You are very welcome, you are very welcome! More great stuff on the way to go along with the new iPhone 4!
Proving my point that new iPhone owners will mistakenly think that you don't have to pay for any app with all the freebies from this and other promotions. It will spoil them and ruin the future sales for devs. But again as others have said it is the devs' decision to participate so what are we to say at this point? Whining and entitlement and demands for price cuts and sales will run rampant, but heck, it's a dog eat dog world out there in the app store world so I guess perpetuating that problem solves it. I dunno, I know I waffle here because I have seen both sides to the argument but making better and better apps (ones that have been featured by Apple even) free will decimate the smallest of the independent developers - those that can't even afford to participate in your program because of poor sales etc. I am sure you will answer that with you have instituted a sliding scale of pay perhaps. So no matter what I am wrong and I should probably stick to talking about free bread.
Correct, David, thank you. Also true: no, the buy-one-get-one-free happens once in a while but isn't the right marketing tool here in Germany. Sure, BOGO is practiced coupon-based by McDonalds and Burger King most of the time, but I don't think that many people actually use these coupons. I don't know why, but mostly we have sales on things. It may be that Germans don't trust things they get for free and are always looking suspicious at these free things and people who are giving something away freely. Sale is no problem, but free? Then there must be something wrong with it. Talk about mentality.
I never download anything that's free. I agree as a dev I'm probably not a typical consumer (although I do play a lot of games). For me, there's so much choice on the appstore, I don't have time to trawl throught endless free apps looking for a good one. Instead I know that I'm much more likely to get a good game if I spend (and do a little research if necessary). The money spent = time better spent. I don't plan on ever giving Spirit away for free. If it ever drops down to 0 sales a day c'est la vie, just need to get on with the next thing. It's sad though, as mentioned before, that we're starting to see genuinely quality games going free. One Man Left, what are you doing?? Surely things can't be that bad??
HA! What a coincidence that you have shown up. I was playing Spirit for 1-2 hours the day before yesterday and thought: "what a gem this game is - really worth the purchase." I believe that - if I had downloaded this game for free, maybe I could have deleted it already. But I appreciate the things I buy more than the free ones.
Thanks! Yeah this is a really interesting thread, I only just noticed it. I actually ended up finally putting my game up (it's $1.99 now), I feel in the long run it's probably a wiser decision. Hopefully all the people that have bought it will feel better off, and the game has a good bit more in it since it first came out at 99c. It seems logical to raise the price as the game gets better right? I still want to add lots more to it. Hopefully I should have some more time now to work on it now Gonna put my money where my mouth is here, (as I really will look the fool if in say, a month Spirit goes for free), but in addition to what was said before, I find that in principal, faad is objectionable. From a business perspective it's sound, it's actually a very good concept. But ethically, and for the future of the appstore? Hmm.... I mean look at the current situation, very competitive, lots of devs still hoping to make good money, most won't, lots of disappointment/worry everywhere for losses incurred. Prey on that worry, convince these devs (the majority) they can't afford *not* to pay for faad "look, everyone else is doing it right!" Quote a few success stories. Job Done. Nice constant stream of revenue. Ultimately I can't support them as their goal isn't to make a better appstore / better games / better community. Not a better anything actually, it's just make money. *edit * Just read that back and I come across as more than a bit self righteous. I don't mean to criticize the devs that have made the decision to do it, and I hope it's worked out for you
Putting it on 1.99$ was a wise decision, imho. This game is easily worth the price now. I even have some minor suggestions for your game, like adding 1-2 special power ups, for example, as well as a few other things I'd like to see in Spirit. If you like to know about these suggestions, I can contact you per PM. You just need to make Spirit more visible, but in other ways than making it free. Try giving 3-4 promo codes to touchAholics, so they can make this part of the contest in their friday code frenzy. The name of your app will be twittered all over the world in less than 2 hours. Try to reach people over Twitter and Facebook yourself - you wouldn't believe how many people you can reach. And it costs you nothing.
