Update: Epic's Infinity Blade Is the Fastest Grossing App Ever

[Greg Tito]

Update: Epic's Infinity Blade Is the Fastest Grossing App Ever

One of the first games created by a top-notch studio for the Apple platform, Infinity Blade, is also the fastest selling.

Ever since Mike Capps, President of Epic Games, took the stage at an Apple event in September [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/103181-Update-Incredible-Looking-RPG-Coming-to-iPhone-et-al-from-Epic] and demoed the tech behind what was then called Epic Citadel, we all knew that it was a sea change for the nascent videogame market on the iPhone. Even though games have always been the top-selling applications on the App Store, the titles have largely not been what you'd call hardcore or engrossing. That's not to say anything against Angry Birds, but it's just not my kind of game. Last week, the game from Chair(Shadow Complex) debuted using a version of Epic's Unreal Engine specifically tailored for use with iOS devices. The result: Infinity Blade sold 271,424 copies as of last night, which, at a per unit price of $5.99, works out to a cold $1,625,829.76 made from the game in just 4 days.

Now, these are not official numbers, but it's still pretty safe to call Infinity Blade the fastest grossing game on the App Store. The previous record-holder was Cut the Rope, which grossed $1 million in ten days. Infinity Blade benefits from a higher price point, but the numbers over the weekend are still very impressive. Let's hope that this proof of concept for the Unreal Engine on the iOS points to more AAA development on the platform so that it becomes about more than just pissed off avians and Words with Friends.

I'll be damned if I ever buy an iDevice, though. I've been resisting the Cult of Apple for years, but this game is the first thing that might crack my resolve.

Update: Mark Rein, VP of Epic Games, just Tweeted that [http://twitter.com/#!/MarkRein/status/14416391276855296] the sales numbers reported for Infinity Blade "are actually quite low." That means that it has made more than the $1.7 million.

Source: App Modo [http://appmodo.com/38627/infinity-blade-is-the-fastest-grossing-app-ever/]

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[thenumberthirteen]

It looks really cool, but only works on the newer generation devices so my 3G is no good.

Also Apple gets 30% off the top so they've made almost $500,000 so far.

 

[Eri]

Not hard to imagine considering this is like the best game on the store.

 

[FinalDream]

I enjoyed it, the first app to conquer my hatred of 'on the rails'.

 

[NeedAUserName]

And people say the App store isn't a viable way for new developers to gain a foot hold in the market. I mean yeah Epic isn't exactly a new developer, but hopefully some new talent will follow their example.

 

[Delusibeta]

And people say the App store isn't a viable way for new developers to gain a foot hold in the market. I mean yeah Epic isn't exactly a new developer, but hopefully some new talent will follow their example.

It's still not as viable as, say, developing a PC game. Obvious example: Minecraft. Plus, the App Store still has the stigma of mostly storing overglorified Flash games.

 

[NeedAUserName]

And people say the App store isn't a viable way for new developers to gain a foot hold in the market. I mean yeah Epic isn't exactly a new developer, but hopefully some new talent will follow their example.

It's still not as viable as, say, developing a PC game. Obvious example: Minecraft. Plus, the App Store still has the stigma of mostly storing overglorified Flash games.

From my very limited knowledge of game development I would have thought it much cheaper to develop games for the App store and then move on to proper PC games. And Minecraft, well I do assume that the developer of that game did basically win the lottery of amateur PC game development...

 

[Jkudo]

This is very good news for sony and the psphone. Congrats to those guys at epic...

 

[Delusibeta]

And people say the App store isn't a viable way for new developers to gain a foot hold in the market. I mean yeah Epic isn't exactly a new developer, but hopefully some new talent will follow their example.

It's still not as viable as, say, developing a PC game. Obvious example: Minecraft. Plus, the App Store still has the stigma of mostly storing overglorified Flash games.

From my very limited knowledge of game development I would have thought it much cheaper to develop games for the App store and then move on to proper PC games. And Minecraft, well I do assume that the developer of that game did basically win the lottery of amateur PC game development...

Eh, I'd say that the iDevices are more expansive, largely because there's a mandatory API which requires money to gain access to. PC development can, theoretically, be totally free (in terms of money, obviously).

 

[duchaked]

I'd have to get an iPad before I get into gaming on an moble Apple device. Tried out Plants vs Zombies on an iPad and it beat out every other platform it is on IMO

 

[theriddlen]

I want Gothic on iPhone. It looked much worse than current generation of iPhone AAA games, so i see no problem.

ME WANTS!

 

[Smooth Operator]

While very pretty it doesn't seem to be much of a game, I almost fell asleep trying to watch the full demo.

 

[hansari]

Good for them! Hardcore gaming on platform not known for it.

(still think its ridiculous that your finger is gonna be in the way of all the eye candy much of the time)

 

[Cryo84R]

Its perfectly suited to the strengths of the platform.

 

[Tharwen]

I spent the first 20 minutes of playing it wondering how the hell they managed to fit so many graphics onto an iPhone.

It looks really cool, but only works on the newer generation devices so my 3G is no good.

Also Apple gets 30% off the top so they've made almost $500,000 so far.

30%? Wow, Apple...

While very pretty it doesn't seem to be much of a game, I almost fell asleep trying to watch the full demo.

Are you sure that was Infinity Blade? While there isn't much to it, it's definitely a game.

The demo was Epic Citadel, and that was designed and released as nothing more than a tech demo.

 

[Artorius]

yep really good game enjoyed it very much..
though it has repetition syndrome >_>...