In App Purchases in Free Apps now available.

Discussion in 'Public Game Developers Forum' started by blt3d, Oct 15, 2009.

  1. xxxmind

    xxxmind Well-Known Member

    As a dev, my strategy was to release an app, and if it sells good, we add more mode (or a new game like feature) into that app. If not, I just make another app with the same idea which was going to be put into a good selling app.

    However if you can make a free app with dlc, i would be making an app which will integrate all my app into one and try to reach as many audience as possible and try to sell dlc which will have different games. This is like having my own platform and/or app-store. I think this will help more than having different paid app in app store everywhere unnoticed. Anybody else thought this way? What do you guys think of my idea?

    edit: also I would be increasing my paid app as the same free app have more dlc. (and paid app will have same amount of contents for free update!)
     
  2. DaveMc99

    DaveMc99 Well-Known Member

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  3. arn

    arn Administrator
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  4. blt3d

    blt3d Well-Known Member

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    I for one hope this eliminates the current "race to the bottom" pricing trend in the App Store. At least for games anyway.

    BTW, any opinions on these new In App Purchase services, iLime and UrbanAirship? As a Unity Basic user, the thought of trying to integrate my own content server with Xcode just gives me a headache:rolleyes:
     
  5. Little White Bear Studios

    Little White Bear Studios Well-Known Member
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    I think as long as it's in the current version of the game, you can unlock anything at all. I think that would include new games. I don't think there's anything stopping me from updating TanZen Lite to include all the code for Zentomino Lite, and selling it as DLC.

    Anyone who's done DLC know for sure?
     
  6. xdanleex

    xdanleex Well-Known Member

    Sep 28, 2009
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    kinda sounds lame.. a free app now has a good advantage for our pockets. for example:
    mike: hey you guys saw jelly car? its fun
    bob:yeah i guess but it says to play another stage, i need to pay the government 100,000 dollar and punch myself. also to change your car, you need to pay $1000000... sounds good?
    mike: yeah!!!!!!!!
    ... sorry... got bored...
     
  7. arn

    arn Administrator
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    come to think of it, that is probably right.

    arn
     
  8. xxxmind

    xxxmind Well-Known Member

    Yup, the game will be data itself to the free app. It's going to be interesting to see how things happen in App Store. It's just bad that I have to work more and harder for in app purchase thing :(
     
  9. arn

    arn Administrator
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    no, Apple's rules were very clear that you can't bundle an executable as DLC. It's why there was so much drama around C64. Unless they changed it. I don't have access to the new terms & cond.

    I'm guessing they want all code going through the update process.

    arn
     
  10. Little White Bear Studios

    Little White Bear Studios Well-Known Member
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    You know, this could make for some interesting Buy One, Get One Free bundle/cross promotion scenarios.
     
  11. ChaoticBox

    ChaoticBox Well-Known Member

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    I seriously hope Apple won't approve a paid version plus a free+DLC version that results in exactly the same app. That's the same clutter as lite versions with added confusion - I doubt that's what they intended with this change...
     
  12. David Tiger

    David Tiger Well-Known Member

    I can't say I love the change. There are some big potential problems for game developers like Tiger Style.

    First, if you want to make pay-to-play games, you are now more actively competing with games on the free charts. Today, if you're looking for a "legit" gaming experience on the iPhone, you don't go to the free charts. This may change, especially if devs do what Apple suggests and make their app into a free demo by default, with the remainder of the game content available via in-app purchase.

    Second, the free-to-play with in-app-purchase model promotes game designs tailored around a monetization scheme, which is lame. Speaking as both a gamer and as a game developer, I don't want the iPhone gaming market to more closely resemble the Facebook gaming market. In-app purchases do not provide a "cool" or "interesting" constraint to design around; rather, they insert real-world economics directly and artificially into the game experience.

    I'd rather build a complete work and sell it once for what it's worth. Call me old-fashioned.
     
  13. ktfright

    ktfright Well-Known Member

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    this can also mean that people who bitch about a too high game price can buy little by little, until they end up already having paid for what they want.
     
  14. Little White Bear Studios

    Little White Bear Studios Well-Known Member
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    I'll bet you they will allow it. No way they can check that for every app, given the review process.
     
  15. DaveMc99

    DaveMc99 Well-Known Member

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  16. David Tiger

    David Tiger Well-Known Member

    They already allowed paid + DLC = full version for Rolando 2.

    Not to say they won't change the rules at some point in the future.. but at the moment it seems kosher. Now Apple can expect an enormous flood of updated (or brand new) lite versions!
     
  17. ChaoticBox

    ChaoticBox Well-Known Member

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    Well, there goes what remained of my sanity.
     
  18. arn

    arn Administrator
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    I don't know. Ngmoco was clearly the poster child for it, and released this app for that purpose. But I don't see Rolando 2 + individual level packs being a huge win for all devs. I mean, how many people will actually buy all 6 packs? Or just buy one pack, and never finish.

    The economics of this are going to be complicated. And if you aren't ngmoco with a launch product like this, I'm not sure it's going to be a clear win.

    arn
     
  19. xxxmind

    xxxmind Well-Known Member

    arn, I am not trying to add any executable. Adding new game contents doesn't necessarily mean adding separate executable. Like Little White Bear Studios
    mentioned, there would be bunch of codes to run different games.
     
  20. Little White Bear Studios

    Little White Bear Studios Well-Known Member
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    That's probably where this is going to work best for games. High priced ($5+) full versions, that can also be split into playable $1 chunks for those on a budget.
     

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