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'Squids' Goes Free, And Now It's A Better Game

posted March 22nd, 2012 5:59 PM EDT by Brad Nicholson in Adventure, Free, iPad Games, iPhone games, iPod touch games, News, Role-Playing, Sales, Strategy, Universal

The Game Bakers' fast-paced and creatively endowed strategy RPG, Squids [Free], is now available for the agreeable price of $0 from now until the end of the weekend. Grab it while you can -- not only because it's free, but because this new, lower price point makes Squids a better game.

In our review, we argued that its original pricing of ($.99 at launch, $1.99 after) was a problem. The game, for all of its awesomeness, seemed too reliant on its IAP model during the late game. Free-to-play mechanics work best when the offering is, you know, free. Squids at no cost sort of erases the trepidation you may or may not have about buying a fistful of pearls or any of the store's items, thus the problem just... disappears.

App Store Link: Squids, $1.99 (Universal)

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  • CHannum

    Just never backing down from the complete stupidity of that review no matter how many people tell you that you were full of crap I see.

    No, it was never reliant on IAP and it launched at $0.99 and stayed there for a full month, but don't let facts get in the way of a non-apology retconn of your completely laughable excuse for a review.

    • http://twitter.com/nicholsonb Brad Nicholson

      Look, even the developer agreed with our opinion. Calm down.

      • http://toucharcade.com Eli Hodapp

        Yep, we talked about it at length with him at GDC.

      • CHannum

        I love how you assume they agreed with you as opposed to, I don't know, trying to avoid future hits to their bottom line from reviewers who should just quit their job. You can't even remember what price it launched at, you insisted from the beginning that it was somehow "free to play" even though nothing in the game resembled typical FTP games, and no part of your stated experiences resemble anything in the actual game, but, sure, the dev agreed their game was too reliant on IAP.

        Want to buy a bridge?

      • http://twitter.com/VULTR3 Mike

         I'd like to buy a bridge. Are you selling it for $0 and in-bridge purchases?

      • http://twitter.com/nicholsonb Brad Nicholson

        I feel like you should be talking to a therapist and not me.

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=222300569 Andrew Jones

        Absolutely correct, the original review was totally rubbish. IAP are not required to complete this game and NEVER were at any stage. The dev merely agreed as they are far more humble than the reviewer was over this issue.

    • Alex

      I completely back you up.  This person clearly can not admit to his own mistake even when EVERYONE says he was wrong.

      • Mike Culbertson

        Yes, because the best reviewers are the ones that bow to external pressure.

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=222300569 Andrew Jones

        That is correct; however, they should be able to apologise and make adjustments when they have been proven to be incorrect numerous times.

  • http://twitter.com/kind_simian Chip Hannum

    I'd like to know how I got banned from posting comments for the above (yes, that's right, TA banned my Disqus profile from posting because of the above comments).

    • Noah

      Wow! Did they really? That's kind of uncalled for...

  • Robert Jimenez

    Why when I was a young boy, we had holes in our shoes, had to walk up and down frigid hills, and pay $50 for quality video games! Why we never complained as that was the style at the time and another thing......... ZZZzzzzz!

  • himanshu modi

    I love TA and spend an unhealthy amount of time here. But this obsession that Squids requires IAP is just wrong on part of TA. What sort of validation are you looking from the dev when you say he agrees? Did you go up to him and ask dude, can your game be finished without unreasonable grinding and without any IAPs and he said no? You play the game and decide. A lot of people have put their word in. A lot of people, who might have some indie bias... but heaven knows that the bias against IAP is a hell lot stronger. A whiff of unbalance IAP and forum members would have been lunging at the devs eye-balls... metaphorically speaking.

  • Daniel Hulgin

    5 stars for a grind fest with tons of IAP like ib2 and jetpack joyride....yet blast this dev for a way less grindy experience... Sure seems legit their brad and Eli. Or do you wish to clarify why ib2 and jetpack joyride get a free pass on being grindy and having IAP?

  • UnSurreal

    All I know is that this is great game... pick it up.

  • Noah

    Squids WAS a great game! I'm really hoping they come out with a sequel soon :)

  • http://twitter.com/VovinX Vovin

    Via Twitter:

    Brad Nicholson
    ‏
    @nicholsonb

    Cool. Maybe that guy didn't suggest I die
    over a review? When someone tells me to buy I bridge, I assume it's
    because they want me to jump.

    Nissa Campbell
    ‏
    @NissaCam

    @nicholsonb The Squids post? Love how the asshole runs with a photo of his kid up front, dad of the year right there.

     

    Eli Hodapp
    ‏
    @hodapp

    @nicholsonb Done! Where's my easy button to slam?

      Brad Nicholson
    ‏
    @nicholsonb

    @hodapp Internet high five!

     
    Brad Nicholson
    ‏
    @nicholsonb

    Had an Internet tough guy suggest that I kill myself because of a video game review he didn't agree with. That's a first.

     

    Brad Nicholson
    ‏
    @nicholsonb

    @hodapp We should ban that prick in the Squids story. Check out the Internet tough guy.

  • http://toucharcade.com Eli Hodapp

    Well, Brad wins the contest for craziest comments of the day.


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