This is nicely put. I am happy to see a developer with a steady head and hand when it comes to the change price button. The only way to make a better app store is to hold fast to pricing. The more prices that drop the less the quality of apps because the developers that value their work will not tolerate their work going for free. The start of the app store produced some great hits, some of which are lucky enough to remain high on the charts. But by and large people scrambled, thought that copying games, or rushing out a game would give them a quick buck. The cream will always rise to the top as they say. I repeat that this is a creative way for ICS to make a business out of the app store when producing apps fail. I applaud their creativity to try to get their dinner on the table because at the end of the day isn't that what everyone is trying to do? But I don't like the seeming pressure it produces to already struggling developers. It takes advantage of their nervousness and panic. If it was a free service or something then I can see that, but because it charges for "marketing" all it is is a fancy marketing agency. Yes marketing is needed, I understand, but some of the methods that Vovin mentioned will not diminish the value of the market while bringing attention to their own apps. The bottom line of this marketing technique is the devalue of quality. Daredevil Dave is the latest in a great line of apps that other devs will nervously say - well gee if they had to do it I am going to have to do it. Daredevil Dave was in New and Noteworthy, was in What's Hot and now in this? I would much rather support a developer that sets their app to free to celebrate the birth of their child, or an anniversary or some such. Daredevil Dave just shows that if that quality of an app goes free, then at some point they all will and any astute consumer is going to wait for the free day rather than pay. That is not marketing, that is ruination. (and I also realize that by continuing on this debate it is only giving FAAD exposure and as they say any publicity is good publicity, so the longer this debate rages the more fuel is added to the FAAD fire)
Well said, NEG, well said. And the last paragraph - this is the only major drawback I am always thinking about...
I'm not so sure about that, I got Spirit for free by luckily grabbing a promo code (thank you Amroc!), and I would never consider deleting it. Great game. I think it's true that if you get a game for free (or even for $0.99), you're more likely to be overly critical of it/not give it enough of a chance, but I think the good games will always rise above that.
"The FreeAppADay.com App introduces Saving Private Sheep as Today's Featured Free App" http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/saving-private-sheep/id363147781?mt=8
Of course, FAAD was a good business idea, but the concept is definitely hurting too many devs. Plus so many posers such as Openfeint, greatappaday, freeappcalender, and tons of other retarded websites.
True, but some apps actually say "featured by greatappaday" Seriously, all this "free" stuff is hurting devs badly. Being an iPhone dev myself, I find it sad that some really great apps are getting bad ratings just because they're being made free.
Hi, It is a shame developers have felt the need to go this route, it does feel like a bit of an epidemic and there are a lot of people who do somply wait for games that fit the criteria of the giveaways to go free. This is indeed costing developers money they pay as revenue sharing and potential future sales. There does feel a sort of self fulfilling prophecy going here and what may have started as a good thing has turned to an avalanche of users not buying certains apps they assume, based on previous giveaways, they will go free. I certainly do not have the answers but since these giveaways have started, sales have been worse for a lot of developers and it has been more difficult for developers to get their app noticed. Case in point, DareDevil Dave, a great app by a great and very present developer ended up going this route. To me, one developer does it, another has to do it because the previous one did ad we just get one big cycle and can anyone say that things have improved in the appstore for developers, as a whole. Yes, you can make arguments for certain developers but there are plenty of stories that are not all that happy. Whoever comes up with the idea that solves the ills of the appstore will be revered by all, I just do not see the daily giveaways as solving the issue in the appstore and imo, has made things worse. Sorry for the long post, I have not really touched on this in my previous posts and thought I would add my opinion. Thanks for your time. David
Very nice sig. Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with the concept of FAAD, it's just the way that they implement it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't devs have to pay FAAD just to make their app free? I mean, (sorry for the language) WTF? Not only are they hurting their own sales by doing that, but they are also giving money to ICS Mobile. And then (as I mentioned previously) there are the ton of posers that are trying to copy FAAD and get noticed as well. I liked it much better before FAAD launched. I mean, some of the apps are good, but mostly it's just BS. Haha thanks for reading.
