If you’re a developer who’s wondering if integrating a social network like OpenFeint really makes a difference, just ask HyperBees. Their Android game Speedx 3D has been kicking around the Market since February – quite a long time for any app to have run its course. But 28 days ago they added OpenFeint, and have now seen a 39% increase in sales.
If you’re a developer who’s wondering if integrating a social network like OpenFeint really makes a difference, just ask HyperBees. Their Android game Speedx 3D has been kicking around the Market since February – quite a long time for any app to have run its course. But 28 days ago they added OpenFeint, and have now seen a 39% increase in sales.
It’s a great statistic, but it may not be as cut and dry as it sounds. The 39% difference could be an isolated case that few other developers can repeat, resulting from little more than being the right app at the right time. After all, Speedx 3D didn’t exactly languish in obscurity like most games do. It’s been one of the most popular games in the Android Market since its release. Combine that with the fact that OpenFeint is still a new service for Android users with only a small selection of games available, and you’ve got a great recipe for renewed interest in an already popular title.
Ok – maybe we’re being cynical. After all, if it wasn’t for the promise of leaderboards, achievements, and all that other OpenFeint jazz, Speedx might not have seen any kind of a sales boost at all. Hyperbees certainly seems to think so;
“We expected there to be some uptick in sales when we re-launched Speedx 3D with OpenFeint, but the end result was truly amazing. Following the update we recorded a 39% increase in Speedx 3D sales and a 9% increase in sales across other titles,” said Tom Mleko of HyerBees. “OpenFeint has been a great partner for Android and we look forward to what they have in store for the future.”
While it’s a great example of the success OpenFeint can bring, just remember kiddies – there are other factors at play here than just the integration of OpenFeint. Will any game be better with the addition of leaderboards and achievements through a social network? I’d tend to think so. Just don’t expect to see a 39% jump when you integrate the service into your poorly crafted Doodle Jump clone six months from now.
OpenFeint has also announced the third wave of Android games that will be getting integrated into their service. Expect to see OpenFeint enabled versions of Flick Kick Football, Dot 3, Cows Don’t Fly, Prism 3D, JellyBalls, Dynamo Kid, Abduction!, Bonecruncher Soccer, Pocket Racing, Egggz, Chopper Control, and Happy Island hit the Android Market sometime this week.
