Digital Sinigang

The Story behind Streetfood Tycoon

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 05:39:51 PDT

WARNING: Long story ahead. Proceed at your own risk.

As a game developer, one of the questions I get asked a lot is how I come up with ideas for my games and more specifically for Streetfood Tycoon. I always end up with a long blank pause before I can give out an answer. Looking back, I realized there were so many factors involved that led me to choose streetfood as the theme and Tycoon as the genre, so yes, there's actually no quick answer to that question. :)

Streetfood Tycoon--the 1st prototype.

My usual response is that I've always been a huge fan of simulation and tycoon games. I remember playing Lemonade Tycoon and SimTower for countless hours back in the day. After working on 6 casual games for the past 2 years, I figured it's about time I move on to a more ambitious project and the first thing that came to mind was to make a simulation game! I did some research and there were so many Tycoon games available in the App Store so I needed something that stood out--something unique, interesting and has not been done before. And then it hit me, since I've always wanted to venture into the food industry--set up a foodcart and manage my own micro business--why not create a simulation game out of it? Something that would allow people to experience managing their own foodcart business and its day to day decision making process. Now that I have simulation + foodcart, what product(s) do I focus on? I had an obvious answer to this because I love kwek-kwek and french fries, but I needed a fun mechanic to go with it to make the game more interesting. My initial idea was to go with Lemonade Tycoon's format where you set up your daily inventory and run a simulation for the day involving various factors like location, weather, ingredients, etc. I made a quick prototype and found out that while Lemonade Tycoon's simulation worked, it kind of bored me just watching all the customers pass by, moving about and buying from my foodcart. I figured this may not work anymore especially that most mobile gamers are coming from the younger generations typically looking for more challenge and a faster pace, so I scrapped my first prototype and along went my first 2 months of work. I yearned for something that would involve the player more than just watching the day pass by. This was where my casual gaming experience came in and played a huge role. I figured that if I could combine the simulation aspect with another game mechanic, I'd be able to tap a wider userbase or better yet, create a whole new genre. I decided to experiment with various mechanics--hidden objects? match three? time management? Then came the unexpected part--while I was babysitting my then 1 year old daughter, we were skimming through her baby books when it hit me how "pattern recognition" played an essential part in her learning. It became easy for her to recognize certain objects just by knowing the basic shapes--square, circle, triangle, etc. This made me realize that if I could pull off a game mechanic related to pattern matching, I might be able to tap the "kids/toddlers" market, too. You've probably noticed by now how I've always included my target market in my brainstorming process. The logic behind this is simple--as a game developer, my fulfillment comes from seeing people play and enjoy my games and what better way to achieve that than to tap a wider age bracket and get it to as many hands as possible, right? I did a quick prototype and started with a single streetfood--fries. I decided to be as true to the foodcart business as possible and considered all aspects like packaging (sticks and cartons), main ingredients (fries, corndogs, etc.), sauces/condiments and even how the food is served (drag to serve). The prototype initially involved 4 layers: packaging + fries + sauce + toppings but I found it to be too complicated knowing that the player was pressed for time (since most businesses operate at 9-5pm only). I did a couple more tweaks and simplified food preparation to only 3 layers but added 3 additional main ingredients (corndogs, kwek-kwek and fishballs) to still keep players on their toes. This is where my love for my country came in. I thought to myself, why not include our local streetfood and share some of our culture with the rest of the world? It took me 2 more prototypes before I ended up with the final version, which is what you see in the game today. The 3 prototypes, several brainstorming sessions and final game idea took me around 3 months to accomplish. Enter the 2nd most popular question asked of me about Streetfood Tycoon--why aren't there any refreshments to go with the food? I simply based the game from several local foodcart businesses. Potato Corner being my favorite, was #1 on my list. I noticed that some of the most successful foodcarts focused on niche markets. Potato Corner for example, only sold flavored fries, NO drinks. Waffle Time sold waffles only. Even Master Siomai sold siomai only before they added "Black Gulaman" to their menu. To keep things simple yet again, I decided to veer away from drinks as I also know how the existing rules will be affected once I add it (besides, serving drinks is a lot messier!). I wanted a game that can be played by casual and hardcore players alike--not too easy and not too difficult.

The 2nd prototype and the first Title Screen design

Now comes the simulation/business part of the game. I decided to stick with some of the basic things I learned from running a small business: keep a list of goals (to do list tab), track/measure stats (stats tab) and resource management (foodcart tab). Your goal in the game is to get 5 stars and achieve Streetfood Tycoon status, in the quickest possible time. In order to do this, you must carefully budget your cash, make wise purchase decisions and manage your resources well. Being an entrepreneur helped a lot in this aspect. What took a lot of time was simplifying the UI/UX--avoiding clutter, prioritizing which info to display, maximizing screen, etc. The next 2 months were mostly spent on coding, drawing and design. I went with a cartoon look and feel because that's where I'm good at (used to be a cartoonist/illustrator before I got into games) and I figured it would appeal to more people.

Notice how the Statbar above has evolved through several iterations.

Did I say how important it is to choose and work on a project that you love? I remember playtesting the game daily for months, noting down revisions, tweaking, adjusting and balancing elements. I wouldn't have lasted had I not loved the game. This is also the part where some of the neat ideas came in--like how cool would it be to serve streetfood to our President? Or maybe Lady Gaga? Or Manny Pacquiao? Or how fun would it be to operate on familiar locations like Mercato Centrale, Star City or Boracay? Showing the "semi-final" game to my wife, family, friends and the beta team helped a lot as well. Some of the cool stuff you see in the game were from a suggestion or two. The key is to listen to other people, too. By the 5th month, I was starting to feel tired and just wanted to release the game. After all, having spent 5 months on the same project doing almost everything yourself is no easy task. I've had questions in my head like what if the game flopped? That would mean 6 months worth of work (and money) down the drain for nothing. I went through my to do list, picked the ones that I wanted to include in the final version and left the rest for future updates. I had to pace faster. I also chose to outsource the sounds and music to save me time. After 6 gruelling months of hard work, Streetfood Tycoon finally came out and what happened after is a whole other story.

Even though Streetfood Tycoon turned out to be fun to play, I've also made (and learned from) a couple of mistakes that I made. First off, the game is too short. Most players were able to complete it in one sitting, playing for about 5-6 hours straight. I never imagined someone would be playing it for hours straight! I designed the game to have an end goal and to stop at some point but I never realized that 5-6 hours was too short. Players would email me, asking for more content and additional challenges. I've tried my best to "extend" the game's replayability (which you will see in the next update--version 1.2.0) but there are things that will just be too hard for me to fix or revise at this point. I intend to correct these in my next title though--my next game will definitely be bigger, longer and will have more depth. Another huge mistake I made was I designed the game with the thought of releasing it as a paid app. I changed my mind during the last month and decided to try the free-to-play model, thus adding in-app items at the last minute. I learned afterwards that free-to-play games monetized better if the in-app items were planned carefully and coincided with the game's progression. In my case, you can actually finish Streetfood Tycoon even without purchasing any of the in-app items I sold within the game. Oh well.

Players just love sharing their experiences with the game!

To date, Streetfood Tycoon has been downloaded over a million times in the Philippines (and more from the rest of the world), featured on various sites/blogs, appeared on major local TV channels and newspapers, and an occasional topic on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I've updated the game 3 times since its launch (4 months ago) and submitted another HUGE update a few days ago. Streetfood Tycoon maybe far from Temple Run or Angry Birds but I'm just glad I was able to create a game that people love and a "story worth sharing".

THANK YOU for supporting Streetfood Tycoon, Kuyi Mobile and for helping me get this far!

