- After nearly a decade of solo game development, Rockbite Games was on the verge of closing its doors.
- The team was hesitant to work with a publisher, but partnering with AppQuantum provided the support needed for a resurgence.
Founded in 2016 by Avetis Zakharyan [pictured left] and Gevorg Kopalyan [pictured right], Rockbite Games is the creator of popular titles like Sandship, Idle Outpost, and DeepTown Idle Mining Factory, boasting over 10 million downloads.
However, the journey wasn’t without challenges. Despite early success with DeepTown, the studio faced critical mistakes that almost led to its closure. Yet, through collaboration with a publishing company, Rockbite revitalized and rebounded stronger than ever.
In this exclusive post, the founders share the compelling story of the studio’s evolution.
Not too long ago, we were on the brink of shutting down Rockbite Games after more than a decade of independent game development. We were running out of funds, burning through cash rapidly, and had a vast portfolio of games.
Fast forward to today, and we have Idle Outpost with over 7.5 million installs, boasting the highest net profit among competitors in the market. The project is experiencing tremendous growth.
Had we not encountered typical startup missteps and fears, we might have achieved great success sooner. While we had a successful project before, the profits somehow veered off course. This serves as a learning lesson for other game studios.
This narrative isn’t a template or a list of suggestions; it’s our genuine story, stripped of unnecessary details. Each reader can derive value from it in their unique way.
First Venture, First Triumph, and First Hurdles
Back in 2010, both of us, Avetis Zakharyan and Gevorg Kopalyan, abandoned our jobs to pursue our game development dream. Armed with $4000, we bought desks and computers, hired two more individuals, and kick-started our journey from scratch.
We began generating income, expanded our team, and shifted from remote work to the most budget-friendly office we could find – the classic startup mode.
Over the years, we developed numerous games – reaching a point where we stopped counting after around 50. Looking back, we acknowledge our early games were far from perfect, but the nascent market embraced them.
We started earning revenue, hired more team members, and transitioned to a modest office space – adhering to the quintessential startup path. Our game quality improved gradually, culminating in a major success with DeepTown, which still features on Google Play’s Editors’ Choice list.
The development spanned nine months, and by the project’s completion, our funds were almost depleted. However, the game resonated with players, and with over $5 million in earnings, we navigated through, emerging triumphant.
The story could have concluded there, right? We experimented with several endeavors and eventually struck gold, earning substantial profits. If only.
Subsequently, the typical startup blunders ensued.
To celebrate, we moved into a lavish office space – ten times the size of our previous one – and underwent an elaborate renovation. We even mimicked the office aesthetics of industry behemoths, neglecting the essence of creating more (and better) games.
We crafted Sandship, a complex game centered on constructing a factory, logistics, and resource processing. Deviating from typical mobile games, we endeavored to emulate the PC gaming experience, resulting in a product that was overly intricate and convoluted.
We created Sandship, a sophisticated game revolving around factory construction, logistics management, and resource processing. Diverging from conventional mobile game norms, we aimed to capture the essence of PC gaming, leading to a complex and overly intricate product.
Catering to our own gaming preferences from childhood, we unintentionally overlooked player preferences, resulting in an exorbitant CPI of $10. The game displayed promise, but we failed to realize the significance of maintaining reasonable costs.
