I'm very close from submitting my latest game on Iphone and I'm a bit uncertain about releasing it universal or releasing 2 app : (iphone+retina) and (Ipad). universal: pros: - 1 version to manage/update/promote - customer have better experience - better for chart position (not sure about this one) - more likely to be promoted by Apple cons: - only 1 price 2 versions: pros: - 2 differents prices (more expensive on Ipad) - flexibility (can make different promotion, experience) cons: - bad user experience (if they own both devices) - more work to manage/update 2 apps At the end, I'll probably go the Universal road but there is this small voice in my head telling me that it might not be the best choice. What do you think? JC
Release 2 versions. Iphone only and a hd version which is universal. There you have the fexibility you need and people can choose what they need. Thats the current trend ive seen.
It's really a tossup. By having two separate identical versions you may piss off some people here and there, but at the same time pricing becomes an issue with a universal app. On the iPad it's not uncommon to spend $4.99 on an app, but on the iPhone you need to be in $0.99-$1.99 land to attract the masses. And if you decide to price it at the lower end, you're leaving money on the table that an iPad consumer would have probably paid for. Personally I would have two separate versions: A standard iPhone/iPod touch version iPad HD version that maybe contains some minor difference that is worth purchasing when someone wants to compare the two(maybe an extra stage or character or powerup or something)
why does the ipad version need to be different in any kind except using probably different slightly bigger assets for its bigger screen size? the ipad is owned by a different demographic than all thoose ipod touch users so genereal prices are higher along the bank and people buy it.. again the ipad market is alot smaller than the iphone market so prices are higher for a smaller more mature audience. recent releases like for example 2dboys world of goo show a good middle way with 2 versions, and the more expensive hd one being universal.. the ipad owner get the universal capabilities for free and thoose who don't need it get the cheaper iphone/touch version.. win/win for everyone except cheap children who think they have to get everything for 99cents.
I believe Apple requires a difference. Also think about the fact many iPad owners also own an iPhone and will not want to buy an app twice. I have both and there have been apps that I have not bought at all rather than buying twice.
Why not one universal and one ipod/iphone only? Only downside I see is that you might get complaints of universal ever drops to same price as the iphone version.
The game ARE different, one run on IPAD, not the other. There are LOAD of games even in the top 10 doing this with just adding HD at the end of the name. I know, I've got both device and I like universal Apps. But as a dev, I'm not making enought with 0.99$ apps. So, this is why having a universal app for 2.99$ and an iphone only at 0.99$ for example is a great solution. That's exactly what Ugly was saying, and that is exactly what I'm going to do.
I like the idea of 2 versions with the HD version being universal. We went with 1 universal app (Entertainment category) but almost all customers turned out to be iPad owners. Our next project after this update will be a game, and 2 versions is the best idea I've heard - HD being universal. Though I must add that when I purchased Real Racing 2 for $3 (it was on sale from it's normal $6 at the time), I was then an iPod Touch 4 owner...now that I'm an iPad 1 owner, the game is unplayable due to the 2x button being the only option, yet the game obviously contains *retina* textures, plus it's quite simple to measure the device's screen size at runtime to draw the correctly scaled 3D world and GUI (afterall the dimensions from iPhone4/iPod4 and iPad1/2 are so similar that there's no excuse - 960x640 and 1024x768)...Anyway, in the faster cars it is not possible to see the apex of a corner until you're on it due to block-o-vision 3G stylee. I don't fancy paying out again but as it's the most played game on the pad then I shall end up paying again just this time...
beleiving is not knowing.. since you are an owner of both devices you would have probably seen that most games are 1:1 on the devices.. so no need to play the guessing when there is more proof that there does not need to be any content differences.. and if you can afford both an iphone and a ipad and are then still cheap enough to dissmiss an app who splits thoose up.. then its your own fault.. apparently you are fine to spend couple hundred dollars on hardware but when it comes to single dollars for an app.. ouch that then hurts.. i own pretty much any iOS device apple released and use iphone and ipad constantly.. and i don't care if an app if the ipad version is more "expensive".. actualy is getting ridiculous to call 2-3 dollar software expensive.. and double dipping with the total cost of 4-5 dollars wow.. heartbreaking... but lets stop here else we get moved down into the garbage bin of price discussions.