P.S. I'm working on my next "story" now. :)

Streetfood Tycoon: Tips & Tricks

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 06:05:17 PDT

Can you guess who the special character above is?

Before anything else, a huge THANK YOU for playing Streetfood Tycoon and making it a success! Its not yet comparable with OMGPOP's success (huge Draw Something fan here!) but the fact that I'm making thousands of players all over the globe happy, I couldn't have asked for anything more!

Before I give away some tips on playing the game, note that the main goal is to become a Streetfood Tycoon--which means to purchase a Foodtruck and pay out all your loan. There are several ways to achieve this and it will depend on your decisions and approach. Read on!

1. Focus on upgrading your ingredients so that you can sell them at a higher price. A higher price means a higher revenue. Moving to the next "location" allows you to sell your goods at a higher price as well. People in the city are always willing to pay more than the people in the village. Focus on these and you'll be well on your way!

2. Focus on upgrading your Foodcart. Purchase all the items that will boost your revenue and save you cash. For example, Tip Jars will "encourage" your customers to tip more; Foodtrays will increase your ingredient capacity and will allow you to restock LESS (and save time + money!). The key is to read the item descriptions.

3. Focus on unlocking the Special Characters. The Special Characters are quite expensive but once unlocked, they leave a huge tip, thus increasing your daily revenue and allowing you to move forward at a faster rate. Note that Special Characters "rarely" appear in the game so to keep them coming back, you will also need to purchase items that will "attract" them like music speakers, a custom jingle and a stainless steel Foodcart.

Below are some additional tips off the top of my head.

1. Like many other games, you can also get a "game over" in Streetfood Tycoon. The key is to NOT spend too much of your cash and "always" leave some change for restocking.

2. Tap and hold the "stars" in your Stats Screen to view its criteria.

3. Notice how some of the item prices change when you resume your previously saved game? Since these are generated randomly, quitting the game and coming back to it will "change" the prices--could be lower or higher. You'll need to be patient in moving back and forth the To Do List and Title Screen to achieve this but isn't it worth it if you'll save a fortune in return?

4. Get customer satisfaction up by serving the correct streetfood and keeping your Foodcart spic and span. High customer satisfaction translates to larger tips!

5. Always read the item descriptions. I know reading is boring and you just want to get into the game but if you want your pace to move quickly, the item descriptions will aid you in making the right decisions and enable you to use your cash wisely.

6. Don't be afraid to experiment! The beauty of the game is that it allows you to mix and match items and explore which ones work and doesn't work.

7. In the next version (1.0.2), you can now PAUSE your current game by touching the "clock icon" in the upper-right corner. This is the most popular request so far! Streetfood Tycoon version 1.0.2 will be out soon! :)

Do you have an awesome tip? Let me know and I'll include it in my list!

Happy playing everyone! :)

Launch day!

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 06:17:01 PDT

Are you ready to become the next Streetfood Tycoon?

I read somewhere that the last 10% of every project is usually the hardest. As one gets near the completion state, things just get tougher to accomplish. I can attest to this and boy am I so ecstatic to finally get Streetfood Tycoon out the door! I spent 6 gruelling months designing, coding, drawing, balancing, tweaking and polishing the game and I must admit that it has been my most challenging iOS game to date. Finishing the game and submitting to Apple wasn't even the end of the hard work, I spent the past 2 weeks preparing for my release--press release, video trailer, website, hundreds of emails sent to media partners, miscellaneous marketing materials, promotions and more. Releasing a mobile game nowadays isn't the same as it used to be during the Palm OS and Pocket PC days (the good old days where you can still sell a mobile game for US$9.99 or more). The market has increased exponentially, the quality of the games have improved tremendously (which is fantastic!) and app visibility continues to be a growing problem in the iTunes App Store (ugh!). I've tried to be as creative and straightforward as I can be in making my write-ups and promotions so I really hope that everything pays off. After spending the entire day doing logistics work, I'm taking a breather and grabbing this chance to thank all the people who helped make the game possible:

My wife, Phoebe and daugher, Eunice (for always inspiring me to do great things!)
Family and friends (you know who you are--a huge THANK YOU!)
Ben Stark
Taylor Jasko
Fahim Farook
Naveen Sidhu (for the awesome tips and fantastic help!)
Brad Stark (for the wonderful game music!)
Eric Pankoke (for always being there throughout the years!)
Kuyi Mobile Beta Team
Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus friends
Kuyi Mobile Fans (I won't be around if it weren't for you! THANK YOU!)
...and Ansca Mobile! (for the last minute iPad support! This is my first Corona-powered app!)

If you can get a chance, download Streetfood Tycoon from the App Store (its FREE!) and I'd very much appreciate it if you can write a review or rate the game. I hope you enjoy the game as much as I've enjoyed creating it. Happy playing! :)

P.S. Looking forward to posting stats about the game soon! Stay tuned! :)

Launching an App on a tight budget?

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 05:38:40 PST

Really small marketing budget left!

So I'm finally finished with my app and submitted it to Apple yesterday. Like I always say, completing the product is only half the battle these days. The other half is the hard part--getting the word out and making the app successful. Having spent so much (financially) in creating Streetfood Tycoon, I'm left with very little marketing budget but I fear not, for this is my 7th app and I've been through this several times in the past. Thus I present you--my cheap-o marketing plan and strategy! Disclaimer: Note that I'm sharing these hoping that I can also get any suggestions or ideas in exchange so please feel free to comment or post your ideas.

1. My own channels. For the past 2 years, I've established a handful of Twitter and Facebook followers so to give back, they will be the ones who will get the news first when Streetfood Tycoon launches. A simple tweet or status update can easily go viral if done properly (and politely!).

2. My app network. One of the advantages of having several apps in the App Store is that I can easily "push" a new product to my existing customer base. If you haven't integrated some kind of system to broadcast news or updates to your app, now's a great time to do so, especially now that "app visibility" is a growing problem.

3. Blogging. I share all my experiences in app development through blogging but from time to time, I mention my products as well which helps a lot in building buzz. I try not to be annoying though because the main idea really is to help out other indie devs as well as gather ideas from more experienced ones. Sharing what I know and have is always fun!

4. Friends and Family. As much as I hate to say it, they are a huge part of my marketing formula. They are the ones who will always be proud of me no matter what so why not take that to the next level and ask them to tweet or post a status update about my new game, right? You'll hear from me soon guys! :P

5. Youtube video. I released a teaser video of my game a few days ago and got only 47 views to date. 47 views is horrible, I know, but the good thing about it is that I also received several emails/messages from people who saw the video and are really interested about the game. Who knows where this can lead to, right? The point is, they were able to "experience" the game even w/out playing it. Check out my "lame-o" teaser video for Streetfood Tycoon below.

6. Forum posting. I've got a simple list of forums and websites where I'm going to post about the game when it launches. Its not much but I know it will help in spreading the word out--plus its cheap! Not to mention its also a great way to meet other players and people who are active in the iOS scene.

7. PRMac. This is probably the only one that will cost me money from the entire list. Posting at PRMac has always worked for me and for only US$20, my press release gets posted to several hundred PR sites easily and with no hassle. I usually get several dozen emails from media sites asking about my game everytime I send out a PR from PRMac.

8. IDRTG. Indie Developers Retweet Group. If you haven't joined this group, you absolutely need to. The idea is plain and simple--people in the group will retweet your message but you will also need to retweet theirs in exchange (don't forget the hashtag "#IDRTG"!). It has worked for me in my past releases so far and at zero cost, its worth considering.

