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The #1 Paid App: Koi Pond

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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Who could have predicted that the persistent #1 paid application on the iPhone would be a $0.99 pond simulator. The Blimp Pilot's Koi Pond [$0.99. App Store] application that is just that.

The developers describe their creation:

Imagine gazing into a pond of crystal clear water. Picture bright, playful koi swimming through its shallow depth. So close... Can you touch them?

You run your fingers across the cool surface of the pond. Water ripples away from your touch. The koi, disturbed, dart away. Only to quickly forget and swim close to you once more..."
Click to expand...

Like others, we thought its popularity to be a fluke. But Koi Pond has held the top spot in the iTunes App Store for weeks now. It only sees temporary dips to 2nd place when a formerly popular free application decides to start charging for their app. This small dip never lasts though.

Here's a video of the newest version of Koi Pond which appeared in the App Store this week.

Youtube Video.

Article Link
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2008/08/20/the-1-paid-app-koi-pond/
How is this even possible? I guess people will indeed buy just about anything!
 
Sky Blue said:
#1 paid app is that disco ball thing
Click to expand...

From the article: "It only sees temporary dips to 2nd place when a formerly popular free application decides to start charging for their app. This small dip never lasts though." Disco Ball was a free app until very recently. It won't be #1 for long.

I'd love to see sales data from Koi Pond's developers. It's a pretty neat app for 99 cents. Everyone I've shown it to has downloaded it.
 
seems like it would be a good computer screensaver, not sure why else you'd have it *shrug*
 
I agree in the confusion as to how something like this is so popular...

But the more I think about it, the more inclined I am to drop a dollar on it...
It is only a dollar afterall...

Mmmmm...
 
That's exactly it, it's so cheap it's an easy "impulse" purchase.

That's the beauty of the iPhone's micro-revenue App Store. Rather than price apps at 20 or 30 euros and get a few thousand sales, they're priced at 1 or 2 euros and will get tens if not hundreds of thousands of sales.
 
I bought it because it keeps my 2 year old busy when he starts having a temper tantrum in the store. The same with "Bubbles" app.
 
I'm one of the thousands of people that forked over 99¢ for this app and I don't regret it for a second. This is one of the coolest apps around. Very aesthetically pleasing. I find myself spending more time than I'd care to admit just running my fingers through the water and watching the waves move around.

tkidBOSTON said:
I agree in the confusion as to how something like this is so popular...

But the more I think about it, the more inclined I am to drop a dollar on it...
It is only a dollar afterall...

Mmmmm...
Click to expand...

Just buy it already. You know you want it, and it's only a dollar.
 
never even noticed it before and just from the descriptions on this thread, I want it....for $.99. were it $2, well that'd be completely different.
 
aerospace said:
seems like it would be a good computer screensaver, not sure why else you'd have it *shrug*
Click to expand...

I bought it just to see what it was all about, 1-2 days later my girlfriend saw my account debited for $1.05 and asked me what I bought. I told/showed her and said "that is the dumbest thing you could of possibly have bought for the iphone". I didn't go yell at her for paying $9.99 for mrs pacman. But whatever.

Anyway, I love it, it provides a good ambiance on my office desk.
 
I refuse to buy these stupid, gimmick apps. At the end of the day, I use maybe 3 or 4 apps after trying out dozens.
 
First time I saw this app I thought it was ridiculous and a waste of 99c... but I downloaded it anyways and I'm quite impressed. Not a whole lot to do really I suppose, but with the most recent update it looks pretty damn good...
Hard to believe having a few fish swim around your screen could be so popular!
 
rdowns said:
I refuse to buy these stupid, gimmick apps. At the end of the day, I use maybe 3 or 4 apps after trying out dozens.
Click to expand...

At first I thought the same thing, but just by looking at the neat things that you could do as shown in the demo makes me want to buy it. I agree, there's tons of junk in the app store, but this one is worth more than a dollar.

-the graphics are stunning.
-you can feed the fish
-and the fish nibble at your finger
 
Well, my first reaction is

"Dang, this is stupid."

But as I start thinking about it...

it is a much cheaper alternative to getting some real pet fish while being just as much fun (which is almost none.)

Now they just need to make it so you can pinch the fish to take them out of the water and torture them (kidding.)

I guess when you're sitting in a waiting room and the doctor was just too cheap to buy some fish to calm you... you can get out your virtual fish and calm yourself.
 
I think it shows how useless most of these apps are if this is the top-selling app.

Friend: "Wow, I see you have a new iPhone, what can it do?"

You: "I can watch digital fish swimming around on my screen while my battery gets drained, isn't that kewl!"

:rolleyes:
 
Hi there y'all, new member and iPhone owner here, and I personally LOVE Koi Pond. Not only is it relaxing as all get out, it's a great "show off" application. :) Nice to meet y'all. :)
 
I don't get it, I won't be buying it. I'd much rather demonstrate the iPhone to someone with Labyrinth or something equally impressive.
 
Trajectory said:
I think it shows how useless most of these apps are if this is the top-selling app.

Friend: "Wow, I see you have a new iPhone, what can it do?"

You: "I can watch digital fish swimming around on my screen while my battery gets drained, isn't that kewl!"

:rolleyes:
Click to expand...
As has been previously mentioned - sure there's a lot of crap on the App Store, but not everything has to have a purpose. This developer obviously touched a nerve if his application has been on top for several weeks running - sometimes people just like to have *fun* - if you've already spent hundreds on an iPhone or iPod Touch, what's one more dollar? It's not like he's selling Koi Pond for $100.
 
Dumb App! I paid for it, installed it and removed it. I usually don't keep the apps on my iphone if I don't like them. Did the same with Frogger which was about 7.99 if I can remember.
 
Looks interesting but I am not paying for it cause I will play with it for 5 minutes and that would be it.
 
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