This is and always has been a much much better game than Outland. I like how the devs done the free one so that all those who paid already don't get ads. You should download and then pretend you don't like it.
1) Would you have rather the devs screw over their existing fans by making the paid game freemium with ads? This is the considerate and fair way of offering a free version 2) You're talking about the combat platformer Outland on PSN and XBLA? The two games are absolutely nothing alike. Guacamelee is a closer analog to Outland and neither are the first to offer some kind of world/color swapping mechanic. Polara and Outland are not comparable at all so that statement really doesn't make any sense. A game like Bobbing is more comparable to Polara. This is a fast paced precision runner that takes its core mechanic and wrings it for all its worth, delivering inventive and varied hazards to avoid and a huge amount of content between its campaign and endless modes. Quick reflexes and reaction are a must to succeed. I consider Polara an IOS classic and easily deserves a download, if not your money and support for the paid version
There's no tactic behind any of this. The store(a), including the one you covet, are riddled with free to play, pay hurdles and all sorts of psychologically placed mechanisms to make you want to give cash. I understand your concern and want to let you know that I was actually a champion of not going to that style of software and in fact was published on Penny Arcade talking about how hard it is when NOT using these 'tactics'. All it got me was a lot of negative feedback from the general public. So in order to quell the worry of people deciding whether or not to pay a full dollar for our games that we spent nearly a year each on, we released with as support to let others try the game while we try to recoup the costs. And so you're aware, in 3 years I haven't seen any money from this...no salary. The game was placed on a lot of top 10/top 20 lists but made no money because people in the mobile space aren't interested in spending on these 'toss away' titles. And you can't expect devs to do this for free. Nor are we creating gifts for all the phone users out there. But...we are consumers ourselves and understand the pressure of choices. So we alleviate it by offering another alternative. And the game, by the way, is more based on Canabalt meeting Ikaruga or Trine. Because it's a person running and is red and blue, you instantly attach it to Outland. Totally understandable, but it's a different title, different content, and not a Metroidvania game. I think you should try it out! A lot of people really liked this title
Do you have a link to that article? Would like to read it Devs, you doubly earn my respect. As an avid IOS and indie gamer, it's so frustrating to see IOS games be considered inferior and seeing devs have to devalue their months of hard work and effort to sell it a game for free or $1. IOS gaming has matured greatly, yet the ever looming shadow of freemium constantly undermines any kind of worthwhile growth and change. It's truly a travesty, when people feel $1, $2, $3 is too expensive for a quality polished experience and when amazing experiences are dismissed at a glance because they're mobile titles. It's gamers like us, devs like you, and just IOS gaming in general that suffers I've tried to share my opinions on various forums, but that mentality, which is fostered by the practices of many devs, is so prevalent.
Unfortunately all the articles on Penny Arcade Report are linking back to the pa homepage. However I was able to track down another copy that Sophie Prell posted here: http://www.hammerfistclan.com/forum/f14/quality-isn-t-enough-how-producing-good-game-may-have-helped-kill-studio-552971/ You can find the article on PA Reports site, has a smashed iPhone on it and has the same title. However you'll have to read it at the link I provided.
You did the right thing by keeping the premium version intact and releasing a lite. You have my support 100%. This is a great game and I hope you get a boat more sales. I ask the general public out there to support this dev, and also to encourage publications of lites, instead of freemium bait and switches. The dev did the right thing here, he is to be commended.
Don't know what to say. That was a depressing read. And you're still struggling to collect a salary? Damn it, wish there was something more I or the rest of us could do to help besides just spreading the word. You and your team deserve more. That mentality of wait till it's free, it's too expensive, of the need for freemium is killing great developers and letting the ones that promote freemium practices thrive. Good luck, hope you find the means to continue your work.
Great Game. Just got flawless on level 1 Love the music too. Games of this quality are worth more than .99.
When I saw this thread in the deals forum I was ready to mark another dev off my buy list. Glad that is not the case and this is a separate app. I bought the game already so I don't need this version but I greatly appreciate this path to free over giving the finger to the customer base like a lot of devs do. Kudos. It's sad y'all have made zero with this. But I did pay so I wonder where that money went? I mean did it pay an artist or just keep the $100 apple dev license or what?
The money goes into the cost of making the title. There were contracted artists and programmers that have helped us along the way, the music licensing, the sound effects, and any other promotional materials that need art or photography.... So in essence, you helped someone else eat Unfortunately as the business owners...we don't have much capital to sustain any form of focused effort towards expanding. So when we can do things...we do things... but it takes a bit of time to build up capital to afford that kind of contracted work. We're trying to reinvigorate capital gains through different methods, and this is one of them... if people don't want to spend cash, then maybe they'll play the game and we can share in the process. But remember...PR costs a lot of money. We haven't made that money back from Polara yet. I'd say maybe a quarter of that money has come back...maybe half... over the past 2 years.