9. Corona Launchpad. Streetfood Tycoon is my first Corona-powered app and not only did I like using Corona SDK but their marketing initiatives are really convincing. For one, their app of the week/month showcases are really nice and they also feature Corona developers who have excellent products. Dear Ansca: Hope you can feature me and my game sometime! :P

10. Cross-promotion with other indie developers. I think I was able to sign up about 5 other developers who are willing to promote Streetfood Tycoon when it comes out. I will of course promote their products in exchange. One thing I love about the iOS indie community is that anyone is always willing to help out. If you're interested in cross-promoting with me, please drop me a note!

11. The blogging community. Do you have a friend or two who blogs? It wouldn't hurt sending them a copy of your game and asking them if they're interested to write about it. I'm glad to have a few friends who blog and I've asked their help for my upcoming launch.

12. Review sites. I've also managed to make friends with media people who are active in the iOS scene and I've asked some of them if they can do early reviews of my game which we can launch together with the app. It'd be great to have an app reviewed on its launch day and I'm pretty sure it will help push the product more.

13. Build early buzz. If you follow me on Twitter, you'll notice that I tweet about stuff pertaining to my upcoming game from time to time. I'm hoping that through this, people will become interested and curious about the game. I've had responses so far so I'm probably moving in the right direction. In the next couple of days, I hope to make small announcements and promos about Streetfood Tycoon so stay tuned!

Did I miss anything? Anything you can share? Please feel free to share your experiences as well as add to the list above! I could use all the help I can get when I launch Streetfood Tycoon soon. :)

Oh! And I've also updated my website to showcase the game! Let me know what you think?

My Corona SDK experience

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 05:52:50 PST

Can you guess the customer above?

Unlike most developers who moved to Corona SDK and was able to make their first game in a fortnight, mine took me a whopping ~3 months. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that Corona didn't speed things up for me. In fact, I developed Streetfood Tycoon using Cocos2D first and decided to switch to Corona after the prototype because I realized I can do most stuff with it at half the time (or less) it would take me using Cocos2D. Also, it took me 3 months because I had to study LUA and wanted to make sure I got a good grasp of it before I release something. I have no intentions of starting a flamewar here--Cocos2D is solid and superb (my first 6 apps were all made using Cocos2D!) especially now that it has Windows Phone 7 support but there are just things that I wanted to do that Corona allowed me to implement faster and with such ease. Below are some of my experiences.

1. LUA scripting is so simple (yet advanced) that you can literally make your program do several things with one line of code. It's true that you can make a complete game in a day or two provided you don't do advanced stuff like online multiplayer, cloud synching, advanced UI, etc. If I'm not mistaken, I spent about 60-70% of my time designing/tweaking game mechanics and working on artworks rather than coding.

2. In the past, I had to create "regions" (rectangles) so that I can trap and handle touch events, Corona didn't require any "regions" at all--I simply had to add an "event listener" to my game objects. This alone speed things up for me. Just imagine not having to worry about coordinates and rects while coding your UI! In addition, you also don't have to worry about overlapping rectangles and game elements!

3. I wanted Streetfood Tycoon to have some kind of "UIKit" look and Corona allowed me to achieve that easily. I took advantage of listviews to simplify navigation and I don't think I would have pulled it off using any other library. Simulation games depend a lot on user interface which is why I spent an enormous amount of time simplifying my UI, navigation, menus, labels, instructions, etc.

4. I haven't drilled the details on this one but I noticed that my "Corona-powered" game required less power than my previous games. I can play Streetfood Tycoon for an hour and use up only 10-13% of battery life (iPhone 4 running iOS 5.0.1). I know its the "nature" of the game (having less action and animation) but I'm betting it has something to do with Corona and the way it handles threads and events too. Nevertheless, in a time where battery life has become priceless, I'm glad I was able to make my game go green!

5. From the start, I made sure that my game supported different types of screen resolutions so that I can release on Android as well. Yes, Corona supports Android too (and Kindle Fire + Nook)--you simply build your game for Android and that's it! I'm just waiting for their full implementation of in-app purchases on Android and I'm all set to release on that platform. Although I must mention that it will require a separate US$199 license if you want to release for Android or you can get Ansca's iOS and Android license bundle at $299 per year. Granted that other libraries are free but hey, if you're serious about iOS and Android game/app development, the $299 license per year is definitely worth it!

6. Most companies adopt the "try-before-you-buy" business model with their software products but only a few allowed people to "actually-finish-their-product-before-they-buy" a license and I'm one of those! There's nothing more "indie friendlier" than that! I have to hand it to you Ansca!

So that's it! As always, I still encourage you to download the trial version first and see if it fits your needs before jumping in and make the switch. At the end of the day, it will always depend on your project requirements.

The Pacman makes a cameo!

Will you be the next Tycoon?

Please watch out for Streetfood Tycoon! It's coming soon to an iOS device near you and will be totally FREE (and universal)! Well, it has in-app items but I guarantee that the game will NOT require you to purchase just so you can continue playing. I just need these so that I can at least earn something from all the hardwork. :)

Unveiling my new game

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 10:02:34 PST

The not-yet-final app icon

So its been 3 months since I last blogged. I've mostly spent my time doing game projects with friends and working on this cute little game that I've been meaning to work on eversince I got started with iOS. Yup, the same cute little game that turned out to be too complicated that I had to redo my prototype over and over until I got the mechanics right--or at least get myself to play it for hours (the previous prototypes were meh). This time though, I think I made the right decisions--not the ones that will (hopefully) grant me success but at least the ones that will ensure I get to finish this project no matter what. This time, I based my ideas on things that interest me--food, simulation, arcade and cartoons. I focused on 5 things (well, #5 is probably given, no matter what I create):

1. Mechanics that will appeal to a wider age bracket.
2. Something that borders between a "game" and a "toy".
3. Provide an awesome playing experience worth remembering and sharing.
4. Make something that I will enjoy playing.
5. Make something that my family and friends will be proud of.

And so, Streetfood Tycoon was born.

While I'm not sure if I achieved all five (since I'm probably biased), I think I'm close and I'm excited to find out if other players will feel the same. Streetfood Tycoon is fairly straightforward. Its a simulation game that lets you sell common streetfood--those that are usually sold on foodcarts found all over the globe. The object of the game is in the title itself--become a Tycoon by selling streetfood. You start out with French Fries (which I so love to bits) and Mini Corndogs. Customers flock to your foodcart to buy combinations of streetfood which you literally have to "serve" (this is the arcade part) in order to satisfy them. As you move along, you get to unlock more items and upgrades for your mini "venture". The "cartoon" part is how the game was presented--I was a cartoonist before I became a programmer so the artwork style is kind of "cartoonish". The game also involves a little bit of "finance" for semi-hardcore players. You get to see your net worth, your overall satisfaction rating and graphs of how you fare as an entrepreneur.

I guess I've said it all aside from the fact that this has been my most ambitious game to date in terms of content, gameplay and amount of time spent on polishing. Glad I used Corona SDK, which enabled me to prototype fast and focus on the game mechanics rather than the technical aspects of creating the app. It also allowed me to use UIKit-type interface w/out having to go through XCode! The game is about 80% complete and I hope to go on beta soon. If you're interested in helping me make the game better before it comes out, please join the beta team!

Here are some early screenshots of Streetfood Tycoon. I'm still figuring out how I can make an uber-cool trailer for the game so forgive me. :) Oh, and yes, I just love Marker Felt! :P

6 reasons why I'm staying even if the competition is tough

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:06:41 PDT

Image borrowed from MacLife.com.

