Released a week ago and selling a copy every second in the App Store with more than 86k downloads on the second day of availability, the Tap Tap Tap developers have just announced the impressive sales numbers for The Heist, a MacHeist-related iPhone app that, through a series of puzzles to complete, grants users access to a free prize. Priced at $0.99 and available only for the iPhone and iPod touch, The Heist has sold half a million copies in 7 days – 501,813 sales in 6.5 days to be exact for $300,000 in revenue (that’s after Apple’s cut). Tap Tap Tap believes this has to be a new record in the App Store as their previous (successful) app Voices sold 500,000 copies in one month, and The Heist has overtaken Rovio’s Angry Birds for 5 days in a row now. The app will eventually fall down the charts as novelty wears off and people beat the game, but the results in this week of availability are impressive nonetheless.
In most countries The Heist popped into the top, pushing its way past a group of established App Store brands – Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja, more Angry Birds, Tiny Wings, Angry Birds, etc., and we think by benefit of not being familiar, and rather being totally fresh, The Heist enjoyed a particularly strong surge of interest and sales once the app started experiencing #1 charting exposure. (The #1 spot is not only representative of how well your app is doing, but also is arguably the most valuable and highly tapped ‘shelf space’ on the App Store.)
A lot of people are sick of Angry Birds, and while we have no expectations on knocking it out for more than an abberation of a week, we are definitely proud to have dispelled the ridiculous notion that your app and app icon has to have a bird in it to take #1. Though to be fair, we’re going to have a helluva time merchandising a vault door.
The Heist’s success doesn’t surprise considering Tap Tap Tap’s background and the popularity of MacHeist among iOS and Mac users, though these numbers may have exceeded expectations even for the team that every year organizes contests and bundles to get Mac software at a discounted price. Tap Tap Tap explains on its blog the various “tactics” that allowed the app to climb the App Store charts this fast (including press coverage, word of mouth, email newsletter, and so forth), so if you’re a developer and you’re planning on creating the next Heist or Angry Birds, make sure to check out Tap Tap Tap’s story to get an overview of what’s like to have a tremendous App Store success.
