All-Time Top iPhone App Sales Figures and Estimates
As part of Apple's one billion app countdown for their iTunes App Store, they have also compiled a list of the all-time top 20 apps [App Store] for both Paid and Free apps.
Perhaps most interesting is what the potential market for a very successful paid iPhone app might be. A few numbers have been released for some of the top iPhone apps that gives us an idea of the numbers involved. Here is a collection of the known sales numbers for some of the top 20 paid apps. App titles link directly to App Store.
#2. Koi Pond - The New York Times published just a few days ago reveals that Blimp Pilots' virtual pond app has been downloaded an estimated 900,000 times giving the developers about $623,000 after Apple's cut.
#3. Enigmo - Pangea's puzzle game appeared early in the App Store. Pangea's Brian Greenstone recently revealed in a YouTube video that Enigmo sold 810,000 units between July 2008 and January 2009 (likely the bulk of sales). The price of this app has bounced between $9.99 and $0.99 making it difficult to estimate earnings.
#12. Pocket God - This recent hit is another entertainment app that puts you in control of a small island of inhabitants. Bolt Creative's Dave Castelnuovo revealed in a TouchArcade forum post that their app had sold about 500,000 copies as of late March. An impressive feat since it has only been around since January, earning the developers about $350,000 so far.
#19. iShoot - An artillery game by one-man company Ethan Nicholas who is the latest rags-to-riches App Store story. Nicholas revealed to the New York Times that he had made $800,000 in five months. His app has held mostly at a $2.99 pricepoint, which estimates his total sales at over 380,000 downloads.
Perhaps most interesting is what the potential market for a very successful paid iPhone app might be. A few numbers have been released for some of the top iPhone apps that gives us an idea of the numbers involved. Here is a collection of the known sales numbers for some of the top 20 paid apps. App titles link directly to App Store.
#2. Koi Pond - The New York Times published just a few days ago reveals that Blimp Pilots' virtual pond app has been downloaded an estimated 900,000 times giving the developers about $623,000 after Apple's cut.
#3. Enigmo - Pangea's puzzle game appeared early in the App Store. Pangea's Brian Greenstone recently revealed in a YouTube video that Enigmo sold 810,000 units between July 2008 and January 2009 (likely the bulk of sales). The price of this app has bounced between $9.99 and $0.99 making it difficult to estimate earnings.
#12. Pocket God - This recent hit is another entertainment app that puts you in control of a small island of inhabitants. Bolt Creative's Dave Castelnuovo revealed in a TouchArcade forum post that their app had sold about 500,000 copies as of late March. An impressive feat since it has only been around since January, earning the developers about $350,000 so far.
#19. iShoot - An artillery game by one-man company Ethan Nicholas who is the latest rags-to-riches App Store story. Nicholas revealed to the New York Times that he had made $800,000 in five months. His app has held mostly at a $2.99 pricepoint, which estimates his total sales at over 380,000 downloads.
Top Rated Comments
(View all)
37 months ago
Will be interesting to see how this goes, if new devices come out, netbook stylee, or otherwise. More games, etc. This could be massive in the long run.:cool:
37 months ago
Yea, I hope (and think) that Apple understand the potential here, and put their focus on making the "gaming" experience on the iPhone/Touch as good as possible. It's clear that gaming is "huge" on these devices. :)
One thing I'm hoping for is a "gaming console" solution. Imagine downloading a game on your iPhone… then download the same game again for free (only pay once) on your Apple TV (the Apple TV version of the game can be in HD)… then imagine playing the game on your big flat screen TV while using your iPhone/Touch as a (wireless) controller! :cool:
One thing I'm hoping for is a "gaming console" solution. Imagine downloading a game on your iPhone… then download the same game again for free (only pay once) on your Apple TV (the Apple TV version of the game can be in HD)… then imagine playing the game on your big flat screen TV while using your iPhone/Touch as a (wireless) controller! :cool:
37 months ago
It seem to me that the App Store has been a huge success for both Apple and these developers.
I've bought most of these apps listed here. Not sure how I'm going to feel about the subscription based model they're going to with 3.0. I can't see myself wanting to pay more than the initial price for most of them. A dollar or two here and there really adds up.
I've bought most of these apps listed here. Not sure how I'm going to feel about the subscription based model they're going to with 3.0. I can't see myself wanting to pay more than the initial price for most of them. A dollar or two here and there really adds up.
37 months ago
The numbers are unbelievable. I wish i could wake up one morning knowing how to create an app :( -- and give it a shot.
37 months ago
Good for those developers who have been able to pay off their mortgages, especially if they wrote the software in their spare time after work. Never underestimate the power of selling hundreds of thousands of $1 applications instead of mere thousands of $10 applications. Then again that's always been my argument for the pricing of music CDs and movie DVDs...
37 months ago
Wow! That iShoot developer made $800k!!?! Amazing. Makes me want to pick up some books on how to write programs for the iPhone/iPod Touch during my spare time. Of course, this isn't going to lure me away from medicine. :D
37 months ago
Fantastic numbers!!!! And on the gaming side imagine an apple tv becoming like a wii with fun interactive games on it. Was just a random thought i had but it could work.
37 months ago
Also these numbers show that its a great platform to develop for and that its worth spending time making your app as good as possible. I loved koi pond! It was one of the first apps i got when i had my Touch. Well that and iPint :D
37 months ago
then imagine playing the game on your big flat screen TV while using your iPhone/Touch as a (wireless) controller! :cool:
I like the sound of that! That would rock. I really like the X-Plane series and would love to play them on a flat-screen using my iPhone as a remote. :cool::D
Not sure how I'm going to feel about the subscription based model they're going to with 3.0.
:confused::confused::confused:Huh? Subscription based model? Never heard of that rumor applied to the app store and would seriously doubt that to be true.
[ Read All Comments ]
As Intuit's Quicken options for Mac users continue to falter in the wake of a stripped-down Quicken Essentials release and the company's ongoing efforts to make the more fully-functional...
Apple today notified members of its iOS Developer Program of a new requirement that all screenshots being submitted for iPhone and iPod touch apps in the App Store must meet Retina resolution...
Apple's vice president for iPhone and iPod engineering David Tupman has left the company, according to 9to5Mac. While not a member of the senior executive team, Tupman spent a decade at Apple...
9to5Mac reports that Apple is in "early discussions" with Sam's Club to bring the Apple store-within-a-store concept to the popular warehouse club chain that operates as a division of...
