Not So Amazing, Alex

Less than three weeks after its debut, sales of Amazing Alex have been anything but astounding. Rovio’s new iOS franchise has dropped to No. 10 in the App Store and is only No. 99 on Apple’s list of top-grossing apps. This news appears to follow a pattern repeated by other developers who have struggled with new titles after releasing a popular app, according to BGR. Launched July 12, Amazing Alex was supposed to be Rovio’s next Angry Birds. Instead, the game looks like it will fall out of the App Store top 10 in a matter of weeks. The first Angry Birds title stayed in the top 10 for two years. Other second franchise flops have included Halfbrick Studio’s Jetpack Joyride, which followed the popular Fruit Ninja, and a number of games from Lima Sky, which released the popular Doodle Jump in 2010. As BGR suggests:

It’s really, really hard to launch a new app franchise. Strong vendors like Halfbrick and Rovio have the muscle to grab the spotlight for a moment and give a new title a flying start. But even though the mobile app market has granted remarkable longevity for many 2010 hits, it also has the tendency to clip the wings of strongly promoted series that lack the ephemeral essence of instant addiction.

Because of this, developers keep going back to the tried-and-true titles that made them successful in the first place. For example, after Angry Birds, Rovio released three additional Angry Birds titles before debuting Amazing Alex, including their latest, Angry Birds Space. Halfbrick Studios, for their part, released Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots while Lima Sky introduced Doodle Jump Christmas Special. Personally, I’m convinced customers couldn't care less who develops gaming apps for iOS. Rather, they look for the best new games available regardless of developer. Besides, as the number of games in the App Store grows, the more difficult it becomes for developers to get it right a second time. In other words, Rovio’s success with Angry Birds might have been reason enough for many to download Amazing Alex initially, but it wasn’t enough for the game to remain popular in the App Store despite mostly positive reviews. It will be interesting to see where Rovio goes from here. Most likely, instead of releasing Amazing Alex: Part Two, don’t be surprised if Rovio debuts Angry Birds: Center of the World this year or next. Amazing Alex and Amazing Alex HD are available in the App Store. What are your favorite iOS games right now?