Slashdot Mirror
Hit Game Makes £52 In First Week On Windows RT
Barence writes "Great Big War Game, a popular iOS and Android app, made only £52 in its first week on Windows RT. In an angry blog post titled 'Windows RT — Born to fail,' UK-based developer Rubicon blamed Microsoft for the paltry sum and said it won't be bringing any more of its titles to the fledgling platform. It seems Microsoft refused to promote the app as it would only run on Windows RT devices. However, Microsoft quickly got in touch with Rubicon, and the post was deleted and replaced with an apologetic response saying, 'Microsoft have graciously decided work with us to iron out the problems and get us past this incident.' Rubicon will be hoping that £52 figure improves quickly, as it spent £10,000 porting the game to Windows RT."
He took a business risk trying to port the game to Windows RT and lost? Now he's crying about it? Great, yeah, it costs money to port things to new platforms. But that's why you do your research first! Hell, I'm not going around yelling how my non-existing game on Steam is selling bad!
But I know a thing or two about business and this is exactly why you research and don't cry about failed business decisions.
I was excited about WinRT (not to be confused with Windows RT...yeah, I know) during Windows 8's development and was considering porting a project, but after evaluating Windows 8, the lack of features in the APIs, annoying interface decisions, and confusing hardware fragmentation made it an easy decision not to bother. Microsoft's alleged refusal to promote ARM-only apps, when it needs all the apps it can get, re-affirms that decision. Windows 8 is a non-starter as a development platform.
It's further proof that we must control every packet that flows in and out form the computer! :)
You ported your game to a new platform, out for a month on a single high end high price tablet, and you are shocked that you didn't sell as many copies as the Android version. There are hundreds of millions of Android devices out there, with a couple of million more being added every day.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
If you want your game to be a hit, there better be an x86 port. WinRT on arm is currently a nowheresville and Rubicon should have known that.
pounds salt
Seems to have worked, since MS contacted him and we have a story.
He might even get a deal from MS now, or garner some eyeballs to look at his company/game.
XBox live is complete shit. Games aren't promoted, but the latest NFL or some other mainstream media event is all over the main screen. Plus one needs a 'gold' account to watch Netflix. Microsoft is floundering something big.
And you wonder why you got blapped.
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
This story certainly doesn't seem new to anyone who follows the development of indie games, especially WRT the Xbox360. Microsoft has a history of deprioritizing indie games in general, making it difficult to get promotion for titles without large publishers, and general indifference to a healthy developer ecosystem.
No surprise, then, when mobile games suffer the same fate. They seem to think that they can just copy the worst parts of Apple's model and it will just flourish...
"Here Lies Philip J. Fry, named for his uncle, to carry on his spirit"
It seems Rubicon's beef was the lack of promotion by Microsoft of their title. Is this promotion Rubicon pays for or is this an expectation that their app would be freely promoted for them?
Is an app's success due in large part to the operator of the app store promoting said app? That seems like a system ripe for bribery.
Wow, it's such a good thing Microsoft put all their eggs in one basket and made the desktop OS look identical to their tablet. Now if the tablet falls flat (well, it did), that will make even less sense than it did when people were beta testing and screaming about how stupid it is.
...that nobody wants to pay for his game.
Okay, so, £52 in the first week? That's about $83. That's roughly $12/day. In the first week. On a brand new platform.
What the fuck was this guy thinking? That when he hit the magic "Submit" button on the developers portal for the MS App Store, money would start raining down from the ceiling? Did he think scantily clad women would arrive on his doorstep within minutes to personally "massage" him in a hot tub full of champagne?
The title might as well read, "Developer Underwhelmed by Product Success, Blames Everyone Else".
He should be happy with his 95% market penetration...
An RT only version means that you're targeting a tiny portion of the user base. That's what, Surface RT users only? Not a lot of surprise that it failed given that target market.
-- "So they told me that using the download page to download something was not something they anticipated." - Bill Gates
Sincere question because just "spent $10k on it" does not tell much.
none
how the hell he got one guy to buy the same thing 52 times...
reading comprehension.
Roughly corresponds to about 1 maybe two months of effort by one person.
if Microsoft wants Surface to have any chance of success they need to start writing checks to the top devs to port their games/apps to RT. otherwise there is no financial incentive since the sales will probably not pay for the costs to port and test the apps
Also, it is for a game that has already been on sale for awhile, thus many have already played it and aren't interested in re-buying it.
If they think there'll be massive sales on a new platform, well they are dumb. If they think there'll be massive sales on a new platform of a game that is old, they are doubly dumb.
Either their marketing and sales department is just dumb OR the software development divisions have so much internal clout that they don't have to listen. I'm betting on the latter.
You want your platform to succeed? You need apps. You want a lot of apps quickly, you'd better make it EASY EASY EASY to port existing apps from other popular platforms to your new platform. Preferably, with one click. Another solution would be a near perfect OS emulator. However you do it, you have to do it.
