Like many studios, Canadian start up Get Set Games initially struggled to gain traction on App Store, at least until it switched its Mega Jump game freemium.
The result has been millions of downloads, and following its release on the Android Market, that rate continues to accelerate.
We caught with director Derek van Vliet to find out more.
Pocket Gamer: Ten million downloads is good going in 9 months. How high do you think Mega Jump can go?
Derek van Vliet: We're thrilled with how many people play Mega Jump on a regular basis. It's showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, after announcing 10 million users on this past Friday, we're already very close to 11 million.
What's the reaction been taking the game to Android?
The reception on Android has been fantastic. Android players have been yearning for some good games to play on the platform and it shows in their feedback about Mega Jump. The general reaction has been: give us more.
Are there any differences between the two platforms?
We tried our best to make sure the Mega Jump experience on Android was consistent with the iPhone experience. The version we launched for Android was based on update 7 of the iPhone version (released in August 2010). We're currently working on bringing the Android version up to feature parity with the iPhone version.
We're using the same monetisation on Android as well (in-app purchases + TapJoy). So far we've found that the IAP is less well received than it is on iOS but TapJoy is generating about the same ARPDAU as it does on iOS.
Will Mega Jump be heading over to other mobile platforms?
We are considering a number of other platforms to bring Mega Jump to, but it's too early to go into detail on this.
You've just increased the top in-app purchase amounts. Are people really prepared to spend up to $95 on in-game Mega Points?
We've learned a couple of valuable lessons - never underestimate how much people are willing to pay for a game they love, and remove any barriers that stop them from paying. Since adding the $95 in-app purchase, it has become one of our most lucrative sources of revenue.
How important is the ability to offer pay for install services such as TayJoy in terms of providing players with free MP?
This is extremely important for us. It has allowed us to monetise people who may not have access to a credit card (such as children) and pirates (yes - people actually pirate free games). After adding the TapJoy offer wall to Mega Jump, our revenue tripled.
What's next for Get Set Games?
We're working on some more awesome updates to Mega Jump. We want it to be the game that keeps on giving to players.
We're also working on a follow-up game to Mega Jump. It will be based in the same universe and have the same action-packed arcade style of gameplay, but will be a completely different game. And as I mentioned, we're also looking at taking Mega Jump to more platforms.
Thanks to Derek for his time.
Interview
Contributing Editor
A Pocket Gamer co-founder, Jon is Contributing Editor at PG.biz which means he acts like a slightly confused uncle who's forgotten where he's left his glasses. As well as letters and cameras, he likes imaginary numbers and legumes.
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