Magnate Interactive

Rebecca Regnier of 13abc interviewed Magnate Interactive founder Matt Braun about our best-selling iPhone and iPad game, MASH. View the video here.

Full text for the story available on 13abc.com - Local man invents popular iPad app

Exactly one week ago, Magnate Interactive’s first iPhone app, MASH, was selected by Apple as an App Store Essential. The effect that it had on daily sales numbers is what gave it away. At first I thought it might be a reporting error, but after further investigation, discovering how far up the ranking charts MASH had climbed, and noticing the newest App Store Essentials list (Apps for Girls [iTunes]), I allowed myself to believe the numbers - approximately septuple the usual figures.

MASH [iTunes link] is listed in the App Store under Kids games and Word games, and typically hovers in the top 25 in both categories. After iTunes customers began noticing the new Essentials list on November 10th, MASH jumped into the top 10 in those categories, and then the top 5, and is currently at number 2 in both Kids and Word games (at one point on Friday the 13th it managed to hit number 1 in Kids).

Visibility in the App Store is critical to seeing big sales numbers (it takes sales to make sales), and on November 12th MASH had made it into the Top 100. The App Store Top 100 is arguably one of the most visible areas of the store (hundreds of sites outside of iTunes leverage the Top 100 RSS feed and drive traffic into the App Store). Many iPhone and iPod touch owners aren’t aware of sites like Touch Arcade, the Macworld App Guide, Slide to Play, or The App Shelf, and use the Top 100 as buying recommendations.

As of this writing, MASH is a Top 50 Paid Application and a Top 25 Game in the App Store. While I’m staying realistic about the sales numbers long term, I must say it’s been a pretty thrilling experience so far. I hope more people are able to play Magnate Interactive games like MASH, our fast-paced arcade title, Liberty Boom, and the others we have in the pipeline, and that we’re able to keep making apps that people enjoy.

Please read more about MASH here.

Independent developers of third-party iPhone applications are growing discouraged trying to make their mark in Apple's App Store, which launched just a little over a year ago with approximately 500 apps, and now contains more than 50,000. The App Store, which achieved its one billionth download in April 2009, is the only (sanctioned) sales outlet for iPhone and iPod touch applications. Despite several early success stories, third party developers are now finding it difficult to find any exposure or recognition.

Until recently, independent developers have been forced to rely upon word-of-mouth and carefully placed Internet ads to publicize their applications, only finding recognition in the App Store if their sales reached unrealistically high numbers, especially when competing against top name video game publishers such as Electronic Arts.  One independent developer, Joao Prodo Maia, had this to say about his application, “I'm having a difficult time getting the word out about Knee Cap.  I'm sending in promo codes to magazines [and] bloggers, but... it's very hard being an unknown developer fighting for attention against all of the big names.” Now, developers like Maia are finding some exposure thanks to a third-party website, TheAppShelf.com.

TheAppShelf.com provides long-term, virtual shelf space for iPhone apps outside of Apple's App Store. The site offers third-party developers a place to gain exposure for their applications and provides a place for consumers to find some of the best and most overlooked apps available on the App Store. The desktop version of the site features a prominent "weekly shelf" carousel, similar to the carousels found in iTunes that Apple uses to feature apps. Each week a new batch of applications is listed (submitted by independent developers for a nominal fee), pushing the previous week's apps to a new panel on the shelf. We keep apps on the shelf, a week at a time, for four weeks - developers pay to list for one week of prominent placement and get three weeks of slightly less prominent placement for free.

As an independent iPhone developer, I (Matt Braun) helped to organize and build TheAppShelf.com because I believe individual and small-team indie developers need a way to stand out amidst the growing sea of iPhone applications. Hand-in-hand, consumers need a way to locate and have recommended to them the true hidden gems and quality apps in the App Store that they might not otherwise find.

Please visit TheAppShelf.com or, if you're using an iPhone or iPod touch, try out the mobile version of the site: TheAppShelf.com Mobile Permalink

A “hyperwall” installation at the 2009 Apple Worldwide Develop Conference (WWDC) in San Francisco–made up of 20 synchronized 30-inch Apple Cinema displays–showcases the activity of 20,000 popular apps in the iTunes App Store. Every time a customer downloads an app, its icon lights up and creates a stunning ripple effect.

Emphasis has been added to the above photo which displays the icon of our first iPhone game, MASH, among the myriad other applications on display.

Additional photos and video can be found on the Apple Insider blog.

UPDATE: A beautiful time-lapse video can be seen here: WWDC time-lapse video

Magnate Interactive is pleased to announce the launch of our iPhone and Android optimized website. Visit it at MagnateInteractive.com/m/.

As a company, our focus is on developing great experiences across desktops and devices, and to help showcase our capabilities, we've created a streamlined version of the site for capable mobile browsers. The iPhone, Android, and other mobile devices with modern WebKit, Presto, or Gecko layout engines are able to view the site well. We believe that there are big things ahead for mobile web browsing, and businesses should be at least considering their mobile strategy as early as possible.

Please contact us to learn how we can help you create a mobile version of your own websites.