Epic's Infinity Blade turns over $1.6m in 5 days

As much as I'd love to say this game beat out the odds purely by technical achievement and entertainment value, I can't ignore the fact that Apple was pushing this from the start. First off, the game was used in an Apple keynote and demoed there. Then, immediately upon release it became Apple's Game Of the Week.

I have a feeling that the average person didn't even know about this game or why it was "one of the most technically impressive iOS titles to date". The 274,000 copies is largely a result of Apple advertising it. That said, there really is nothing wrong with that. I just wonder how well a technically inferior game would have sold under the same conditions and in the same price bracket.

I think that is pretty unfair Dustin, there have been a ton of titles out there that were promoted and featured by Apple -including keynote stuff such as need for speed and Rolando.

Apple promotes games that they believe are elite. Elite games sell better because they are elite. This rule spans across the video game platforms. Of course it became Apples Game of the Week, the main reason behind that was that it is Apples game of the week and probably across all platforms including DSi, PSP, Android etc. I would actually go a step father and say that this game will win game of the year across the board.

It really is a special game and I think Chair/Epic raised the bar to the extent that the other publishers will now be expected to compete technically. A reviewer friend of mine literally said on Saturday that IB makes Hero's of Sparta look like Donkey Kong.

For disclosure, yes I work in the video game industry and no I have zero affiliation to Epic.

The 274K copies is actually wrong because only 35% of the user base actually enables game center.

Not to gang up on Dustin, but there's also the point that even without Apples promotional support, a supremely polished, exciting product carries it's own social influence, especially on an accessible, widely distributed platform where picking up a game is just a few taps away from your home screen.

Though I'd been following the development of IB myself, it didn't take long for plenty of other people to independently recommend it or downright press it in my face, as I did for others simply because I found it to be exceptional.

Considering what Epic may end up pulling in with this title, I wonder if IB might spur higher-end development on phones, forcing them into even greater competition with DS, PSP, etc. It's fun to think of what a AAA category for iPhone/Android devices might look like but certainly, it would allow me to room to pitch more expensive/immersive projects.