iPhone Game Development London
Despite Android’s growth in popularity, the iPhone is still the most popular and the most desired device and the iOS remains the preferred mobile operating system. There are more than 400 million people using the iOS and the number keeps growing. Therefore, it’s not surprising that iPhone game development London is a very profitable niche. But that’s true only if you do everything the right way.
A lot of people think that developing an iOS game is a get rich quick scheme. They think that all they need to do is develop a game and submit it to the App Store. Well, this may have been the case when the App Store was first launched. But now there are more than 700,000 apps available for download. This means that it’s not all that easy to make your iPhone game sell, especially with all the changes made to the iOS6 App Store. So, is the iPhone game development gold rush over? Not exactly. But you really have to know what you are doing in order to succeed.
The iPhone Gold Rush
When people started developing for the iPhone and the gold rush began, it was enough to have a few basic tools and some patience. The gold was there, lying pretty much everywhere. But now when game giants like Electronic Arts and Zynga arrived to the market, it has become increasingly difficult for independent developers to get lucky. And don’t forget that there are already tons of massively popular games like Temple Run, Angry Birds, Doodle Jump and so on with which you’ll have to compete. True, you get word of game development for iPhone success stories every now and again, but they are few and far between.
Before you start developing your game or hire a UK iPhone game development company, you will need to do a lot of market research, have a look at your competitors and identify your niche. The idea for your game needs to be creative and unique, otherwise it won’t have any chances to succeed.
So, what advice is there for novice iOS game developers? Here are some tips from industry professionals.
Graeme Devine, an Apple guru and veteran, says: “One of the things that makes a successful iPhone game developer or iPad game is to actually use the device in a way that was meant for it to be used. It seems simple enough, but most game developers forget that. They immediately rush to put a virtual d-pad on the screen, put something in between the user and the world that they’re playing in,” he began. “If you look at every Apple application, from the photo application to the weather application to the stock thing, there’s no interfacing between you and whatever you’re playing with… you’re directly manipulating the world. The games that do the best, Angry Birds in particular, really pay attention to that. They really use that touch environment really, really well.”
Another thing that matters is a clean, easy to use interface because that’s what iPhone users are looking for.
“Users expect direct, clear interaction on the iPhone. I’m sure that’s a software rule in general, but on that touchscreen especially, I was surprised by how simple, clear, and direct everything really had to be, and how when I made changes in that direction, how quickly and clearly users responded. I think, apps like Angry Birds, Jetpack Joyride and Temple Run succeed in large part because they are so exceptionally clear and straightforward.” – says Mike Schramm, the developer of Antithesis.
In addition to the actual development, you will need to price the game correctly – if the price is too high, it has to be justified. Otherwise nobody will download the game. As a rule, inexpensive games like Angry Birds, which costs $0.99, top the downloads list. The game grossed more than $10 million and this number is growing.
The bottom line is that if you have a creative idea for an iPhone game, if you work with professionals who will help you design and develop a top quality product, and if you are prepared to maintain and update the game regularly, you have all the chances of creating a game that will become the users’ favourite.
