作者：James Nouch

如果你没有听说过Social Quantum，那也正常，毕竟该发行商至今为止的成功主要还是体现在俄语社交网络上。

但是，在撰写本文时，Social Quantum的模拟城市建设游戏《Megapolis》已经位列美国苹果应用商店畅销游戏的第9名了。

另外，这款游戏是Social Quantum第一款使用英语的游戏。而这家公司又是如何在陌生的市场收获成功呢？

让我们从应用商店的数据上找答案。

初露锋芒

Social Quantum于2012年12月12日发行了《Megapolis》的iPhone版，7周后又发行了iPad版。

发布之际，《Megapolis》在美国苹果应用商店的免费游戏榜单排名51。

一个月后，激增的下载量使这款游戏上升到第11名，但这个名次没有维持多久就下滑了。

megapolis（from pocketgamer）

然而，2013年3月15日，不可思议的事发生了。

直到这时，《Megapolis》每天都有上千的下载量。3月15日，这款游戏的下载量突破了210000，名列免费应用榜的榜首。

megapolis-downloads（from pocketgamer）

Distimo对《Megapolis》（红线）和《Megapolis HD》（蓝线）的统计结果。

根据Distimo的统计，《Megapolis HD》的下载量也有重大突破，以2万5千的下载量位居免费排行榜的第5名。

第二天，也就是3月16日，《Megapolis》的下载量增加了19万次；3月17日，这款游戏的下载量又多了20万次.

直到3月18日，下载量开始再次下滑。接着大约1周后，下载量恢复到正常水平。

转换率

但是，即使下载量下落得很快，收益仍在增加。

根据Distimo的数据，从3月15日算起，iPhone版《Megapolis》每天在美国苹果应用商店中创造了超过5万美元的收益。

事实上，在3月底达到峰值时，《Megapolis》仅在美国的收益每天就不下12万美元。

就排名方面，这足以让《Megapolis》跻身美国苹果应用商店十大最挣钱的应用了。3月28日，该游戏名列收益排行榜的第3名（游戏邦注：尾随《Candy Crush Saga》和《Clash of Clans》之后）。

megapolis-grossing（from pocketgamer）

当然，Social Quantum不只是在美国市场收获成功。

在其他25个国家，如法国、西班牙、德国和英国，《Megapolis》也闯入收益排行榜前5名。

现状

在撰写本文之际，《Megapolis》的日下载量已经下滑到7100左右。同时，《Megapolis HD》的日下载量大约是1800.

然而，就收益而言，两个版本仍然表现强劲。Distimo最近的统计表明，iPhone版《Megapolis》在美国的收益在4月7日时大约是7万5千美元；而iPad版的则超过4万美元。

所以尽管下载高峰期不长，但效果持久。无论Social Quantum是靠什么办法拉动排名，我们都应该承认其很有效果。

（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

The Charticle: How Megapolis powered its way into the top grossing charts

by James Nouch

You’d be forgiven for not having heard of Social Quantum – an Eastern European publisher whose main successes to date have been games for Russian-language social networks.

But, at the time of writing, Social Quantum’s city-building sim Megapolis is the ninth highest grossing game in the US App Store.

What’s more, the game is Quantum’s English-language App Store debut. So how has the company found such success in an unfamiliar marketplace?

We turned to the App Store data to find out.

Megatron

Megapolis launched for the iPhone on 12 December 2012, with Megapolis HD launching for the iPad seven weeks later.

At launch, Megapolis climbed to #51 in the US App Store’s top free games chart before beginning to slide out of the rankings.

One month later, a spike in downloads propelled the game to #11, but it wasn’t long before installs trailed off again.

Then, on 15 March 2013, something happened.

Up until this point, Megapolis had typically been generating a couple of thousand of downloads each day. On 15 March, Megapolis racked up more than 210,000 downloads and shot into #1 in the free apps chart.

Graph showing Distimo’s download estimates for Megapolis (purple) and Megapolis HD (blue).

According to Distimo estimates, Megapolis HD also saw a significant spike in downloads, jumping to roughly 25,000 downloads and #5 in the top free app rankings.

The next day, on 16 March, Megapolis generated another 190,000 downloads. On 17 March, the game accumulated more than 200,000 downloads again.

It wasn’t until 18 March that installs began to drop off again, and not until a week or so later that downloads returned to normal levels.

Conversion

But although downloads fell away fast, revenue continued to grow.

According to Distimo’s figures, the iPhone version of Megapolis has generated in excess of $50,000 from the US App Store every day since 15 March.

At its peak in late March, in fact, Megapolis generated more than $120,000 in a single day from the US alone.

In terms of chart position, this was enough to boost Megapolis into the top ten highest earning apps on the US App Store. On 28 March, the game was ranked at #3 on the top grossing games chart, behind the mighty Candy Crush Saga and Clash of Clans.

Analytics graph showing the iPhone version of Megapolis’ performance on the US App Store’s top grossing charts.

And the US isn’t the only market in which Social Quantum has found success.

Megapolis reached the top 5 grossing games chart in 25 different countries, including France, Spain, Germany and the UK.

Sustain

At the time of writing, Megapolis’ daily downloads figure has fallen to an estimated 7,100 or so. Megapolis HD, meanwhile, is generating roughly 1,800 downloads a day.

In terms of revenue, however, both titles are still performing strongly. Distimo’s most recent estimates suggest Megapolis for iPhone generated roughly $75,000 in the US yesterday, and its iPad sibling generated more than $40,000.

So although the download spike was short-lived, its effects have been lasting. Whatever method Social Quantum used to boost its ranking, it seems to have worked.(source:pocketgamer)