Impulse

Impulse

2014 - iOS game with a physics engine (Objective-C, SpriteKit)

This was my first serious project which was released and used by real people!

All my efforts prior to this were building websites with HTML, CSS and PHP.

At some point in 2012/2013 I realised the shift to mobile and thus started learning how to make mobile apps.

I started learning by reading books and watching tutorials on YouTube for Objective-C and Xcode.

However, there was an issue, Xcode was a mac only app. So I began scouring eBay and Gumtree for an Intel mac (yes PowerPC's were still abundant) which wouldn't break the bank. I remember the trek to South Wimbledon including a tube ride followed by a bus to purchase a 2007 iMac for £200. A bargain!

Upon learning Objective-C, I wanted to experience the process of building and releasing an app. SpriteKit SDK was a recent development in Xcode so I decided to build a simple yet addictive game and hopefully see it take off like Flappy Bird.

After a month of on/off building in my summer holidays, I released Impulse in July 2014.

It generated possibly a total of just $18 in ad revenue, with more than 2000 downloads. An annual net loss of £60 minus $10 after paying for the yearly Apple developer program fee.

Despite the lack of downloads, this was a starting point for my addiction to building. I hadn't found a better feeling than seeing actual humans use and enjoy a creation of mine.

Hassan Tahir