With Apple getting dangerously close to eclipsing 1 billion apps downloaded around the globe, the company has posted an elite roster of bestselling, All-Time Top Paid Apps in the iTunes App Store. A tremendous accomplishment that should make every developer included in this short list of 20 apps extremely proud. Their work is quickly becoming enshrined as an inspiring chapter in Apple's mobile gaming history.
Three iPhone Savior favorites making into Apple's app Hall of Fame are "iShoot" created by ultra game master Ethan Nicholas, "Pocket God" launched by the dynamic duo of Dave Castelnuovo and Allen Dye at Bolt Creative and of course "iFart Mobile" developed by New York Times best-selling author Joel Comm. These three original concepts grabbed headlines as we all watched their rise from obscurity, cashing in big on the fantastical iPhone gold rush. A gold rush that's still less than one year old and showing no obvious signs of a slowdown
“I’m going to milk the gold rush as long as I can,” Mr. Nicholas said. “It’d be foolish not to.” Source: The New York Times
While it's not too surprising to see time tested favorites like "Tetris", "Super Monkey Ball" and "Crash Bandicoot" named among the all-time top paid apps, it's awe inspiring to witness the opportunity that any one developer can have once exposed to over 15 million iPhone and iPod touch users. The ability to download any app on a whim has been proved by Apple to be an instant game changer for the mobile market. Triggering knee jerk reactions by Google, RIM and Microsoft who are all collectively playing follow-the-leader in order to remain relevant while trying to cash in on this cultural phenomenon.
In a February report issued by marketing research company ComScore, profiling iTunes App Store users, 35% showed a household income of more than $100,000 per year. While over half (54%) of app users come from households making at least $75,000 annually. Stats that offer only a small glimpse into the profitable upside for developers creating mobile games for iPhone. Of the Top 20 of all-time paid apps, thirteen (65%) are listed in the games category which has dominated App Store downloads as Apple rapidly approaches 1 billion served.
While it's becoming increasingly more challenging for new games to get noticed amongst some 15,000 plus apps competing for mind share in the iTunes App Store, addictive games like iShoot and community driven apps like Pocket God confirm that great design and a quality gaming experience still matter most.
Ethan Nicholas said it best when we spoke to him back on January 13, at the start of his epic journey into printing money from his iPhone success;
"I put zero marketing dollars into iShoot and had no blog coverage. I just created a game I actually wanted to play.” Etan told iPhone Savior.
iShoot lingered for 26 days at the number one spot in the App Store, earning Ethan over $800,000 dollars in five months. Yep, there's an app for just about anything. Even printing money by pound.
[Apple's All-Time Top Apps] [Countdown to 1 Billion Contest]
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