, considering that Apple doesn’t pay out anything until sales for a region reach US$250. I’ve got a long, long wait for that first check ahead of me at the current sales rate.
That’s not to say that you can’t make good money, just don’t count on it.
Succeeding on the App Store, is about the same as winning the lottery… or like someone who plays in a band thinking they are going to “make it”… or like a high school athlete going Pro… it happens, but not for most people.
I personally know 5 people in seattle that make a living selling iphone apps ranging from good to ‘he just bought a house with cash’.
make a good game, you’ll do decent at the very least. I’ve seen maybe 30 games on the app store total that are even worth paying for… garbage in/garbage out.
work hard and resist mediocrity.
come hang out in irc in #unity3d on freenode.net if you want to talk to people working on their games.
What I noticed so far is that you cannot rely on the consistency of income with selling iPhone apps except you have a #1 hit and got so much money to put aside that you can “buffer” times when not so much money comes in.
I’m selling since july last year, made some ok income so far, but not so much that it fully covers my current income. But I’ve been able to step back now from 5 days a week to 4 days. A small step but still gives me safety as well as more time to devote on game dev.
My advices:
Don’t rely yet on your next iPhone game. It might work, but there is great chance it does not sell so much, regardless how much effort you put in.
Start small and grow step by step, always covered by a daily job (regardless how much you hate it).
You might want to start taking up contract offers to more “get into”, make contacts and be able to also do contract work beside the app sales income. Standing on 2 or more feets is better than on just one.
Try to sell you content multiple times. As iPhone app but maybe also as web game to larger portals like shockwave.com, zapak.com and alike. Building multiple revenue streams is the keyword here.
Hope it helps a bit.
M.
Safety in numbers Like someone said earlier, its like winning the lottery, regardless of how good it is.
Of course, everything helps… Additional marketing, a good name, etc etc.
And here it is… my 69th post…
Giggity.
Just curious: What is the point with your 69th post?
I was too impatient to wait until 100
The games that I have made ain’t selling enough to pay my bills at home, however, I left my job to as you are planning to do and I’m still betting on apple store.
But to be sincere, I’m not quite sure if I’ll gonna make it.
In your place, I would consider the RandyEdmonds’ (witch I disagree with the lottery point, I would consider something more like making money with Down Jones Shares, but I do agree with the other examples) and specially Martin Schultz’s opinion, after all he’s also a German.
Ps.: Are you planning to open your own company? With a crew to develop the games? Or you are planning to create games on your own, Modeling, Programming and “Selling” your games?
Interesting figures. These kind of stats are common in most industries i think.
How much you need to earn to live depends on many things. Have you paid off your house? Living with parents? Live in country where 1 USD goes along way or not? So maybe if you don’t need much income then getting by with just ok sales will be enough. I know a couple of people selling about $500 USD a week and that’s enough for them.
Those figures are wrong, because the 7% selling between 1000 and 5000 units are also selling between 1000 and 300000 units…
Also keep in mind that downloads are pre-Apple deduction (30%) and pre-tax (another 30%)
Does Apple report your sales to the government? Just wondering… 
The thing is that none of you have read the original presentation witch says that:
90% sell 200-1.000 units [LOW-END]
7% sell 1.000-5.000 units [MID-END]
3% sell 10.000-300.000 units [HIGH-END]
Thank you, I just corrected ( and yes i have posted the original slide link, it was at the beginning of my original first post ):
7% sell 1.000-5.000 units
3% sell 10.000-300.000 units ( Edited )
You can check at page 25 of the slide:
Ok, I’m really sorry then.
I have a question then, what happened with those who sold between 5k and 10k units?