Move over, Firemint and Halfbrick Studios, there's another local developer hitting it big on the appstore. Stick Skater from Traction Games (consisting of Ben Hazzard and co-developer Liam Stephens) has hit the number two paid application position on the Apple AppStore in the US during the weekend, as well as the number one free application shortly after. While the art for Stick Skater may look a bit rudimentary, the gameplay looks *exceptionally* fun.
(Hazzard) "We modelled the skate animations on real skateboarders, and we specifically choose a particular pro skater, Jake Duncombe, who has a reputation for doing some of the best tricks."
Hazzard said the game allowed for many trick combinations.
"While being a little exaggerated for entertainment purposes, they are still in touch with the progression of real skateboarding," he said.
Unfortunately, it looks like the duo from Traction Games won't be making games development a full time commitment, as they have both careers in other industries, and breaking into the appstore charts with a hit has proven too difficult, the low returns as a result would simply not be enough to sustain themselves. Read the article over at SMH's Digital Life!
Low returns?
Being #1 paid game on the App Store has very high returns. Just depends on how long it will stay there.
I'm sure they'd be making more than enough money to sustain themselves!
I've seen this game on the chart for a while, and didn't realise it was an Aussie pair. Gratz guys.