ABOVE - KIWI COMBAT INGENUITY A Chopper2 innovation lets you use an iPhone as a wireless remote to control the game on an iPad (the game can also be played standalone on either gadget).New Zealand game developer Dave Frampton – aka one-man comp
ABOVE - KIWI COMBAT INGENUITY A Chopper2 innovation lets you use an iPhone as a wireless remote to control the game on an iPad (the game can also be played standalone on either gadget).
New Zealand game developer Dave Frampton – aka one-man company Majic Software – has another hit on his hands.
His iPhone/iPad title Chopper2 has now sold more than 100,000 copies – at $US2.99 a pop, Mr Frampton told NBR this morning (Apple’s standard contract lets developers keep 70% of revenue from iTunes AppStore sales).
With the game’s reputation now firmly established, glowing reviews in the bag, Mr Frampton is now ending his launch special and raising the cost of the game to $US4.99.
Global hits doable from NZ
While hesitant to brag, the Wellingtonian said “it's also good for people to hear it is successful.”
The relatively low cost of creating software for Apple’s mobile platforms, coupled with the ready-made global distribution system that is the iTunes Appstore, make life a little easier for those other New Zealand developers inspired to follow in Mr Frampton’s footsteps (though a small army of them already need little encouragement).
Chopper2 reached No 3 in Apple’s US iPad sales chart, and No 10 in the company’s US iPhone sales chart. In New Zealand, it hit number one for the iPad.
Its success follows that of the first Chopper, which eventually sold more than 350,000 copies sold variously for $US7.99 or $US0.99.
Chopper1 was developed during evenings and weekends over 16 months. Its success meant the former TV weather graphics creator could buy a house, quit his day job, and focus exclusively on Chopper2.
So what’s next?
“At the moment I can't see a Chopper 3 happening, but am not ruling it out completely,” Mr Frampton said.
The developer has a series of enhancements to Chopper2 in the works plus “a couple of other projects I'm pretty anxious to start work on – another iPhone/iPad app in particular."