Having released 3 paid and 4 free apps and being involved in the iOS community for almost 3 years now, its been a rough ride and what's worse is that competition gets tougher each day. The problem with the App Store is that a huge percentage of brilliant apps get ignored and pushed down the long list because hundreds of apps are submitted everyday. "App Exposure" is now becoming a prevalent problem for most developers which results to an even bigger problem for consumers--"App Discovery". Consumers only get to see what Apple features on iTunes and there are tons of apps that deserve the spotlight but aren't given a chance. Not to say that those featured aren't exceptional but there's just not enough space to feature all of the best apps in iTunes given the amount of submissions Apple receives. Based from the forums and countless developers I spoke to, I'm guessing that more than 50% of iPhone developers don't receive the recognition (and corresponding revenue) they deserve. If this is the current situation, why am I staying then? Read on.

1. First and foremost, my passion for developing games for the small screen somewhat surpasses every factor I can think of. However, passion is simply not enough to sustain me and like any other human being, I need to eat too which means I still need to sell copies of my games to survive.

2. I've been developing games for more than a decade and there's nothing more fulfilling for me than seeing people play my games. And there's no better way to spread happiness to over 80+ million iOS users (and growing!) than to make games for their devices! Now if only each of those users will download and install my apps...

3. I'm not an Apple fanboy (my Macbook has Windows too) but I truly believe that the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch is a remarkable device and will continue to be, even if Steve Jobs is out of the picture. From the first time it came out, I was totally amazed and was immediately convinced that I was going to develop for it.

4. Not out of pride or anything but the App Store presents an enormous "octagon" (UFC fan here!) for us small independent developers to compete head to head with huge players like EA, Gameloft, Zynga, Capcom, Atari and others more. Isn't it gratifying to outrank these guys in the top 100 charts? :)

5. Being an avid gamer for as long as I can remember, I have a couple more game ideas which I haven't seen on the iPhone yet. My initial plan involved a long term one--release a couple of games which I feel, has the potential of being a hit. I'm looking forward to implement and integrate these ideas in my upcoming games.

6. Like any new market or industry, there's so much to learn and I feel that I've barely scratched the surface especially that iOS5 is just around the corner and the next iPhone will be announced soon. The App Store, iTunes, the iOS market itself--there's still so much to uncover, to learn and to figure out--that if I quit now, I feel as if I'm taking with me a handful of unproven possibilities.

Of course, I'm not saying that I'll be staying true to the platform forever. After all, two of the keys to survival for any business is innovation and diversification. While its been a fun ride, I'm also keeping in mind that half the battle is knowing when to quit.

This article is part of iDevBlogADay, a group of independent iOS dev-related blogs showcasing a different topic each day. Check out the rest of the group here.

Cross-promote with us & other indie developers!

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 09:17:02 PDT

Bees and Farkle Addict--two awesome games for your iOS device!

So you've already tried press release sites, app news sites, eNewsletters, social media marketing and giving away prizes for your new app--what's next? Are you looking to promote your new app further? I recently had a chance to partner with two very nice independent developers (Sticky Wicket, makers of Bees and Bees HD and Robert Suh, maker of Farkle Addict: 10,000 Dice Casino Deluxe) and cross-promote my apps within their apps in exchange for a similar publicity on mine. The ad exchange proved to be advantageous and provided a substantial amount of daily downloads for my apps which is why I'm writing this blog post and invite more developers to join us in our network. I'm currently running my partners' ads on my network but I'm looking for more partnerships. If you're interested in having your app featured within my apps, drop me a note or respond to this post. I will also forward your inquiry to my partners (mentioned above) for additional publicity.

I currently have an install base of 500,000+ users and I can promote your app on the newstickers embedded within my apps as well as put you in my queue for house ads (via AdMob) if I have extra slots. In exchange, it'd be great if you can promote my apps within your channels. If you're wondering how my newsticker works, feel free to download my latest game--The Smartypants Test--on iTunes and see it live! Let's work together--indies unite! :)

What keeps you going at night?

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 07:28:30 PDT

Please disregard the milk bottle in the picture, that's my li'l one's.

When was the last time you had a brilliant idea in the middle of the night? I bet it shouldn't have crossed your mind if you didn't have a satisfied tummy, right? Don't get me wrong, I love pizza and fries (and other leftover dinner stuff) but let's face it, these are just too heavy for our tummies during this time of the day. Whenever I work really late, my brain seems to suck up all the nutrients in my body that I tend to get hungry all too easily. This is one of the reasons why I keep food beside me all the time and I call them "programmer food". Sweets keep me hyper but I noticed that its not enough to enable my brain to function 100%--talk about balanced junkfood diet. My usual favorites are chocolates, potato chips, cookies, sponge cakes and water (I'm avoiding soda and coffee now). Sometimes when I get lucky and my wife is still awake, she cooks noodles or prepares a good sandwich for me. So what keeps you going at night? :)

Are you ready for The Smartypants Test?

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 09:06:37 PDT

Be sure to take the exams on August 2!

Another app that I've been working on since last year is The Smartypants Test. I know it should've taken only 1 or 2 months to create but hey, I had so much fun being a new Dad and all. :) The Smartypants Test started as an experimental idea and ended up turning into a hilarious and tricky IQ quiz, thanks to family and friends. I love taking online IQ tests and this one is no different--just had to add some new twists to make it more interesting and appropriate for a mobile app. The Smartypants Test is the 4th installment for The Minis and will be released on August 2 for yes, you got it right--FREE!

Take the Final Exams on August 2! Grab The Smartypants Test app and show the world how SMART you are! Follow me on Twitter and be the first to know once the app is available in the App Store.

While you're waiting for The Smartypants Test, why not grab my other minigames as well? They're all FREE and you can grab them from here. Happy playing! :)

Streetfood, anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 08:00:03 PDT

A popular Filipino streetfood called "isaw" (grilled chicken intestines). Image borrowed from panlasangpinoy.com.

My new game project will involve food and I need your help/inputs guys! I'm creating a list of all the popular streetfood (from anywhere) around the globe, would you mind sharing the most popular (or your favorite) streetfood in your country? Particularly those that have worldwide appeal & can easily be recognizable? It would be great if you can describe them or point to a URL describing the streetfood. Below are some ideas on the top of my head but I would love to accommodate as many countries as I can.

Fishballs/Squidballs (Manila)

Banana Cue (Manila)

Pork Barbecue (Manila)

Hotdog on stick/buns (US)

Kikiam (China)

Once I have populated my list, I'll repost everything & ask everyone to vote. The highest votes will be included in the final game. Thank you in advance! :)

One project after another...

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 05:04:43 PDT

"Hmmm...how about we invade the App Store instead?"

Since I went full-time as an indie, my goal became simple--crank out one app after another, including updates, w/in this fiscal year (my 3rd year at Kuyi Mobile). I've lined up a combination of paid and free app projects which I'll be working on in the coming months (good times!). Some of which are really exciting while some will be a "breather" to lessen the stress. After the release of the all-new Card Drop and our flagship title at Pink Zombie Studios, Shuffle Frenzy, another "baby" of mine finally gets its well-deserved update--Alienz--now gold! Look for the "gold-bordered" apps in my catalogue to get the premium stuff and get the "white-bordered" ones if you want FREE games. Alienz has tons of new features--a totally revamped Armory Screen, two new bad-ass weapons (Homing Rockets and Attack Probes), new Alienz to deal with and more. While Alienz doesn't have full retina and iPad support yet, fans are definitely in for a treat. The game will set you back for US$1.99 (paid version) but a guaranteed lifetime worth of pure clean fun and entertainment. If you're the cautious one and got burned by some of the App Store's "misleading" apps, feel free to try the FREE version first.