The Fuck You development culture of Microsoft says "No. Go recode and don't bother me with your problems. You're just an ISV after all. The only people we care about are large business customers." The other obvious characteristic that's becoming obvious is the assumption of success. MS obviously has no plan B. No backup to boost sales or make the platform desirable. It's "We're Microsoft. Here it is. Take it or leave it."
Frankly, I don't see how Microsoft is going to last another 10 years this way.
Please do not read this sig. Thank you.
Gamers on Windows are used to having a trial version. Honestly, if there isn't a trial version I just pass right over it. I've been burned by shitty apps time and time again, I won't risk the money just to find out it's terrible. I've certainly bought plenty of games after playing the trial version, so perhaps they'd see some more sales if they added that feature.
They should also think about porting to Windows 8.... no idea why the limited their app to only Windows RT, as the market share is so small right now.
He is mad about this?
To get that much money every WindowsRT user must have bought it.
Microsoft is selling tablets and phones that won't run traditional Windows apps, and can only run Windows RT apps. Microsoft is encouraging developers to make RT the standard for future Windows development, but for some reason they aren't willing to promote RT apps?
Here is the problem. Most people have an Android or iOS device today. If there Android and iOS apps you really love, you probably already purchased them for those platforms (and perhaps for both if you jumped ship at some point).
How many people are jumping at the bit to buy them again for another platform?
What Microsoft really needs is killer new apps that take advantage of Windows in a unique way that aren't on Android or iOS. And I just don't see that happening. Windows RT is dead on arrival for a number of reasons (can't join a domain, can't run legacy Windows apps and doesn't offer anything new for future development).
http://blindscribblings.com - Tasty pop-culture in conceptual fashion.
I hate to be so frank myself, but I call your attention to the replacement version of Windows!
Windows RG Edition
"Anyone who caught my previous post might already know that we recently released Great Big War Game onto Windows RT. If you're one of the teeny tiny crowd of people who just bought one of these devices, you can find one of the very small number of âoeproperâ games right here: http://apps.microsoft.com/webpdp/app/great-big-war-game/30f26b23-aa92-4fed-9273-099de3069616
A week after release we have made the princely sum of £52 in sales. That's not a typo. And despite this, and the fact that GBWG is one of only several halfway decent launch titles, Microsoft have confirmed they will not give us any promotional features or help us with visibility in any way.
If you're familiar with their new store, this means our app is forever consigned to the garbage bin, presumably earning us less than £52 a week in future. Even if that rate is sustained, it will take just under two years before we recoup the salary paid to the guy who did the port.
Apple regularly promote our apps. Android regularly promote our apps. Even RIM (Blackberry) regularly promote our apps. We enjoy working with those companies and it's nice to see them acknowledge that we bring them some small amount of additional value to their setup. Firms our size need a bit of a leg up, and we go out of our way to show our gratitude to the above for helping us out in this way from time to time.
Microsoft on the other hand clearly do not value us at all. Even whilst there's almost nothing to promote, they will not feature our title for bizarre admin reasons. And this is whilst their store is empty and they need developers like us to fill their store far more than developers like us need them to pay us £50 a week.
Needless to say we will not be working with Microsoft again to bring any of our titles, old or new, to this platform. A snub is never a nice thing to receive, but when it's from someone who needs you more than you need them, it's doubly insulting. And it's not like we're cutting off our nose to spite our face - even small indies can live without an additional £52 a week.
If other developers get this treatment, that store is going to look might bleak for a long time to come. Please take this as a warning. I know I sound bitter and twisted and there's a reason for that - I actually am. We have wasted a lot of time, resources and money on supporting this platform and all that happened was we got spat on.
If you're not familiar with Great Big War Game, here's some reviews. Not many indie titles get accolades like this: http://www.rubicondev.com/gbwg/reviews.php and certainly none that you'd expect a major platform holder to shun.
I hope this thing falls flat on it's face, but I do hope they don't take other developers down with them. We are fortunate enough to able to suck up the £6,000 it cost to do this port and move on, but other outfits may well not. Don't be one of them.
Here's my usual picture to end on.
http://www.rubicondev.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/bgifdhad.jpg"
people don't buy Windows RT tablets to play games. They buy them to run that built in MS-Office 2013 and log into Facebook and maybe even read email or watch a few videos. The Windows RT devices are not designed for playing games. In order to play a game you need a decent CPU and graphics card, which Windows RT devices do not have.
that's about how much I made on my iOS game. maybe I should port mine over! think about it, doubling the money! $$$
(yes I'm just saying expecting success and not having it is a dumb thing to complain about)
I must be doing something wrong or missed a very important memo. I find it hard enough to get people using my open source software let alone paying for it, and this guy is clearly under the impression he is entitled to a steady instantly large flow of income from his first platform release.
http://interserver.net/
I just bought myself a copy for my Android tablet. Thanks, MS!
