独立开发商要在上周的苹果App Store推出不知名的游戏，实在是难上加难，因为这一时期不要说是Gameloft的《N.O.V.A. 2》、《Shadow Guardian》，Square Enix的《Lara Croft》，Firemint的《Real Racing 2》，EA发行的《Mortal Kombat 3》等高价游戏的狂轰滥炸，光是EA多达68款的99美分促销游戏的大规模围剿，就已经够令人生畏的了。

不过，《Aralon: Sword and Shadow》这款出自小型独立开发工作室Crescent Moon和Galoobeth Games的原硬核RPG游戏，在发行之前就已经培养了一个铁杆用户群，所以它的iOS版本有力地扳回了App Store的这种不利局面。

Aralon：Sword and Shadow

据游戏邦了解，这款iOS版本游戏售价6.99美元，在英国iPhone综合应用榜单上排名第6（在美国排在第22名），在iPad综合应用榜单上排在第10名。

该游戏在App Store上架1小时内，下载量就达到1600次；24小时后的下载量超过了1万次。

Crescent Moon创始人及创意总监Josh Presseisen表示，之前看到那么多新作在App Store扎堆问世，他们自己都不敢想象《Aralon》会进入应用前10强榜单，“对于一个只有几名成员在家中工作、只能靠Skype沟通的小公司来说，能取得这种成绩实在很不可思议，很高兴大家的努力付出得到了回报。”（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，转载请注明来源：游戏邦）

Despite $7 price, RPG Aralon slays App Store’s week of death with 10,000 sales in first 24 hours

In a week that’s been overshadowed by premium releases from the likes of Gameloft (N.O.V.A. 2, Shadow Guardian), Square Enix (Lara Croft), Firemint (Real Racing 2), and EA (Mortal Kombat 3), and

then further confused by EA’s decision to have 68 games in its catalog priced at 99c, it’s not been a good time for an indie developer to release an unbranded game.

Yet, demonstrating the power of targeting a niche genre and building a community prior to launch, Aralon: Sword and Shadow, a hardcore RPG from tiny indie outfits Crescent Moon and Galoobeth Games, has bucked the trend.

High price, high demand

Thanks to a pricetag of $6.99, the universal app peaked in the UK top gross iPhone chart at #6 (#22 in the US), and #10 in the top grossing iPad chart.

To-date, it’s sold over 10,000 units since it was released just over 24 hours ago, 1,600 of which came in the first hour.

“With all huge releases coming out at the same time, we had no idea Aralon would make it into the top 10,” said Josh Presseisen, Crescent Moon’s founder and creative director.

“For a small company, basically a few guys who work from home and communicate via skype, this is absolutely unbelieveable. We are all so happy that all of the hard work paid off.”（source:pocketgamer）