As always, your comments, suggestions about Alienz are very much welcome. I'm looking to improve the game further with everyone's help. Happy playing guys! :)

The Story behind Pink Zombie Studios

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 22:58:06 PDT

Meet the Pink Zombie Coder!

Most people think I had the best job in the world. I mean--making games, playing games, being able to make people happy when they play my stuff. The truth is, like any other day job, I get burned out too. Its interesting for the most part but after a while, I look for other stuff to do. I play games because I'm fascinated with the people who make them and I make games because I'm fascinated with the people who play them. I've been in the game industry for 11 years now (nope, I'm not that old!) and I've been working independently eversince. Being able to make my own decisions, establish my own direction and decide on which projects to work on was a blast but sometimes, I miss having someone to work with. Someone who's ableto challenge my decisions and thinking, exchange ideas with and push me to my limits. I knew I needed a partner, or partners. The question now is who and where can I find one?

One morning I received an email from a colleague about doing a game project together. I've worked with this person in the past (though our project didn't push through) and I knew he was brilliant at what he does--very professional, awesome developer and a good person to exchange ideas with. I was crammed with 5 huge app updates that time and 2 other projects so I can hardly remember why I even accepted his offer. So I did. And after several email discussions, Pink Zombie Studios was born. And the brilliant person I was talking about was Fahim Farook from Rooksoft Ltd. Just recently, we invited Taylor Jasko (another awesome developer and a good friend) to join the Pink Zombie Studios team and he gladly accepted. We just released our flagship title for iOS 2 days ago called Shuffle Frenzy and while it was just a simple game, it was a huge start for all of us and what mattered was the team effort, the partnership and friendship we formed along the way. Please check out Shuffle Frenzy when you get a chance--its FREE on the App Store!

Shuffle Frenzy--FREE on the App Store!

So why did I write about this? Fast forward 11 years and I'm still glad to be an indie. The community has grown bigger and if you're looking for interesting people to work with or simply exchange ideas with, the indie community is where you want to go. Doing projects on your own sure is fantastic but believe me, working with someone as great as you are is twice as rewarding. Plus, you have someone you can celebrate your success with, right? :)

The long awaited update!

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 16:26:03 PDT

An all-new version of Card Drop!

After about half a year of development, the long awaited update for Card Drop is now available in the App Store! I was beginning to think I'd never finish it--having a baby around the house sure is a blast but its also a total productivity killer! The new version of Card Drop is actually done from scratch. I came to a point where I got bored at how it looked like and had so many ideas I wanted to include so I revamped the old version and designed a new one. I managed to include support for retina display, Game Center, OpenFeint and even made it a universal build! To those who took the time to send me an email and asked for an iPad version, I hope you like what I've done so far. You'll be surprised how nice it is to play on the big screen.

If you haven't tried Card Drop yet and you're a huge fan of card games, I suggest you give it a try! You can grab the FULL version here for US$1.99 or try the FREE version if you're hesitant. Happy playing!

Spruce up that App Store product page!

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:30:27 PDT

Image borrowed from Apple

So you've now solved your app visibility problem, now what? It's time to sell a copy!

I used to think that the App Store product page was merely a page where I can describe my app, upload screenshots, collect user reviews and hope for sales. I've learned over the years that like website design, there are various strategies I can incorporate in my App Store page to increase the percentage of selling my product.

Card Drop Free! in white border and Card Drop in gold border

Start with your App icon.

The app icon is the first thing a customer sees as he/she scrolls down through the endless sea of apps in the App Store. This means that your icon has to be catchy and it clearly conveys what your app is all about. Utilize graphical symbols (if possible) to describe your app visually and avoid using text within your icons. Its also great to take advantage of the new retina devices, which allows us to show more details in such a small screen. I used to include the word "Lite!" within my app icons to indicate that its a trial version but it sort of obstructs the icon graphic so I decided to use icon borders--a white border for the FREE version and a gold border for the FULL version.

The new Card Drop--coming soon to an iOS device near you!

Screenshots to the next level.

Grabbing screenshots was as straightforward as running your app, taking a screengrab and uploading it to your App Store page, right? But did you know that you can do more? Apple now allows customized screenshots where you can show multiple screengrabs in one image, display balloons that describe specialfeatures and even add fancy graphics to attract users. Check out what I did with my screenshots for one of my games (shown above). This style seems to attract more downloads.

Let customers experience your app, using words.

The traditional way would be pitching your app as if you're selling a product and listing down every cool feature your product has in outline form. How about describing your app in such a way where readers can sort of imagine and experience it? Don't just describe what happens within your app, take the extra effort to describe what "could" happen (or how it feels like) when someone uses it. "Web Copy That Sells by Maria Veloso" is a great book that I use as reference whenever I write my app descriptions. If writing is not your forte or something you're not interested in, its always a good plan to hire someone to do it for you--I'm pretty sure it will make a huge difference when it comes to results.

Keywords, take advantage of it.

Believe it or not, there's such a thing as App Store SEO (search engine optimization) now. Maximize your keywords and use them wisely. Save on keywords by using some in your app's title. For example, one of my app's name is "Jump Rope"--since the title is somewhat considered as a keyword too, I can omit the words "Jump Rope", "Jump" and "Rope" from my keywords list and use different words instead, thus expanding my reach. Also, note that you can only edit your keywords once for every app update so think carefully before you submit your app.

I've just recently put into practice the things I mentioned above and it has increased my downloads substantially. Of course, nothing beats a really good app, word of mouth and getting featured by Apple but yes, we can always do something on our end to get to where we want to. Feel free to share your App Store experiences and add to the list above!

P.S. I also just realized that this will be my last iDevBlogADay post for this run so I'll be passing on my slot to a new developer in the next 2 weeks! If you've followed my articles up to this point, a huge THANK YOU! I encourage you to follow the entire group as well--I've learned a lot about indie stuff by reading everyone else's post and experiences there.

This article is part of iDevBlogADay, a group of independent iPhone dev-related blogs showcasing a different topic each day. Check out the rest of the group here.

Reviving my paid apps

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 18:36:28 PDT

SOW, Card Drop and Alienz

I've already taken the FREE route and proven to myself that FREE can generate revenues but still, nothing beats getting a paid app on the top charts for that is where the goldmine is. I've come to a point where its not just about revenue anymore but the prestige and recognition and the fact that you can claim to everyone that "I've been there". My highest rank was only #3 in the US Card Games category so I've yet to beat my own record. I've spent months updating my 3 paid apps--SOW, Card Drop and Alienz--not only because I love these apps but because the players who have supported me all these years deserve to have more fun. Fans of SOW, Card Drop and Alienz are in for an awesome surprise!

The old and new Card Drop--hope you like the new look!

Card Drop version 2.0.0 has been a huge learning experience for me. Card Drop will now be universal when it comes out, it will support retina and will have Game Center Scoreboards and Achievements. I've also overhauled the game (from scratch) and gave it a new look--UI, theme, cards and new features. There will also be tons of new content to unlock. So far, my top requests for this update are: (1) bigger pause button; and (2) adjust UI to support left-handed players. Your wishes are my command! :)

Alienz version 2.0.0 is also a huge leap from the previous version with new weapons (homing rockets, anyone?), new Alienz, Game Center integration and several UI revisions. The upcoming release doesn't support retina yet but I'm working hard on it with a good friend.

SOW version 2.0.0 is much more solid (the current version seems to crash on iOS 3.x and 4.x), has tons of new content and new gimmicks. No retina and native iPad support yet but I'm also working on it. I just wanted to get these updates out so players can enjoy the new features on the latest iOS devices.

I've also added some small cosmetic changes and cross-promotional features w/in each app for added marketing boost. I've yet to find out if these ideas will work but its definitely worth a try.

1. I decided to drop the "Lite" text from the app icons and stick with graphics.

2. To deviate the paid from the lite versions, I placed a gold border on the paid app icons while the lite versions have white borders.

3. I'm also calling them "Free" instead of "Lite" which seems to yield better results.

4. Each of the paid apps will have the standard Kuyi Mobile newsticker where I can "push" exclusive updates to Kuyi Mobile players and let them know what we're up to.

5. Integrated Game Center and OpenFeint for additional visibility. Everyone's asking for Game Center nowadays! :)

Hopefully, these new features will increase my downloads further and get these apps up the charts. I know I'm probably dreaming too much but I'll never know unless I give it a shot, right? I hope everyone will enjoy these updates when they come out as much as I've enjoyed creating them! Fun times ahead!

Submit your app on a Monday and release it on a Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Tue, 24 May 2011 07:39:12 PDT

This blog post was actually inspired by Mark Di Vincenzo's book entitled "Buy Ketchup in May & Fly at Noon" where he answers some of our most common and everyday questions using various experiences and with a sense of practicality. Believe it or not, these questions have been boggling developers for years as we try to find a formula for success in the App Store. I'm not claiming that my answers are 100% correct but I've based it from my experiences and I hope that it can aid you in your business approach and strategies.

What is the best day of the week to release an app?

In my experience, its usually 1 or 2 days before Apple rotates all its featured apps in the App Store, which falls around Thursday on my end (+8 EST) or Wednesday in the US. That is, if you want to up your chances of getting featured. Releasing an app a day after Apple rotates its featured items will most likely lessen your chance. I've had my apps featured this way, including app updates.

What is the best day of the week to submit an app?

Any day is actually fine but you're better off submitting on a Monday or even a Sunday afternoon/night. This allows you to avoid weekend delays (they don't review submissions on weekends) and the key is to be at the start of the queue when Apple employees go back to work on Mondays and begin their long week.

What is the best time of the year to release?

In my experience, the Christmas Season (late November to December) is always the best time of the year to release a product. I believe this is also the same not just for iTunes but on other App Stores as well. I've read news on certain apps receiving double or triple their usual sales during this season. Time your release one or two weeks before December to be safe. Time your promotions and gimmicks during the Holiday season when you're more likely to receive positive results. Also, note that Apple freezes its featured items on the App Store usually a week before Christmas day.

What is the most attractive price for your app?

Pricing an app has always been a tough decision. Do you base it off on how long it took you to finish the app? Do you base it off your total cost for the entire project? There are just too many factors to consider. I tried to simplify my approach by observing the top paid apps for the past 2 years. Believe it or not, the average price is actually lower than what you're thinking. I usually price my apps at US$1.99 and aim for bulk purchases (that's how most of us survive in the App Store by the way). A US$1.99 price gives me room to offer discounts while still borders around the "impulsive" and "attractive" price range.

When you do you stop releasing updates for your app?

To be honest, you don't. Let's face it, someone will always come to you and suggest new things even if your app is 2 or 3 years old. I've always believed that developing apps nowadays is more of a service-oriented job rather than just being product-oriented. If there's one thing Apple taught me--its not about making a high quality product but providing an engaging quality experience. It's the experience that matters and the only way you can provide that is by continuously improving on your products and adapting to change.

When is the best time to announce an upcoming product?

In my opinion, you can start creating buzz about your new app when you're around 70-90% complete. This gives you several advantages: (1) In case you have a unique and brilliant app idea, it is almost impossible for someone to copy your idea and create a product out of it overnight, which means you'll always beat them to it; (2) Announcing at this stage gives you a chance to gather early feedback as well as tweak the final product prior to release; and (3) This allows you to create marketing hype about your product, especially if you already have a small fan base to begin with.

Note that these answers are all based from my experiences and by no means 100% accurate. If you would like to add anything or have other questions in mind, please feel free to post them here so we can all discuss and share ideas!

This article is part of iDevBlogADay, a group of independent iPhone dev-related blogs showcasing a different topic each day. Check out the rest of the group here.

Switching to Corona SDK

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Tue, 10 May 2011 08:31:18 PDT

My test game running on an iPod Touch and a Galaxy Tab

Why switch? After 2 years of going iOS-only (and using Cocos2D), part of my plans this year is to diversify to other platforms the easiest and fastest way possible. The only way I can do that is by using a cross-platform framework that will allow me to create games rapidly and build for several platforms in just a few clicks. I've tried a couple of different frameworks but ended up with Corona SDK for its:

1. Ease of use (LUA scripting) - for those who prefer a light-weight programming language which lets you focus on designing your app rather than coding.

2. No need for complicated development environments - just download an advanced notepad application like TextWrangler, run it side by side with the Corona Simulator and you're good to go.

3. Fast simulator - even on a Macbook Air!

4. Reasonable fee - US$99 annually for independent developers

5. Indie developer friendly - unlimited trial; snappy answer to tweet queries.

6. Small (and growing) but helpful community

To fully evaluate Corona, I made a short list of the things required in order to make a simple game and tried to implement them one at a time until I come up with a playable game.

1. Draw/Move sprites on screen

2. Draw shapes

3. Use custom fonts

4. Play Sound effects/Music

5. Implement touch/drag events

6. Implement timers

7. Multi-resolution support

8. Save to files

9. OpenFeint/Game Center integration

10. AdMob integration

11. Creating universal builds

Not only was I able to finish my simple project in 3 days (being a new Dad, I only average around 2-3 hours of work per day) but I was also able to implement most of what I've listed above. The only thing I wasn't able to accomplish was AdMob integration. I found a couple of workarounds for this on the web, but most of them claimed that ads do not appear 100% of the time. The good news is, I've heard that Ansca Mobile (the people behind Corona) will soon add AdMob support in the next version. And what I loved about Corona is that I was able to create an iPod, iPhone (retina display), iPad and Android build of my game in just a few clicks! Corona maybe limited compared to more advanced frameworks like Cocos2D or Unity but I take that as a positive point because this way, my creativity and ingenuity in making games will actually be challenged given Corona's limitations and simplicity. One other thing to note is the lack of reference on the web for Corona developers, as opposed to other popular frameworks. Searching Amazon for books showed no results as well, but there's one on the way--I'm anxiously waiting for Karnak Games' First Corona SDK book!

I highly suggest you give Corona SDK a try if you're looking for a new and easy framework to begin with!

This article is part of iDevBlogADay, a group of independent iPhone dev-related blogs showcasing a different topic each day. Check out the rest of the group here.

Infographic: 2 years of Kuyi Mobile--awesomeness, milestones, lessons & numbers!

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 06:59:04 PDT

Click the image to view actual size

The numbers are not stellar but from where I live (Manila, Philippines), that kind of revenue stream allows me to live a comfortable life with my wife and daughter (US$1 = Php42). There's also a possibility that my revenues can become exponential as I release more titles (the more the merrier indeed!). And the best part? I enjoy every minute of it--making games, making people happy and getting something out of it in return. Couldn't be more thankful!

Note that Kuyi Mobile is a one-man team and I get help from friends and family members occasionally. Questions? Feel free to post on the comments below.

"Find the job you love and you'll never have to work a single day in your life."

P.S. This is my longest blog post ever! Huge thanks if you got to this point! :P

This article is part of iDevBlogADay, a group of independent iPhone dev-related blogs showcasing a different topic each day. Check out the rest of the group here.

The search for the perfect babysitter

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:27:19 PDT

Our first one was young, happy and adventurous, yet surprisingly knows how to take care and put an infant to sleep. However, with youthfulness comes hardheadedness and impulsiveness. Plus the fact that she can't get over her zit problems and kept on popping them (yuck!) made us worry. She lasted for 7 months and has been there with us since our li'l one came around.

