BIT-101 [2003-2017]

1. I released a free game on the iTunes app store called “Falling Balls”.
2. It somehow, inexplicably, rose to #1.
3. I realized I could put ads in a game. So I added a few features and put in some ads.
4. I made some money from ads.
5. People overwhelmingly hated it and said they were deleting it and wouldn’t play it and called me a sellout.

I feel kind of crappy about the whole situation. On one hand, it’s cool to have a popular game. On the other hand, it’s cool to make a few bucks from it. Should these be mutually exclusive? But I guess I shouldn’t take it personally. Obviously, the overriding issue is that the ads seem to distract from the game itself.

So I’ve just uploaded what I think is a decent compromise. The ads show up when you load the game, when you die and when you pause. Otherwise, you just have the game. Makes sense anyway. When you are playing the game, you aren’t going to be paying attention to the ad anyway. The update will take a few days to be approved, so hopefully the mobs won’t be storming my house with torches and nooses between now and then.

So much to learn. And it’s not just Objective-C. 🙂