One of the most transformational aspects of the digital age in which we live is the ability of talented young people to make a name for themselves overnight. This is especially true for app developers, many of whom are snapped up by large firms at an early age should they demonstrate enough potential, as happened with the creator of Summly in 2014.
Though he may not have hit the big time quite yet, Hungarian developer Zoltán Gubics seems set to reach there soon. With over a million downloads, the RPG he developed “Medieval Apocalypse”, is a hit. Tasking players with destroying zombies as a knight, the game has achieved a rating of 4.5 stars on the Windows Phone Store, from 978 users (at the time of writing).
Gubics, a recent graduate from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, used Unity to develop the game, which he found to have a number of benefits, stating,
“I really like that Unity supports Universal Apps for Windows 8.1. I can develop and maintain a single code base – including app logic and even some parts of the user interface – and then publish on multiple platforms. As an independent developer, this is so important.”
This seems to lend credence to Microsoft’s theory that, by developing an enhanced unified code base in Windows 10, more small-scale app developers will be drawn to the platform. This was not the only reason however as monetization played a key role in his decision, as he explains,
“I monetize my games through in-app purchases and advertising because most users won’t even consider downloading an app if it’s not free; the improved Microsoft Advertisement SDK helps to create a compelling ad experience. I cross-promote my games using systems like AdDuplex and AdDeals combined with in-house banners.”
Going on to state that Windows 8.1 offers even more such options, it is little wonder that he has chosen to develop the platform.
If this is to be taken as evidence for the success of Microsoft’s approach, then it certainly one thing. That is of course that while app developers aren’t flocking to Windows, those who do stay for a reason.
Do you use Medieval Apocalypse? Let us know in the comments below.