For our second one, we chose what we thought would be the more "professional" route--through a manpower agency. True, she showed signs of professionalism, promptness and initiative but behind those great qualities comes an irritating thirst for money. Every hour is recorded. After office hours, she went to sleep or watched TV. After all, money is the reason why she's working, right? She lasted a month.

The third one was from the province. Too simple, brute and showed signs of poverty through her wrinkled face. After the first few days, we started noticing her other side--cheating on her duties, addiction to cellphone and her dark and twisted desire to make plans behind our backs. Oh, and Eunice abhors her. She lasted a month before we axed her.

People come and go as they say, and babysitters, like everything else in this world are not constant. What's important is what we learn from these people--no matter how bad or good they are.

Lessons learned:

- Like any contractual employee, give your babysitters at least a month and get to know them.

- They (will always) work for money.

- Identify your preference from the start and look for those qualities. Be strict.

- Never judge.

- Set rules.

- Set schedules.

- Never give your trust right away.

- Don't expect too much.

- If you want your baby to get the best care in the world, take care of her yourself.

And so we move forward to season 4. As our li'l one grows older and as we learn from these experiences, our criterias become simpler yet concrete. I know for a fact that there's no such thing as a perfect babysitter. After all, our babysitting requirements vary depending on how we want to raise our li'l ones, right? What I'm praying for is now plain and simple--honest, patient, passionate, has initiative and most importantly, Eunice should like her back. Please, let the next one, be the ONE.

I deeply apologize for the delays in my app updates. I know you've been waiting for the long-awaited update for SOW, the new version of Card Drop and the all-new supersized Alienz--good things come to those who wait. And that goes for me as well.

Know your customers: 6 types of mobile gamers!

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 08:13:50 PDT

Gone are the days when we used to classify players by the game genre they played. The iOS revolution gave birth to a new breed of players--players with unique taste, players with high expectations, players who demand value for money, players who stick to brands, players who want to play with other players, and more. Sometimes, we are so focused and involved in programming, designing and marketing our products that we neglect to put ourselves in our consumer's shoes. Below are some of the new iOS gamers I've identified and catered to based from experience.

The Cheapskate

These type of customers have been around since iTunes started selling apps, yet haven't purchased anything at all. They make a list of all the good games that come out every single day and carefully monitor them via AppShopper or patiently wait 'til its available on Freegameoftheday.com.

Strategy: upsell items within your free app or take advantage of mobile ads.

The #1 Fan

These are the kind of customers who have been with you all the way. Seriously. They buy every title you launch (no matter how good or bad it is) and give you 5-star reviews for every update you make. They're actually willing to buy extra copies of your apps just to support you or gift them to friends and family. Take good care of these customers for they will spread the word about your latest creations.

Strategy: release new apps or updates every now and then and take advantage of cross-promotional features.

The Update Freak

These customers purchase an app based on the number of times it has been updated by the developer. Version 1.0.0 turns them off. You can easily win their hearts if you constantly push updates for your app. While these players provide you valuable feedback to further improve your game, they are also the ones who demand more features. Satisfy them well and they will become your number 1 fans.

Strategy: regular app updates.

The Achievement Addict

These customers are hardcore gamers. They play every Game Center (or OpenFeint, or Scoreloop) enabled game they purchase to death, until they get the last achievement, before moving on to a new game. A breed of these players can sometimes multitask between several games racking up achievement after achievement points. The advantage with these players is that they're usually the ones who provide hard-to-find bug reports and they make awesome beta testers.

Strategy: add Game Center support and take advantage of social networking platforms.

The Freemium Player

Touch Pets, Smurf's Village, We Rule, We Farm, Mafia Wars, We City, Godfinger--you name it, they've played it. These players are easily attracted by the word "free" and have actually spent more money on freemium items than paid apps. What's worse is that they hardly even notice it.

Strategy: upsell "consumable" items that add tremendous value to your app.

The Jailbreaker

Though most of the time associated with piracy, these customers actually just want more freedom--full home screen customization, advanced messaging apps, and the likes. Believe it or not, as of last year's data, 8% of the total iPhone users have jailbroken their device. That's 8% of over 50 million iPhone users plus 35 million iPod Touch users, do the math.

Strategy: cross-promote your apps within your other apps for maximum visibility; take advantage of mobile ads.

If you can cater to every single type of customer out there, then you've got yourself a goldmine. Just something to think about. Suggestions, inputs and opinions are welcome!

P.S. Please forgive the blurred cartoons. I don't have a scanner so I had to use a camera phone and capture the illustrations from my notebook. :)

This article is part of iDevBlogADay, a group of independent iPhone dev-related blogs showcasing a different topic each day. Check out the rest of the group here.

My BlackBerry OS6 experience

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 18:17:37 PDT

Photo borrowed from All Things Mobile

Having used so many different mobile devices for the past decade, the BlackBerry is now officially the second OS that I've used for a long time. The first was Windows Mobile, which I've used for almost 3 years before switching to another. Recently, I was given a new BlackBerry Bold 9780 for my consultancy work and being my third BlackBerry device, I figured its about time I share my experiencess. The Bold 9780 sports the new BB OS6, which doesn't differ much from OS5 but there are a few key features worth noting.

Better App Installation

Irritated everytime you need to restart your device after installing or updating an application on your BlackBerry? Good bye to that. BB OS6 handles app installation much better and it doesn't require you to reboot your device anymore, unless its a major update. This one's huge considering that most BlackBerries take like 5 minutes or more to reboot.

Social Feeds

While most people prefer their privacy, I can say I'm one of those who embraced social media not just because I need it for my online business but because the benefits outnumber the disadvantages for me. I love being notified when someone sends me a message in Facebook and I enjoy sharing my daily thoughts on Twitter. Social feeds consolidates all my social media content and packs them into one app for me to peruse. What I like more is the fact that Social Feeds handle my RSS content seamlessly.

Snappy UI

Loading, quitting and switching between apps is a breeze. I came from a Pearl 3G which has a slower processor but still, the difference is immensely noticeable. Aside from the snappy performance, I've also never experienced any crashing especially when switching between apps. Also worth mentioning are BB OS6's UI special effects--quitting an app shows a vanishing transition, the application tray menu can now slide up/down and my favorite--the OS now tracks which apps are used the most and groups it into a "Favorites" shortcut menu.

Simplified Setup

Apart from making the device setup user-friendlier by adding icons, descriptions and navigation guides, I noticed that the number of steps to accomplish a specific task was also reduced. I was able to setup my email in just two steps, switched my BIS to the new PIN and got my 9780 up and running in less than 2 minutes.

Tabbed Browsing

And I thought tabbed browsing would never work on a non-touchscreen device? I was wrong. The websites actually load fast as I switch from one tab to another. I had no problems loading resource intensive websites as well. I don't have any benchmark data but I can clearly see that the new browser is faster than the one in OS5.

There you go! Upgrading from BB OS5 to OS6 isn't much of a difference but it prepares your device for more features when BlackBerry releases OS6.1--which has mobile hotspot! I can't wait!

Pixelmator vs Photoshop

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 08:20:21 PDT

Icons borrowed from Pixelmator and Adobe Photoshop

For us indies, saving money is a huge factor for long term success. That's why open source stuff and cheap software (if not FREE) are always enticing. I recently made the switch to Pixelmator after being a Photoshop user for several years. The main reason? The steep license cost to upgrade to the newest version isn't justifiable anymore given my average revenues (plus I have a family to feed). Pixelmator is actually easy to use if you're used to Photoshop because most of the features, implementations and techniques are similar. If you're looking for a graphics package and can't afford a steep price like me, Pixelmator is an awesome alternative. Here are some key points where the two software packages differ.

