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Releasing an iPhone game: Whack-a-Kitty three weeks later

alexc.me

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Re: Releasing an iPhone game: Whack-a-Kitty three weeks later

#31
So does anyone have any actionable, constructive advice for alex_c in promoting his app store app?

Here are a couple of things I can think of:

* Make some friends on Twitter; give out free copies using App Store promo codes

* Submit your game to the various iPhone game review sites

Re: Releasing an iPhone game: Whack-a-Kitty three weeks later

#33
post #29
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Completely regardless of "social responsibility" or "over-sensitivity" or anything like that: what effect does that name have on sales/downloads? I wouldn't think it'd be good. And, yes, that's "unfair" since it's a play on Whack-A-Mole (which I've never heard complained about)... are moles more OK to whack than kitties? Still, that's the way the world works, and I wouldn't have used that name for my own game for tha…

Well, for what it's worth, this thread was the first "complaint" about the name. I expected that to happen on YouTube first, but it was actually HN - go figure. It's really tough to separate the name from all other factors influencing downloads, but I haven't seen any evidence it's hurting. I think the name is pretty effective, for a few reasons: the most common reaction when I tell people the name, by far, is genuin…

Here's my only suggestion: rename it "Whac-A-Kitten". Drop the "k", throw in a couple of hyphens.

Might not be enough for the most vigorous of offense-takers (nothing ever will be in this arena), but it at least partially mitigates that visual symbol "whack". And is a more direct reference to its progenitor, anyway. It 'feels' more like a carnival game to me than "WhackAKitty" does.

Edit: maybe also change "Kitten" to "Kitty"? I'm not sure why that sounds a bit more palatable to me - maybe because "kitten" only ever means a juvenile cat whereas "kitty" can mean several other things? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitty

Re: Releasing an iPhone game: Whack-a-Kitty three weeks later

#34
post #31

So does anyone have any actionable, constructive advice for alex_c in promoting his app store app? Here are a couple of things I can think of: * Make some friends on Twitter; give out free copies using App Store promo codes * Submit your game to the various iPhone game review sites

Name it Pet-a-Kitty: no more disgusting tone, plus a wider audience would actually like it.
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