TWIP: Velocispider

TWIP (This Week I'm Playing) is a reoccurring weekly post where I highlight a game or app that I have been playing recently. This won't necessarily be about new games, just ones that have my attention this week.

Fun retro styled arcade shooter with great music and a unique theme. It's a spider-dinosaur shooting lasers at aliens, what more do you need? I got this a few days ago when it was free, kinda feel like it deserves some money though. There is an IAP to unlock all the levels, I might purchase that just to support the developer.

Well...

You may have noticed the ads are gone from this site. I originally put them up for fun, just because it's so easy on a Blogger site to integrate Ad Sense. I've said before, the only cost for this site is  $10/year for the domain name, so it's not that expensive. But a little money on the side is never a bad thing, right?

I normally run AdBlock on my browser, and selectively whitelist sites that I want to support by showing their ads. I do this because letting all ad traffic onto your computer is, in my opinion, a BAD thing. You never know which ad might secretly install things on your computer, but I do recognize them as a valid form of monetization, as they help keep sites free for the user.

So what happened to the ads here? For about 11 months, I had very little activity with the ads, as I had expected. My account got to about $30, but I wasn't able to touch it until I banked $100. A few weeks ago, I mentioned this fact, and got a huge response from a few people. I saw my Ad Sense account reach over $80, then drop back to about $60 in a day or two. Then, two days ago I got an email that said my account had been suspended for fraudulent activity. I was mad at first, claiming that a sudden spike in traffic could be totally explainable and legitimate, only to later realize that the amount of money I was fighting for was insignificant. Such a small amount of revenue doesn't justify having ads on this site, especially for such a small audience.

So, back to basics, and random thoughts as I continue to trench through the iOS jungle. I've been busy with normal life stuff, but decided to pick up Avoid the Sqoid again, and make some more headway building this game. It's ultimately what I want to do, and getting more products out there will only help me get exposure and practice.

TWIP: The Last Rocket

TWIP (This Week I'm Playing) is a reoccurring weekly post where I highlight a game or app that I have been playing recently. This won't necessarily be about new games, just ones that have my attention this week.

This Week I'm Playing The Last Rocket by Shaun Inman. This game has been out for a while, but I recently picked it up and have been loving it. The 8-bit graphics easily drew me in, but the interesting new control scheme and deep puzzles have kept me busy.

Title Screen

In Game

The game is 'cute', has style, and the music is superb. There is even a 'sound test' section in the settings, something that retro gamers are familiar with and reminiscent for. Now-a-days you have to buy the soundtrack as a separate purchase, but with The Last Rocket you get the whole thing for free, accessible from the menu. It's good music too.

Gears!

The early puzzles look simple, but quickly ramp up in difficulty and requires thought and timing. I'm really impressed at a game that isn't following the norm lately of a free download with in-app-purchases for tokens or coins that lead to upgrades. This is simple a great game with plenty of levels, and a fair price.

Yesterday was fun

I made a couple of posts yesterday, and they must have been posted at the right time, and I hit a sweet spot with the ads, added $31 to my adsense account. I still haven't been able to cash out yet, need to hit $100 before that happens. I think I'll be blogging more in the future.

...and another thought

One idea that keeps floating around in my head lately, usually as I clock in at my day job, is that I should be making things that make me money even while I sleep, rather than getting paid only when I work. This mentality didn't cross my mind when I was younger and just started working. I always believed that you only get money for spending time working. This is great if you honestly love what you do, but this isn't the case for most people. Instead, one should spend their time making something that they can sell or something that perpetuates money for them. With the iOS/AppStore ecosystem and the spirit of indie gaming/development that has spurred in the last few years, I am at the perfect position to jump into an independent work-for-myself business. All I need is the tools and skills to make it happen.

Also, this is my 50th post in this blog. Yipee! So far this year I have banked about $30 from the ads on this site. The only cost for me is the domain name, which is $10 a year, so I've already paid for 3 years of this blog. Pretty cool, eh? Until you realize that you can't cash that out until you reach $100. So, click an ad or two for me so I can cash out!

Another year, another resolution & goal

I started this blog near the end of last year, with a goal to get an app in the AppStore and start my career as an independent developer. I didn't really have a plan on how to get there, just a few tutorials and my Macbook Pro. Reflecting on this past year, I realize that a lot has changed. Most notable, I upgraded to a Macbook Air.

Seriously though, I accomplished what I set out to do, but not the the extent that I had dreamed. That I still dream. I learned the basics of how to hobble an app together from various tutorials. I made about $25 from sales, and have about 1,500 downloads overall. Not a smashing success, but it's a start. And having done all this in my spare time, I am constantly curious about what I can accomplish if I had more time to put towards this part of my life. Ready for it?

So my resolution for 2012 is to continue learning and creating apps, blocking out dedicated time each week to spend on doing this. No more "I'll do that tomorrow" or "I'm going to spend my weekend playing Skyrim". I am hesitant to make a monetary goal for myself because I want to focus on the creation side of this game. I truly believe that the developers who do what they love (and love what they do) will create amazing apps that will sell themselves. I think I can reach this level in a year, building on what I already know.

I also want to blog more. @theonlylars mentioned on twitter that the best way to learn is to teach someone else. I have always felt that I don't really have anything to teach to others, so why bother writing out a tutorial. But I think coming at it from another angle, and writing the steps out to cement them in my head would be hugely beneficial for me, and possibly some beginners out there. This might also drive some more traffic to this site, which would also help out financially if I got a few more ad clicks. I really hate to have ads on my site, but for the time being it's a necessary evil.

So there's some blog for you. This all has been swimming around my head for the last few weeks as I stock shelves and pretend smile at the customers, trying with all my might to tune out the Holiday music. Had to get it out today. Thanks for reading =]