I don't know. If developers put their games free after a week of a release, it is going to be normal that people stop paying for them at release, or even later. I'm glad that I paid for this game, it is awesome, but the next one that appears, maybe I will think about wait for a freebie better. Do you remember Mushroom Wars? This "going free just after release" it's perjudicial for the industry, and don't blame people for it!
No, it is just a price drop for a short time. Devs hope to get some money per IAP from the freeloaders.
Lol, this is like the Appstore is working for over 4 years now, but people still act as if it is something new to them. As I said - sometimes you're lucky to fetch some games for free, and at other times, games drop in price just after you've bought them. That's what I've meant with "win some, lose some". But o.k., people can go on and wait for everything free and we have a system like in China in a couple of months, where 99% of all games are freemium. Moreover, there's always a bit hypocrisy involved when people are initially happy about their purchases but go on rage after a price drop. I wonder... if they go into a store and see an item, that they bought just the day before, now dropped in price, do they also go up to the store clerk and shout at him? Doubt it.
Because of this kind of early price drops (and Mushroom Wars bullshit or freemium crap), the AppStore is going to be like in China really soon, because people will lose confident on buying anything that is going to be free more sooner than later. Who is to blame? People or developers?
Free price drips do not hurt YOU; they hurt developers. You did not invest money and time making the game, you spend $0.99 (just $0.99).
As I said, I'm glad I paid for Scurvy Scallywags. The game is awesome and it deserves to be #1 in the tops! I'm not complaining, but trying to get a conversation about the AppStore future and how customers and developers are playing in this game. So don't be hostile against me! I'm trying to get a conversation about all this kind of stuff on a higher level, not complaining. Please, try to think like customers and developers, and don't just put your own opinion about the matter here.
Okay - don't know why my post was deleted... But - thank you for editing the OP Killercow - what did I do wrong? How come putting in the appinfo tags do not work in the TA app?
Sweet, I'll pick this up now. I somehow saw it going free eventually. But I'll for sure get the coin doubler to help support!!
Ultimately I wonder why developers would shoot themself in the foot with a rapid proce drop like this. It tarnishes their brand name and alienates paying customers and the developer's expense; even if they get a few IAP sales. I apologize if there was any perception of hostility in my response (not directed at any individual). I'm very curious about App Store economics and only hoped to add to the conversation in an intellictual manner. Please accept my apologizes and know that you have my respect, Drakeer.
Beep Games are another company I've added to my 'Do not buy for at least 1 month' list. Shame but there you go.
This game is totally worth the money, but I did not expect this! Won't buy their next game day 1, that's for sure. Why pay if they are gonna make it free in just a week anyway?
A game is released with IAP that includes currency and a coin doubler, its already sent up enough red flags no matter how much user hype there is I can skip it. Instead, I bought 9th Dawn with no IAP, just a premium game for a flat $3. I do care if the game is perfectly balanced without the IAP, but I'm expecting it'll go free shortly since in nearly always does. IAP seems to be the obvious sign to wait and see how the first three weeks go. Most of what I actually buy never goes free.
I'm going to stop topping up my iTunes credit for a few months and see how it goes, because the way apps drop in price this quickly these days I can just put a new release in appshopper and get it free the next week, it's sad but on the up side the way things are going I'm going to save a fortune because I'm fed up with this kind of price dropping so quick. I spend a fair bit each week on the app store and i Feel like Im just wasting my money on stuff that's going to be free the week after I buy it. Paying on the App Store = pointless!
Right now I have $0.80 after purchasing 9th Dawn. When there's some great premium game on sale or something comes out that I am just dying to play right that moment THEN I'll go buy a $15 iTunes card. Having little money on the account is a good way not to get too caught up in the hype... and instead focus on what I actually like to play.
I'm more concerned that people are still somehow surprised when endless runner, match-3 and tower defense games go free. No matter how good the product is, it is still competing with infinity billion other very similar games in those genres. In contrast, Carcassonne can thrive at US$10 without going on sale even once in three years because the production values are through the roof and it hasn't got any direct competition, and a number of other card and board games are in similar situations. I actually think it is in a developer's best interest to clearly state that they won't be putting their game on sale and then follow through on that promise, as there are then no "early adopter" dramas, and interested players know that they don't have to sit around waiting for a sale that may or may not come, so are aware that their up-front options are to jump in immediately or pass entirely. The financials also benefit from less manipulation as a result of purchasing delays from vacillating people who are used to getting burned by early sales. If you're thinking about putting your game on sale because it's not being bought by people who are holding off in the expectation that your game will go on sale, you can hopefully see the problem with that.
Yeah, I'm doing that too. Normally I'd snap up a game like Agricola (spelling?) but thankfully I don't have that much on my account so I'll wait for a sale and not get into the hype.. I guess I'll do this with most games from now. Tbh I'm all for supporting devs (I bought KotoR on release, payed £10 for Phantom Leader, paid £5 for bards tale, baldurs gate and many others) but devs have no rights to moan when they treat their paying customers like this.
Actually, if that happens I whip out my receipt and ask for, and usually get, a price match refund for the new sales price. It's a regular thing done at stores here. They frequently advertise it as a benefit of purchasing.
I think I pointed this out to you in another thread, but the problem was you had a line break between the first appinfo tag and the game URL, causing the appinfo to fail to display. I'm not sure why the TAapp would cause that to happen but just put your cursor in front of the URL and backspace once next time.
