Eighth Grader's 'Bubble Ball' Is Most Downloaded Game on iTunes

Sara Yin - PC Magazine

A mobile game developed by an eighth grader is the most downloaded free app at the App Store, unseating bestsellers like Angry Birds lite, Geared 2, and Cookie Ninja.

Bubble Ball, a multi-level physics puzzle involving a bouncing ball and moveable ramp, was developed by 14-year-old Robert Nay of Spanish Fork, Utah. The game was posted by his company, Nay Games, on December 29, 2010, and has been downloaded over two million times.

In an interview with Good Morning America, Nay, who reportedly built his first website in third grade, explained his motivation, "My friends suggested I try making an iPhone app and I thought, 'Why not? That'd be pretty cool.'"

So Nay went to his local library to research mobile software programming and learned about Corona SDK tools from Ansca Mobile, which he found easy to use because of a built-in physics engine. According to All Things Digital, Nay's mom, Kari Nay, helped him design some of the levels and submit it to the App Store, but that Robert did all the coding.

In a press release Ansca Mobile said, "We wholeheartedly congratulate Robert on his initial success and we are eagerly looking forward to his future creations. Wait until he gets a little more experience under his belt and really unleashes the power of Corona SDK!"

Good Morning America asked Nay if he planned to make another game. Channeling an experienced entrepreneur, Nay didn't blink: "It's secret for now."

Bubble Ball is available for download at the App Store and Android Marketplace.

Watch Good Morning America's interview with Robert Nay below: