Full time Indie Game Developer Revenue

Backstory quick
So a quick update how it looks financial for me. As maybe some of you guys now I was supported 6 months with a „Gründungszuschuss“ from Berlin at the start of my career as Indie Game Developer. Which was basically almost the same money as I was working full-time. What ever its already 1 year and 3 months later now and I’m still a full time Indie.

My Gaming Apps
I got 26 live apps on iOS, 30 on Android Google play and 30 on Amazon Store. 90% of them created this year, 2014.
The main money comes through 2 of my 26 live apps.  Which are Three Points, which was picked and featured by apple and PewDiePug a game that gets insane ratings and constant downloads due the strong fans/Bro’s of PewDiePie.

My capital + Income Stream
I started to make a monthly income which after splitting 50/50 with my creative partner Sabba Keynejad
is comparable with a internship salary(400 Euro a month). I got an extended „Gründungszuschuss“ of 300 Euro until March 2015 on top. My original start off money of 6000 Euro has been declined to around 2500 by now.
The rough 700 Euro will now probably make me stay around 2000 to 3000 Euro with my current expenses.

Monetization
I got featured with Three Points back than but I only had in there iAD Banners which made out of 330 000 Downloads and over 1 million expressions rough 1000 USD. We took a big learning and added Chartboost which would have generated around 7000 USD on top if we would have had it in. All Apps now got both, some of them have an extra option to remove advertising for a in-app purchases of 0.99 USD. Even tough our overall Downloads have been reduced drastically since the apple feature past there is now a solid income stream etablished. (since the last 3 months)

Chartboost statistics iOS
(2.5 months)
ios revenue

Chartboost statistics Android
(2.5 months)
android revenue

The biggest Hope
The second game is our biggest hope so far, If Pewd’s Bro’s can make him play the game on Youtube this would eliminate all money worries quickly. PewDiePie was back than one of the main reasons Flappy Bird became the success it is/was.

Trying out some Marketing

So far I did post on several social media channels, PR agencies, this blog, deviantart and made youtube gameplay footage of my games. I tried admob, invested 100 Euro all in one day with CPC(cost per click) of 0.10 USD it made 800 more downloads over 2 days. Which was pretty ok already, additionally I’m now in contact with a big marketing player, which currently checks whats the best way to give my apps some more attention. Let’s see how this all works out.

 

Fresh Road

Here one of my newest games. Gameplay obviously actually three points my earlier game, but with a fresh look, feel,music and balancing. Went live 1. November, this Saturday.

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id931819072

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=davidzobrist.freshroad

Amazon: http://www.amazon.de/David-Zobrist-Fresh-Road/dp/B00OQ8D4VO
fresh berlin david

Bubbels – Pop them Bubbels!

Pop them Bubbels! 
Bubbels just went live for iOS so here the official announcement, now its your turn to play it.
Have a good start into this new week everyone!

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/app/bubbels/id930848530?mt=8

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=davidzobrist.bubbels

Amazon: http://www.amazon.de/David-Zobrist-Bubbels/dp/B00OOY6G2O

Bubbels 1 Bubbels 2 Bubbels 3

Calling PewDiePie -> Play PewDiePug

The Bro’s love PewDiePug, the fan game about Pewds little doggy.
By now PewDiePug reached 1200 ratings on iOS with and average of 5 of 5 stars. Sabba Keynejad and myself created something iconic here which waits for the ultimate boost from the master.
David Zobrist PewDiePug and Three Points

I got them behind me they started tweeting the youtube legend, calling him to play the game.
Pewdiepug david zobrist

Game Design: Finding the essence of what we do

The market has blossomed, from the earliest baby steps to the booming industry the gaming market is today.
Mobile clearly being at the top of it, as everyone caries a smartphone, the digital extension of one self.
A smartphone is more than just a gadget, it is personal and empowering.

Any skepticism against the technology is already way back in our subconscious, as the spider creates the web to live in it – we create technology/tools that enrich our senses and capabilities. Humans are a part of nature and what ever we create is natural.

As the gaming field grows, more and more people call them self Game Designer, it becomes this fancy term of a prestige role „the creative“. Not that we should exclude anyone that wants to participate on this discovery. But there is as in any field people that just come for the money and trend, but they are not really connect to the core drive.
I don’t see myself as a game designer anymore. We are humans playing with the little kitten technology. We try to break down walls, go for a real connection, a real moment.

art

What we want are no titles or definitions. We are on the way toward something and the only way to ever reach it is in the activity itself.

That’s my call to all of you. Don’t read the tutorials and theories. Do it!  Just build, break down and do it again. Don’t lose yourself in the ideas of others.

Go for simplicity and innovation something that is closer to us not further away.