iShoot hits App Store number one – developer quits day job
At 10,000 downloads a day, he could probably retire
Stories like iShoot developer Ethan Nicholas’ are what’s inspiring this new wave of home brew game development. Not that Nicholas programs out of his back bedroom – he works (worked) for Sun Microsystems, the creator of Java – but as a game designer he’s as green as anyone.
His Worms-like artillery game was release last October to a resounding silence, and didn’t pick up much pace after a price drop and an update toward Christmas. But Nicholas decided to try the burgeoning App Store tactic of releasing a lite version, which has rocketed his tank game to the top of the paid apps list – a most prestigious position that requires a good 10,000-a-day downloads figure.
iShoot Lite was released at the beginning of January, shunting the full game to the top of the list within ten days alongside the reduced version at the top of the free apps list – an event that’s convinced Nicholas to quite his day job at Sun Microsystems and become a full time iPhone developer, according to iPhoneSaviour.
Nicholas’ advice to other iPhone developers is to get those lite versions released:
“I'm still in shock," says Nicholas. "I've given my two-week notice at Sun Microsystems. I'm gonna do this full time now.”
