Featured Mobster: Brainium Studios

January 10, 2012 |  Posted By : Barbara  In : Developer Community, Featured Mobster

The classic game of solitaire has been standard for many PC users as well as card game players. Hours upon hours have been spent playing this game, and Brainium Studios has successfully taken up the task of bringing this classic game to iOS and Android. Reinventing it with a fresh, modern twist of course, the game rules remain the same–but your background & card sets don’t have to! You have the option of creating custom designs, from Brainium’s own Moon Dust design, to a photo of your choice in your photo library. Other features include choosing your play options, leaderboards, and a special unlimited ‘undo’ feature!

With their Solitaire app being only one month old in the App Store and only 3 weeks old in the Android Market, we chatted with Farhad Shakiba, Co-Founder of Brainium Studios, about the fast & on-going success of their free app in its first month, and how they leveraged Mobclix as their ad solution provider.

Total Downloads:  500,000+ worldwide since launch

Monthly Unique Users: 500,000+

1) What inspired you to build the app?

Beautiful, fun, and sensible design with careful attention to detail is one of our core values as a company. We felt like there was no Solitaire game in the market that captured the beauty and simplicity of the classic game and presented the game in a way that did justice to all the wonderful phones and tablets in the market. So we had to make one!

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

Developing freemium games that are focused on maximizing revenue by using in-app-purchases in an exploitive manner (as many products in the market seem to be doing) is completely against our core values. We believe having a fun game product is the most important requirement. Advertisements allow us to monetize our products easily, by providing real value to our users without polluting the game mechanics with virtual goods that may not necessarily fit that style of game.

3) Why did you choose Mobclix?

1. The revenue increase by using the large selection of Ad Networks in the Mobclix Exchange has been a fantastic experience financially.

2. Reducing the number of 3rd party SDKs needed to show ads has minimized complexity in developing our products.

3. The support and access to technical help is phenomenal. With Mobclix, you’re only an email away from reaching a real person who will get back to you in a timely manner and assist you with your questions.

4. The SDK is clearly designed with features that maximize value for the developers. Features such as custom ads for different platforms, and the ability to play nice with 3rd party SDKs.

5. Great support for multiple platforms.

4) What tips do you have for other developers?

• Focus on user experience first, and monetization second. Placing ads in places that don’t take away from the game experience keep your players coming back, which ultimately benefits you financially in the long-term.
• Invest in great design and quality. Gimmicks are easy to copy, but great user experience and design are hard to compete with.