Well we are 2 weeks in our Xperia Android Launch. First off, it's amazing to see how people respond to android games vs. ios games. iOS users seem to be spoiled in a sense, and Android users are much more friendly on the rating system.
Second - We've actually lost money at this point with the Android launch. I'm not exactly sure what to do about it but for the moment I pay exuberant cost per download on Amazon S3, and we're not monetizing our users very well on the platform
Third - I cant believe how little IAP we've sold on the platform. Over 6000 users and maybe 3 purchases. Crazy.
Fourth - I read an insane review on pocketgamer today that claimed the game wasn't Xperia Optimized. I don't mind giving reviewers creative license to bash my game, and hell maybe most of it is justified, but printing stuff that's untrue? That's uncool. Also, she wasn't a fan of the Video ad that ran once every hour and lasts 15 seconds. If she didn't like that wait till she sees the next version. Seriously, it's Free To Play folks, there's going to be ads in there. But on the flip side we added a "Remove Ads" button for 1.99$
A little birdie told me we may be running a promotion on iOS this week. Keep your eyes peeled.
]]>Well the big news is obvious, we are live on Xperia handsets (Android), and the Mac App Store!
I should really make a thing on the right side of the page that links to all the different purchasing methods. Oh well... so lazy.
]]>Not to mention, it really does play better on a Desktop.
]]>It's definitely taken longer than expected (we were supposed to submit the 15th for a 22nd launch date), but 1.1 has finally been submitted to the App Store. Among the more notable features is an IAP store and a general store where you can purchase all kinds of items/weapons/armor/potions, over 250 items in total. We also wrap up the story with the inclusion of chapter 5. And last but not least, we are launching a special HD version (for free) that will work with the iPhone 4S, and the iPad 2 & 3.
The HD version is all about looks. We included new higher resolution textures for the GUI, dynamic lighting on the characters, and super-hi-res lightmaps. We had an aha moment earlier today when i added a glowing light to the gold, so now not only does the gold texture pulse (glow), so does the light around it, and the way it affects the scene is awesome. The game looks particularly sweet on an iPad 3 in native resolution running a super-hi-res gui made just for that device.
Looking forward to the launch. In other news, we can finally start working on the Android build. We are launching with an exclusive partner on April 26th, with a full Android launch slated for May 26th. Also the Mac version of the game will be launching soon as well.
]]>But we are alive and well! GDC was great, we were out hunting for 3rd party development dollars, as well as pitching our next titles to some publishers.
The launch of Dungeon Crawlers 1.0 was overwhelming, even though i was totally prepared for it. We got a lot of feedback, and i'm proud to say that we are addressing a lot of the major (and some minor) concerns in the 1.1 update. The big bullet points is that there will be IAP and a store to purchase new weapons, armor, and potions from a general store in the main menu. The other big bullet point is that we will be concluding the main story line with the addition of Chapter 5.
Oh, and did i mention Dungeon Crawlers HD+ ? Launching April 5th, compatible with iPad 2, 3, and iPhone 4S is a retina-enabled, dynamically lit, bump mapped version of the game.
Alright, that's it for now, i'll be back.
]]>The game runs fine on an iPad 1, 3GS and iPod Touch 4. However, those devices have limited memory resources (256 MB total) and crashing may occur, because we are right up against the wall of what is possible on those devices. So if you are experiencing consistent crashing, simply exit the game, and close all your open apps, or restart the device. Yup, that's it. Not that hard, was it?
]]>There are currently two issues in 1.0.1 that can freeze/crash you. They are:
What's new in 1.0.2
Sales are steadily declining. We hit a snafu on launch, that we thought we crushed, and the game essentially didn't work on iPad 1, iPhone 3GS, or iPod Touch 3/4's. We had submitted the fix on monday, but it didn't go up until just last night. The damage is done, we have 74 1 star reviews on our game from angry people who want to play.
But hopefully that will be reversed when they get the latest patch. In further good news, we revamped the move system, so now we can fast forward the game 2x the whole way through. We also fixed some more crash/freeze bugs, and tweaked how the healthbars are drawn so they don't overlap the damage text.
Also, if you are reading this before February 16th, we will have having our launch party at the Laughing Skull Lounge on Thursday, February 16th, 8pm. Andy Kindler will be headlining the show. Contact me if you want a ticket.
Anyways, thanks for all your great support. Back to work. Lots to do.
]]>Well, I am very busy today, I wish I had the words to express how amazing all of this is, to be at this stage. Right now I just want to tell you guys that this is one of the proudest days of my life, and I'm glad to share it with you. If you haven't already, please pick up a copy of the game.
As of this writing, we're #30 on all iPad games, and #2 RPG! :-)