DAF is a team of two indie developers from Málaga, Spain who are having great success in the mobile game industry - doing what they love. David creates the games and Pablo creates the music.
We are happy to feature DAF in this weeks’ Success Story Series.
1. David, can you tell us briefly about your background? How did you become an indie developer?
Years ago I used to program simple games on my PC, but my only audience was my brother and some friends. I had long been disconnected from the computer world, but then my first smartphone landed in my hands. I decided to start app development to entertain myself and earn extra income on the side (the economic crisis in Spain was at its worst). Although I did expect to eventually make a living out of it, to tell you the truth, I did not expect such success in such a short time. It was a real surprise.
2. What is your most successful game? What is its concept in a nutshell?
It is called Archanoid DEMOLITION. It’s just a clone of the classic arcade game Arkanoid, in which bricks are destroyed by bouncing a ball on a racquet.
3. Your games have a simple yet addictive gameplay. What are your tips for creating successful mobile games?
Although it may sound cheesy, I believe that a game can only be successful if you create it with affection. In the case of Archanoid, I had tried many clones in the Play Store, but none of them corresponded to my idea of what Arkanoid should be like, so I decided to create my own game.
How to make a game that is addictive? I guess by creating a desire in the player to surpass himself; to beat his own records or achieve certain levels and have fun while doing it.
4. Creating a game is one thing, but how do you get many people to install it? What are your promotion methods?
I placed links to my game on a few Facebook pages of Android magazines, but I didn’t really notice an increase in the number of downloads. In my case, what really seems to have worked is word-of-mouth.
5. Why did you choose AdBuddiz?
One day I received an email from you, inviting me to try the service. I liked how you operated and have been with you ever since.
6. What has your experience been using AdBuddiz?
Very good. AdBuddiz ads have beautiful graphics and a very elegant design, which makes them very pleasant for the user, not annoying at all. In addition, out of the three advertising companies that I use, AdBuddiz generates the most revenue for me - twice as much as the other two.
7. What would you change about AdBuddiz?
Lately the portal has been greatly improved, we can now visualize the number of clicks and installs. Perhaps adding even more statistics would be nice.
8. Do you use any other monetizing methods apart from advertising? What combination works the best for you?
Currently I only monetize through advertising.
9. What are your inspirations when creating a game? Where do you get your ideas from?
The inspiration usually comes from the most unexpected places. An old comic you’re rediscovering, a film… And of course the classics, the wonderful games from arcades. The 80s is an endless source of inspiration.
10. Do you have enough time to play yourself? What are your favorite games?
Not much, but of course I play the odd game. I have ‘Hill Climb Racing’ and ‘Final Freeway 2’ installed in my mobile devices. On PC, I sometimes relax doing a virtual flight with Microsoft Flight Simulator X. But since you’re asking for my favorite games, I have to mention a very, very old game that gave me many hours of fun, and made me interested in how video games are made: ‘Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark’ – from the great Atari VCR console.
11. What changes in the mobile ad market do you anticipate from here until 2016?
It is difficult to predict, but I guess more and more companies of all kinds will be created around mobile applications, not only IT companies. Perhaps in the future there won’t be much difference between the ads on apps and the ones we see on television today.
12. Where do you see DAF in 5 years’ time?
My dream is to start a business together with some friends, but under a different name. I would like DAF to always keep the indie spirit it has now. In the near future, I would like to enter the world of Apple - at the moment I’m dedicated to Android only.