FREE Apps This Friday!

What better way to follow up a Back to School Sale than with...another Back to School Sale.

I may have to talk to our Marketing Department about this one.

I mean, let's at least call it something else.

Like...

"Return to Learn"

Run with it.

See you this App Friday at Moms With Apps.

Return to Learn Sale This Friday, August 17th!

Back to School App Sale This Friday!

We know it can be tough, dragging the kids back to school after a fun-filled summer.

My suggestion to minimize kicking and screaming?

Trick them.

That's right, give them some educational apps that are actually fun to play.

They'll be too busy earning cool rewards and high-fiving over high scores to realize they're skilling and drilling.

And stuff.

See you this App Friday, with our friends at Moms With Apps.

Artgig Apps - Making Back to School Fun Sale!

Multi-User Accounts Added to Marble Math Apps!

You say you've got a small army of kids at home or in the classroom who really want to play Marble Math or Marble Math Junior - and you've only got one iPad.

Sure the kids are willing to take turns but...

Little Billy really wants to try adding coins in Level 2 and...

Maria is way beyond that, she wants to focus on Level 3 multiplication.

And Daniel finds the obstacles distracting, so he'd rather turn them off.

And naturally, they each want to earn their own marbles.

And they want to see only their scores.

And wouldn't it be cool if they could also have their very own character?

Sounds to me like like you need more than one user account.
  
Well, you're in luck.

We just submitted an update to Apple that lets you create as many player profiles as you like.

And it comes with a pretty sweet avatar creator that your kids will love.

Each profile can be customized for specific problem types by level and will save the game state and scores for each player.

The updates should be live in the App Store in about a week, just in time for the start of our Back to School promos.

Stay tuned!

Marble Math Updates Coming Soon!

Managing Post New and Noteworthy Stress Disorder (PNNSD)

See that furry little guy?
Yes, he’s as soft as he looks.
He even smells cute.
His name is Rocky and he’s the newest member of my family.

I got Rocky to help manage the debilitating effects of Post New and Noteworthy Stress Disorder, or PNNSD.
And if you’re going to do business as a developer in the App Store, you better go out and get your puppy now - because you’re going to need it.
As the saying goes, what goes up must come down and I can tell you a soft furry pillow helps to cushion the fall.

The last six weeks have been an app roller coaster ride for us.

Two of our apps, Alien Buddies and Marble Math, were featured by Apple as Education New and Noteworthy selections.
Alien Buddies got picked first and Marble Math followed a week later, after Apple rushed it through review.

Being featured by Apple in the Education category is like being rousted from bed by a team of personal assistants who dress you, throw you in a limo and rush you to a black tie party where you rub elbows with Dora the Explorer and Cookie Monster - oh, and those Toca Boca guys (maybe you’ve heard of them).

It’s quite exhilarating.

And then you’re getting featured by the likes of The Washington Post and wired.com and people just can’t seem to get enough of you.

And the sales.

They go up.

Considerably.

Over 1,000 %.

(Alien Buddies profit graph New and Noteworthy period May 31 - June 28) 

And because you’re featured, and because your sales go up, your apps shoot right up the Top Charts.

At their peak, Alien Buddies was a Top 10 Paid App and Marble Math reached Top 20 - out of 68,000 Education apps.

That’s week one.

Each app was featured for a full four weeks in the US iPad App Store which is where our primary market shops.
That’s another thing, exactly where you appear in the App Store and on what device, is really important.

Marble Math is still featured in the App Store at this very moment.
Apple even gave it a special small banner.
Try and find it.
Go ahead - I’ll wait...

There it is, the orange banner in the bottom right corner.
Nobody will ever see that banner unless they are looking for iPhone apps on a desktop machine.
In other words, you, me and Apple are the only people who will ever know that banner ever existed.

On an iPad, there are 24 Featured New and Noteworthy apps at a time, with six on a page. When you’re first featured, you get the prime page one real estate at the top of the list.
But with each passing week, our apps moved a page in, requiring a swipe to get discovered.
And not surprisingly, each swipe a user has to make to find you puts a dent in sales.
Apple updates the App Store every Thursday around 4pm EST, so that’s when you either get your big break - or get broken.

And that’s the magic phrase of the day, “App Discovery.”
And the only sure way for an indie developer to get discovered is for Apple to give you a lift.

So, you ask, what is life like since our apps fell off the charts?

Well, we’re doing the same things we always do.

We’re monitoring the App Store trends.

We’re establishing and maintaining relationships with app reviewers, teachers, and parents.

We’re improving and updating our apps.

And we’re developing a new app.

We’re doing all of these things in the hope that Apple will throw us another bone when we launch our Back to School promotions next month.

And if they don’t - well, I’ve got a little furry guy waiting at home who could care less what happens in the App Store.

Marble Math in the iTunes Education Spotlight!

Anybody else get this email Friday?

See that little hot red Marble Math icon in the Apps for Learning column?

Amazing how even the smallest mention by Apple results in a significant sales boost.

This came at a good time as I've been grappling with the devastating effects of PNNSD (Post New and Noteworthy Stress Disorder).

More on that later...

Hope you're having a good summer - and remember to unplug and recharge!

Download Marble Math Junior for FREE Friday, June 22!

He-llo Summer!

Our new Marble Math Junior app won't keep you cool...

But it will make you smarter!

That's right, those crazy kids at Artgig Apps are at it again.

We're giving away Marble Math Junior (ages 5-8), tomorrow - Friday June 22, to celebrate launch!

This is also a great opportunity to "try before you buy" for parents and teachers interested in the featured New and Noteworthy Marble Math for older kids.

Join us and Moms With Apps as we kick of the summer with some sizzling app sales - straight from the developers.

And please, share this offer with your family, friends, and followers!

Thanks for supporting Artgig Apps.

Download Marble Math Junior For FREE Friday, June 22

Marble Math Junior Launches and Alien Buddies at Toca's House

So, what did you do this weekend?

I hope all you dads got the Father's Day free pass to celebrate being such a great dad.

I sat down with my Brother-in-Law and some chips and beer to watch Portugal roll over the Netherlands in the Euro Cup.

Good times.

And speaking of rolling, Apple extended our New and Noteworthy run for another week so Marble Math and our Alien Buddies are hanging with some pretty impressive company on the Education Top 20 charts.

Ever hear of Toca Boca?

If you have an iPad and a child under the age of five, I think you know what I'm talking about.

Our Alien Buddies are over at Toca's House with Dora right now - probably in the Kitchen, playing Bingo (sorry, could not find a good way to get Solar Walk in there).

And that's not all.

Have you seen Marble Math Junior?

That's right, we just launched another Marble Math app – specifically for younger kids (ages 5-8).

We think they'll actually enjoy solving math problems while dodging obstacles like sticky green slime and boxing gloves that spring out of maze walls when you least expect it.

And they'll probably get a kick out of earning cool new marbles as they gain points.

And you can totally customize the problem types to make a perfect educational app fit for your young learners!

Who knew math could be this much fun?

Marble Math Junior Available Now on the App Store