- jon
Ganymede, a GPL'ed metadirectory for UNIX
"We've been bought-off"
FIFY
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
(Side note: Ten thousand pounds to port a game to a new platform? Wow.)
Um, so, porting an application to a new platform that has nearly unmeasurable market penetration doesn't yield outrageous $PROFIT$ in the FIRST WEEK and the developer is surprised? I am far from a Microsoft fan, but there's something wrong with this story.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
There is no way I believe the £10,000 dev costs number. Not a chance in hell. And right there with that lie whatever sympathy I might have had went away. It is way too easy a number to make up and then if challenged on it make up even more lies, or half-truths at best, to cover the lie.
Given the immediate backpeddle once MS called and likely paid him off, and I wonder what that actual number was, the story is clearly not about the dev here.
Rather, as most of us who are/were not fanboys/paid shills observed, that MS has a very tough lift with this and it will be interesting to see how much capital they dump into it. Ah la XBox fame.
Really, I know what I'm doing...Ohhhh, look at the shiny buttons!
Who paid £52 + 20%????
And you'll pay the fiddler.
"I believe in Karma. That means I can do bad things to people all day long and I assume they deserve it." : Dogbert
Why take the risk unless you have the resources (profit from other platforms) to support it. That way if it falls flat, you still have something holding you over til you get to the next endeavor.
It's good to see this happens to people other than Indie developers. Working with Microsoft to figure out how the promotion of Apps in the app store works is not easy. Microsoft makes the process difficult. I waited up to full month for an exclusive Windows Phone game I made, BouncyLasers, to go from submitted to approved on the market. I tried to join multiple Microsoft sponsored marketing campaigns with no feedback other than "your app has been submitted to the campaign". Sure my app isn't too impressive as I'm the single dev, but some more help from Microsoft on how their featuring in the Market process works or what to expect from submitting to one of their campaigns is badly needed.
I still think RT will be a failure because BIOS DRM is asinine.
iPad and the major video game consoles have BIOS DRM too and they haven't failed in the market. What distinguishes Windows RT devices from iPad and the consoles that will make Windows RT devices fail?
I mean, perhaps he tried to, but it doesn't really sound like it. He moans and complains on a public forum then of course MSFT has to respond yet it's quite possible they were willing to help all along. You don't have to like MSFT and they have a huge, huge uphill battle against Android and iOS but they do have very good developer relationships.
Posted as AC to avoid the lawyers, but here's the original before Microsoft threw buckets of money at him to avoid the bad press (or whatever happened):
Anyone who caught my previous post might already know that we recently released Great Big War Game onto Windows RT. If youâ(TM)re one of the teeny tiny crowd of people who just bought one of these devices, you can find one of the very small number of âoeproperâ games right here: http://apps.microsoft.com/webpdp/app/great-big-war-game/30f26b23-aa92-4fed-9273-099de3069616
A week after release we have made the princely sum of £52 in sales. Thatâ(TM)s not a typo. And despite this, and the fact that GBWG is one of only several halfway decent launch titles, Microsoft have confirmed they will not give us any promotional features or help us with visibility in any way.
If youâ(TM)re familiar with their new store, this means our app is forever consigned to the garbage bin, presumably earning us less than £52 a week in future. Even if that rate is sustained, it will take just under two years before we recoup the salary paid to the guy who did the port.
Apple regularly promote our apps. Android regularly promote our apps. Even RIM (Blackberry) regularly promote our apps. We enjoy working with those companies and itâ(TM)s nice to see them acknowledge that we bring them some small amount of additional value to their setup. Firms our size need a bit of a leg up, and we go out of our way to show our gratitude to the above for helping us out in this way from time to time.
Microsoft on the other hand clearly do not value us at all. Even whilst thereâ(TM)s almost nothing to promote, they will not feature our title for bizarre admin reasons. And this is whilst their store is empty and they need developers like us to fill their store far more than developers like us need them to pay us £50 a week.
Needless to say we will not be working with Microsoft again to bring any of our titles, old or new, to this platform. A snub is never a nice thing to receive, but when itâ(TM)s from someone who needs you more than you need them, itâ(TM)s doubly insulting. And itâ(TM)s not like weâ(TM)re cutting off our nose to spite our face â" even small indies can live without an additional £52 a week.
If other developers get this treatment, that store is going to look might bleak for a long time to come. Please take this as a warning. I know I sound bitter and twisted and thereâ(TM)s a reason for that â" I actually am. We have wasted a lot of time, resources and money on supporting this platform and all that happened was we got spat on.
If youâ(TM)re not familiar with Great Big War Game, hereâ(TM)s some reviews. Not many indie titles get accolades like this: http://www.rubicondev.com/gbwg/reviews.php and certainly none that youâ(TM)d expect a major platform holder to shun.
I hope this thing falls flat on itâ(TM)s face, but I do hope they donâ(TM)t take other developers down with them. We are fortunate enough to able to suck up the £6,000 it cost to do this port and move on, but other outfits may well not. Donâ(TM)t be one of them.
Perhaps you need to re-read your paragraph. Sounds just like what Apple did with iOS cross-platform tools. FORBIDDEN. Learn x-code if you want to be in our iOS store.
It worked for Apple ... so far ... why won't it work for microsoft eventually?
Maybe there is less concurrence, and people are willing to pay more for app, and 5-7$ is the right price points. I recall a long time ago that some of the apple app were highly priced by maybe my memory is bad.
C. Sagan : A demon haunted world:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345409469/
visit randi.org
Perhaps a lot of applications that would be free on Google Play Store cost $0.99 or $1.99 on Apple's App Store to recover Apple's higher developer cost. These include $649 to replace the PC that a developer already owns with one of Apple's computers and a recurring fee of $99 per year.
A bitchy little copy machine.. Articles from engadget and The verge show up after hours and that also not completely.. love to jump on negative publicity and nothing positive on Google or Microsoft.. This is not a political forum but a tech one.. cmon
Is the original Post available anywhere ?
The real story is somebody is able to port a android/ios game to RT for just £10,000. That sounds very promising for the RT users. May be Microsoft should blow some 50 million on helping the devs with already successful apps in other platforms.
Anyone happen to know what the first week sales were for the Android and iOS versions? TFA seems to be lacking in this detail.
"I'm not sure I like the fugnutish tone you used in your post!" -RogL (608926)-
I guess it goes without question that if you try and pass-off a game as something productive that you're only fooling yourself. Granted there are many platforms out there and lots of kids and kids-at-heart who use fritter-ware, but do you really need to demand, or rather whine about a certain group of people not wanting to purchase your game? I'm sure there are those people who purchase a platform merely because it has a game that they like, but realistically if you'd do that for a game that costs under $5 then you've got some other issues.
Hey, in India that's like $20,000. Why don't they just outsource it?
Maybe -- just maybe -- you're merely grown accustomed to catering to a tiny user base of paying customers, but he isn't. :-)
It's a numbers game, really. A 0.01% market penetration per month on iOS, for instance, means roughly 40k new paying customers. 0.01% of the 500k WinRT at the same price point is, in contrast, only a few notches above zero.
So what you're saying is he stupidly set his sights and expectations too high.
considering the marketing billions Microsoft is spending, why would any company not insist that Microsoft finance the porting of apps to their new and unproven platform? There are very few customers so it would seem the gamble would not be worth it unless you believed Microsoft's marketing. Make them pay or shut up and stop crying.
is fail.
"If any question why we died, Tell them because our fathers lied."
How can a company with so much money be so ridiculously inane?
Higher than 52 pounds a week? I reckon he probably did, yes. Don't forget the big number in question here.
So what you're saying is he stupidly set his sights and expectations too high.
Nope... Merely pointing out, for all intents and purposes, that (paying) RT customers are even fewer and farther in between than (paying) Linux customers. And that there are greener fields out there if you want to actually make money.
http://www.pocketgamer.biz/r/PG.Biz/Great+Big+War+Game/news.asp?c=47146
It must have been a tough call deciding if it was piracy or bad OS that was the cause of loss sales.
He didn't expect it to sell as many as the android version, he expected it to sell MORE THAN A HANDFUL.
With only a few apps on RT, he could expect to do well, with early adopters he could expect to do well. When iPhone store first opened they did extremely well.
It's not his fault if RT isn't selling, trying to blame him for Microsoft's flop is a bit pathetic, Ballmer is far more the cause than he is.
The game and the game developer didn't fail.
The Microsoft App Store/Microsoft ecosystem failed.
Good luck breaking even with Windows RT, chump!
Most of the world will stick with Apple and Android.
on lame commercials with little shits jacking their plastic keyboards into their piece of shit Kin Tablet.
Suck it up, pussy. Unless there's a contract stating otherwise, MS doesn't have to promote shit. And if there is, why are you whining about it in public instead of in a courtroom? Maybe you should have done your homework before spending 10K pounds on a port.
10,000 GBP, that's 16,000 USD. Didn't you see the symbol for Pound Sterling (£)?
I love the RT, but if it's a crappy game.. duh? /shrug /shrug
I feel the hate on the RT tablet is well overplayed. It's a young platform, but it's much better on it's first gen product than the ipad was...
Android, it's cool, but at the same time, it's more like Apple's ipad than anything else
Sad dev cries after their sad game makes little money on a sad platform. Devs have to learn there are no safetry nets for stupid risks.