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In 2007, Joe Bayen had left his job at an online game development company to explore mobile technology after the introduction of the iPhone. He developed FreeAppADay.com and built it into a popular platform, but changes in Apple’s App Store meant that the business model was no longer applicable and he had to shut down operations.
Now, he’s the founder and CEO of FreeGameCredits.com, a startup welcomed into tech incubator Science Inc.’s headquarters and looking to hire more members to the team.
“Science was literally a block down from where we were located, in Santa Monica,” Bayen said. “I knew Mike Jones, the founder and CEO [of Science Inc.]…He convinced me to come down here and start something new as part of Science, Inc. So I purchased FreeGameCredits.com about two years ago and I had no idea what I was going to do with it.”
Because of the App Store’s shift to focus on premium apps, Bayen had to revamp his former business model and figure out how to incorporate the most bang for the developers’ buck—or rather, the most downloads for the in-game currency.
FreeGameCredits.com promotes a certain number of apps each day, enticing players to take advantage of the offered on the platform and introduce friends and more players to the game, increasing its impact. The website just launched on June 27.
“This concept was never done before. In the past, you couldn’t offer in-game currency to specific audience in a time sensitive manner,” Bayen said. “In my part and in Science’s part, we essentially proved that the platform is working.”
This proof comes in the form of Real Boxing, an app developed by Vivid Games and promoted on FreeGameCredits.com. It generated around 2 million installations and the revenue “increased dramatically—it essentially increased tenfold,” Bayen said. Because of this success, “A lot of the same developers we’re working with—Shazam, DNA, Big Fish Games, and more—we are slowly planning more and more titles with FreeGameCredits.com.”
With more titles comes more need for team members, and Bayen said right now FreeGameCredits.com operates thanks to a three-person team in Science Inc.’s studio, though the resources are shared with other startups. He said they’re looking to hire in sales and on the operational side, especially with new titles set to launch in mid- to late-August or early September.
“It’s an amazing start,” Bayen said.