I'm sure I've read that developers have been rejected for not providing enough difference between versions of an app, but cannot find the info. My Google searches keep finding posts about apps that duplicate Apple functionality rather than a sister app. I may be wrong. I made no suggestion at all on the price being too expensive. It is about double-dipping, which I will not do, especially when it could have been avoided. This is the way it is for many people. You may or may not feel it is wrong, but that is reality. As suggested, offering a universal HD version, and a cheaper non-iPad version is OK as it doesn't require double-dipping. By the way, World of Goo is a terrible example to follow. There are 2 apps with exactly the same device requirements, the same app size and the same description. The only differences noticeable on the App Store are the price, the HD in the title, and one has an image saying get the other if you have an iPad, even though the Requirements says that one works on the iPad.
somehow i hope you are trying to be joking every iphone app is compatible with the ipad and therefore the requirements are the same for a iphone game and a universal! and sure thats an terrible example to follow.. jeez, i find it really eye opening that some devs don't even understand the basic workings of the appstore.. and now please don't try to tell me thoose 2 versions will be confusing for customers.. as for double dipping, thats your pov. i see the iphone and the ipad as 2 different devices with a different demographic and therefore the given possibility of apple to be allowed to make an universal build is a humble offering of theirs and not a necessity on part of the developer. multiplayform titles on console etc. are also sharing a huge chunk of the same sources so what.. i still need to buy the ps3 and psp version of a game if theire is.. or the pc version and 360 ones.. bahh crysis2 is multiplatform and avaiable for one why can't i just pay once for everything.. in the end i think you are just cheap to even consider bad doing from a dev if he offers seperate sd/hd versions who are non universal. i double dipped alot for titles i enjoy playing and the combines price was still a steal imho. if you think 3 dollars for both cut the rope versions is to expensive, or 4$ for angry birds then there is seriously something wrong on your side.. especialy from a developer i usualy expect a different valuation of games, since they offer stuff themself and know how much time/effort/money goes into creating them..
From a consumer standpoint (I'm not a developer but could absolutely do some amazing voice over work for free), nothing rubs me the wrong way worse then when I've already purchased an app for my iTouch and then asked to shell out another $5 for the privilege of playing playing the same game on my iPad. I was really soured when this happened with Minigore. The original iPad release was not only more expensive then the iPhone version, it actually lacked fewer features. Slowly, over time this has been rectified, but the initial release was a pure cash grab. For a game I like playing, say Trenches - is there no way to offer an in app purchase to upgrade to the iPad version for say $3 instead of $5? This would respect the fact that the consumer has already purchased one version for $1 to $2? Just some thoughts.. Vaux
The way SuperBrothers handled Sword & Sorcery was brilliant. They released iPad-only version first. Later, they released an iPhone-only version at lower price point, while simultaneously updating the iPad version to be universal. Consumer wins - early adaptors are rewarded. Developer wins - they get two "new release" windows. Moreover, with this approach, you can use the smaller iPad market to collect precious feedback from users to refine the game and your marketing tactics before the critical iPhone launch.
So do you asked apple for a price cut on your ipad? Since you already got an itouch and that would be fair right? Because the hardware is nearly identical only a bigger touch screen? Right? And next year when you upgrade they should factor in all money you already invested in hardware right? And youre wrong you already have the privilege to run your itouch software on the ipad in 2x even if you want. Thats not native right, but that cost more money. No one forces you to buy both. Like no one forced you to buy both hardware. But apparently hardware is ok software is not, weird dont you think? @stroffo: thats exactly what 2d boys did before them and what we discussed earlier in this thread