Speed and performance

Hands down, Photoshop has way more features than Pixelmator--from cloning parts of an image to splicing, to lens flares, to layer effects. However, this vast set of features become a burden as you edit large images because it slows down the application. A 1024x768 image file on my Macbook Air for example, usually loads about 3-4 seconds in Photoshop while it loads instantly in Pixelmator. This simple difference can go a long way especially if you're working with multiple images. Pixelmator also hasn't crashed on my end so far and yes, I do my graphics on an 11" Macbook Air with 2GB RAM. :)

Workarounds

Photoshop will let you convert an image to grayscale in just one click while Pixelmator won't. You will need to perform several steps to convert your image to grayscale. This is one disadvantage of Pixelmator--while you can achieve advanced tasks, it will take longer and a little more understanding (and creativity!) of how digital image editing works before you can accomplish them. On the plus side, it'll only take a few seconds to create workarounds in Pixelmator and there are tons of tutorials on the net to help you get through your simple problems.

Ease of use

This one is a matter of preference but in my opinion, Photoshop's UI (menus, toolbars, panes, etc.) is rather intimidating compared to Pixelmator's. The toolbar icons for example, are much more colorful and user-friendlier which especially appeals to new users. Even Pixelmator's saving/loading progress bars are helpful when you're dealing with large images (while Photoshop just shows a rotating hourglass). If these small things matter to you, then we're on the same boat. What I wish they'd consider in a future version is the inclusion of a "mother window" to house all the child windows (similar to the windows version of Photoshop) instead of the windows just floating around the screen and you can see right through your desktop wallpaper.

Text manipulation

My huge complain with Pixelmator, and where Photoshop outperforms it mostly, is text manipulation. Pixelmator's text tool works as if you're using WordArt from Microsoft Office 95 which is kind of "jurassic" compared to Photoshop's. In Pixelmator, there are no adjustments for letter spacing, line spacing and changing the fontsize to a custom number is awkward. I hope they fix these in a future version.

Gradients

If you're fond of using gradient fills, Pixelmator's implementation is quite confusing. Choosing a gradient direction is weird as well as picking colors for your gradient tool. Or maybe I just don't understand how their dialog box works? My only complain is, why don't they just make it work like Photoshop's--simple and straightforward? I'm heavy on using gradients which is why I'm pointing this out.

License fees

Pixelmator will set you back for US$59.99 (I got it for only US$29.99 when it was on sale!) while Photoshop costs US$699.00 (full version). I suggest you give both software packages a try before making a decision. The US$639.01 you'll save might make a huge difference for your business. True, there are some features I miss from Photoshop but so far, Pixelmator suits my requirements just fine. I'm heavy on illustration, image editing and I use Pixelmator almost everyday for all my game artworks.

I hope to review and compare vector drawing applications next time! :)

This article is part of iDevBlogADay, a group of independent iPhone dev-related blogs showcasing a different topic each day. Check out the rest of the group here.

Buying a new mobile phone?

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 08:15:44 PDT

My HTC Legend, running on Android 2.1 OS

Have you ever gotten tired of your mobile phone and felt like you wanted a new one even if its still the most expensive and latest in its generation? I honestly can't remember how many mobile phones I've owned in the past several years. My main reason for keeping some of them is that I sometimes get tired of my current handset. Having several back-up devices allows me to rotate through different phones before I even get that feeling of "tiredness".

I've been using a BlackBerry for more than 2 years now and while I love the device, I suddenly felt tired of using it just last week. I saw some of my friends using Android phones and tinkering with their devices made me realize a couple of things. I miss the touchscreen. I miss the big, bright and vibrant portrait screen. I miss hardcore mobile games. I am missing a lot of apps that weren't available for my BlackBerry. I wanted to be Androidified! Good thing I still kept my HTC Legend, which I bought about a year ago mainly for testing games. When I got home that night, I pulled out my Legend, quickly upgraded it to Android 2.1 and synched everything to it--contacts, calendars, notes, social networking accounts, apps, etc. I even spent several hours scouring the Android Market for cool FREE apps (I'm not allowed to purchase paid apps from my region yet). I decided to use the Legend for a week just to experience how Android works and why a lot of people are using it. Sadly, the original "one-week-of-using-an-Android" plan turned into a single day. Why? I'm not saying I hate the platform, I just felt it wasn't for me. While I love its mobile hotspot feature, it drained my battery fast. While I love hearing the clickitty sound whenever I tap the touchscreen, I felt it was too sluggish. While I adore the solid form factor, I felt it was too clunky. While I enjoy using the onscreen keyboard, my typing became slower. While I love the numerous apps that the BlackBerry didn't have, most of them crashed and required me to reboot often. I should've given it another day, if only the battery lasted more and didn't die down on me after using it for only 16 hours, if only the signal didn't drop to one bar most of the day (okay, I know I can blame Globe for this) and if only most of the apps I use frequently didn't crash (Foursquare, Twitter, Paypal, etc.). At the end of the day I decided to go back. So maybe its not the phone nor the platform, its just me?

I'm not a BlackBerry fanboy and I'm not saying its better than Android. The BlackBerry OS has its own share of shortcomings. What I learned is that there's a mobile phone out there for each one of us. Buying a new phone? Before you drool as to how cool and sleek that mobile phone is, figure out first what you really need. Do you do a lot of texting? Calling? Emailing? Surfing? Jotting notes? Gaming? Do you want a small form factor? Hardware keys or onscreen keyboard? Prefer long battery life over speed? Do you have a fixed budget? Prefer a specific brand? Love Tiny Wings? Your choice. And yes, keeping your previous device, if you can afford it, will always come handy.

Serenitea. 'Nuff said.

noreply@blogger.com (egarayblas) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 05:06:35 PDT

Banners borrowed from Serenitea's Facebook page.

Once in a while, we encounter something so special in our lives, no matter how small a deal it is, that inspires us to do things we never thought we'd do…like, blog about it. I haven't blogged about food for quite sometime because I was literally domesticated for the past year (since I became a Dad) and just recently, Serenitea paved the way for me to start being a "foodie" again.

Check out their Yakult based concoctions!

Just a few weeks ago, I was introduced to a new Tea Bar by some good friends (thanks @jobm, @bogster, @jorweeck, @talkintech, @blinggerz, @simplytiny, @gan, @imeldaism, @skittytan) called Serenitea and I must admit that I'm hooked eversince! There's something special about their tea that makes me keep on coming back. They have a wide array of tea selection which means there's always something that will suit your taste or mood. You can basically choose from the kind of milk (or non-milk) tea flavor you want, to the amount of sweetness you can tolerate and the type of sinker you prefer in your refreshment. Sinkers can come in special pearls (what we call "sago" in Tagalog), jellies, black bricks, pudding, and more. My personal favorite is Honey Aloe--a light refreshing cold tea mixed with aloe-flavored jellies (the jellies are like soft candies!) but what I crave the most is their finger food. I especially love their hashbrowns (huge potato lover here) and chicken chops. The place is quaint, well lit, perfect for web surfing (yes, there's FREE WiFi too!) or reading a book and their prices are reasonable. At night though, the place gets flocked by a lot of customers where parking becomes a huge problem (they're that popular now). So far, I've only visited two of their branches--San Juan and Banawe--but I heard there's also one in Paranaque and they're opening a new one in Eastwood. If you love tea, or you're looking for a place to hang out with your friends and family, or simply want some "me" time, I encourage you to try Serenitea.

Yummy home-made hashbrowns! A must try!