Survey: Top 20% Of iPhone Devs Make 97% Of iOS Game Revenue

A survey carried out by a Canadian independent developer has found that, in terms of lifetime revenue from iOS releases, the top 20 percent of iOS developers earn approximately 97 percent of all game revenue taken via the App Store. Owen Goss, founder of Streaming Colour Studios and previously a developer at Electronic Arts Canada, audited 252 iPhone and iPad developers as part of an iOS Game Revenue Survey. The results also showed that the top one percent of iOS game developers -- again, in terms of lifetime revenue intake -- earn over a third of all game revenue from the App Store. Hence, the bottom 80 percent are earning just 3 percent of the revenue. The survey noted that 25 percent of iOS developers audited made more than $30,000 in lifetime total revenue, while in comparison, the bottom 25 percent have made less than $200 in total. Another 25 percent surveyed have made between $1,000 and $10,000 overall from iOS game sales. Finally, the study noted that groups of developers working together are able to earn more money from developing iOS titles, versus single developer studios, even after dismissing the fact that larger teams can produce games more quickly.