Is it possible to get rich in developing webOS applications?

    Creating a commercial application for the webOS mobile platform, can a developer count on serious profits? To date, the official catalog of applications for webOS looks more than modest in comparison with the catalogs of the App Store programs from Apple or the Android Market; Palm device sales are decreasing , not growing.

    If 50,000 dollars a month from the sale of the program seems to you a sufficient amount, then my answer is yes. The main thing is a correctly chosen sales model! Selfaware Games, the developer of the Word Ace and Card Ace: BlackJack games, has become the


    focus of the Wall Street Journal . Developers receive tens of thousands of new registrations daily(most come from Palm-devices), which bring them more than 50 thousand dollars of monthly income.

    Very impressive results, given that the App Catalog contains a little over 2,000 programs that have been downloaded about 40 million times.

    The main success factor was the chosen revenue model. Instead of taking a one-time fee for the application, developers earn by selling in-game virtual items such as drinks or game chips. “The price of the application is one of the main concerns of any developer,” says one of the founders of Selfaware, Seppo Helava. People are willing to pay for the application no more than they see fit, but the developer also needs to live on something. “There is a more convenient system that can suit both,” and the Selfaware example is quite indicative.

    A small role (in comparison with competing platforms) in the App Catalog also played a positive role. As a result, developers are more likely that the user will discover their application.

    What are the Selfaware guys working on right now? In addition to releasing updates for existing products, they are working tirelessly on their next game. There are no details yet, but as Seppo states: “Imagine the craziest of ideas, make it even more ridiculous, you get something like this,” and continues: “Seriously, think about it - I’ve never been so impressed by the game, and when it will come out, people just “blow the roof”.

    This positive news leads us to believe that the webOS platform has quite a serious potential, and can become a serious environment for both large companies and individual developers. An excellent distribution model, convenient development tools and a good chance of being found through the App Catalog mobile app should give developers a great chance. Do not forget that the most successful application developers (both paid and free) will expect a million dollars from Palm.

    Also popular now: