Featured Mobster: Sputnik Games

February 02, 2010 |  Posted By : megan  In : Featured Mobster

Sputnik Games is a one-man development company based in Marina del Rey, CA. Mark Andrade, the founder saw the opportunity when the iPhone came out and now has almost 10 apps in the App Store.  Their smash hit, Fish Food Frenzy Free, is powered by Mobclix ads.

The Stats:

• Monthly Downloads: 420,000
• Monthly Ad Impressions: 22 million

We interviewed Sputnik Games Founder, Mark Andrade:

1) Why did you decide to build an iPhone app?

“Fish Food Frenzy Free was a game I had in my sketch book for years.  I wanted to release it on the internet but between a full time job I had at the time and life, it never came to be.  When Apple released the iPhone I knew that this was the platform where it had to come to life.  I finished all my contracts and declined any new gigs.  Once I put a few games under my belt I started on Fish Food Frenzy Free. I truly love this game.  I have a new version running on the iPad and have big plans for 2.0.”

2) Why does the ad revenue model make sense for you?

“By offering my games for free it opens the door for everyone to download without spending any money.  I’ve seen the ad supported model work for online games and when I started Sputnik Games the idea was to try and mimic that model on the iPhone.  So far it’s been a great success! It’s allowed me to do what I love. Without the ad revenue generated through Mobclix and their network I couldn’t continue what I’m doing.”

3) What tips do you have for other developers?

“One important thing I’ve learned as an indie developer is don’t sit in front of the computer all day long.  Take frequent breaks away from it.  Walk, bike or even just step outside for 5 minutes.  Also, learn from your mistakes and don’t be afraid to fail.  Yeah, making mistakes and failing at anything is the worst but it’ll bring you one step closer to success.”