I wanted to drop in and let 5 Ants know I am a huge fan for life. I'll buy your products sight unseen from this point forward, due to the incredible experience I had with Tiny Thief. I find it so depressing and insulting that a developer would have to come in here and defend the costs of their new product from the sea of whiners. Seriously people-2 dollars is outrageous?? This is really sick, and I have to say I agree with Eli and I feel this entire forum in general would be much more pleasant, productive and welcoming if these people were weeded out. It seems people view the cost of an iphone as their "price of admission" and then they are somehow entitled to a waterfall of free content from 3rd party developers.
When I finish a game I delete it from my iPod Touch to make space for new things. Tiny Thief is a nice game, so I decided to put it back on my device for a replay and to check out the new content. It seems that the update put some of the old content (chapter 4 and 5) behind a paywall. *Sigh.* :-(
Try clicking the gear icon and then the basket looking thing with arrows around it. It restores previous purchases and should unlock those levels.
For some reason this didn't work earlier (I tried twice), but your post magically lifted the curse. Excellent! Time to play.
I think you have us mixed-up with the Android community... Seriously, though, it's unfair to lump everybody with a negative comment into one group. Just as many developers are NOT predatory in their pricing schemes, most of the people on this forum who have expressed displeasure are voicing opinions about specific issues with specific games, and are NOT looking for a handout. In fact, I defy you to find a single post from a senior member of these forums that is demanding or even asking for a free ride. In the case of the Tiny Thief update, most of the vitriol could have been avoided if the Dev had found a way to communicate a bit better, because on the surface, the update appeared to be a much worse value than it actually is. Regardless, I applaud and respect your defense of a developer with its back against the ropes, and agree with the spirit of your post if not the letter.
As a game reviewer I loved the game and gave it high marks. I do understand the people leaving it one star review though. I wish the developers (5ants) would have gone through a better way to pay for their work, as a game designer I understand it takes money and hard work to get chapters done. I got the game when it was free so I had not trouble paying the 1.99$ It is a very long update, about 1:30 hours as stated previously especially if you want to get the 3 stars rating (I think the last one i buggy, no way could I have gotten the 3 stars? ) But what the heck after having paid I still get commercials when I pause the game?! But the devs aren't to blame but actually Apple. Look for apps like cut the rope, which tried numerous methods to get more money since apple make it that you can't charge for updates. Or even Clear! I think Bulkypix did it best with thesandbox, a free game and a pack for ALL LEVELS AND FUTURE LEVELS costs 6.99-7.99. I think it's a fair price to pay for getting all updates ever, no? Scribblenautes Remix also did something similar. Having to pay for an update 1.99$ is expensive, is against almost everything that we have seen and is something that should be avoided. I think all the 1 star rating (and now that it's free so everyone can dl it and hammer it) will bring the game down and the devs will see that have done a very good thing, in a different. I would even have preferred making the new update Tiny Thief 2
I don't read alot of the threads anymore, but someone told me this thread was a must read. Yeah right, this is the most screwed up thread I have ever read here on TA. Even the Dead Trigger thread was 1000 times more pleasant than this one. Reading this thread was a total waste of time. It is sad what iOS gaming is coming to, but I am optimistic, things can only get better. Some of us still care about iOS Gaming, and hope for the best. I kind of don't want to reload Tiny Thief just in the off chance that I lose all my levels and hit that paywall. So I won't. I do not want to participate in this thread, much better things to do in life, like enjoy the roses. Take care gentlemen and gentlewomen. Peace out! Signed, Connector President of the Dead Trigger Defense Squad
If you are referring my comment I believe you haven't read my it all the way. I offered different method for the devs to get money for their updates AND not get a 1 star MASSIVELY like it's happening now. Do you seriously think that this a good thing? we can have this thread go up to 400 pages, it still won't erase all the 1 star ratings that has come to the game. Something is flawed with the way the devs announced and delivered the new update, it's not too late to fix, I think they should update the game the game again, give the chapter for free and start to reconsider their strategy. Yes, It will cost some money that they have already spent, but all the 1 star rating is actually KILLING the game that still is on the store so no one will download it let alone get the level IAP..
I am referring to the whole crapload of grief the devs are getting in general. Look at the reviews in the App Store. A bunch a jerks who want stuff for free.
Let me get this straight; the developers took a game a bunch of people liked, and did three things: 1) They retroactively added unremovable advertisements to the game we already paid for. 2) They made it free, thereby punishing early adopters for supporting the developer, and dissuading people from purchasing future paid apps from other developers. 3) Oh yeah, and they added a completely optional DLC expansion pack at a reasonable price. And all of the iTunes reviews are complaining about the THIRD item on that list?! Is the iOS gaming community playing a very protracted April Fools prank here? Because no other explanation is making any sense to me right now.
Well, if everyone's chucking in their opinion, then I can see why people are pissed off about this. It's another classic bait and switch that no matter what people say about them having the game for months so it doesn't really matter, it's just going to cause people to complain (and them being told the month thing will just annoy them even more). Hell, even I feel a little ticked off when a game I like gets turned free Some of the reactions from people opposed to the switch-over seems a bit strong in my opinion. I honestly can't judge what the app is like (the thing which annoys me the most about this is the iOS 7 requirement now -_-), but it just seems like the first 3 episodes have gone free with the DLC now paid. Of course, there are ads for those who pay which is guarenteed hate fuel, but going offline could stop that Do I agree with making it free and making paid DLC? I'm sort of in the middle. Making paying customers going through ads is always something which annoys me with games, and having only 5 levels for $2 seems to be pretty damn low for content (that's probably quite hypocritical, due to how much I loved Monument Valley even if it only lasted 1 - 1 1/2 hours). But from a buisness strategy, it would certainly get more people checking out the game, and more people playing = more advertisements being seen = more money. And Tiny Thief is in no regard a bad game, and it's great for it to now be shown in a more popular light. What's more, they didn't add any nasty consumable purchases (ok, maybe the hints will be like this for a lot of people, but I consider hints more akin to cheats in a game than something you'd get it in town-building games). Some of the reactions are definetly overreacting from the internet, but IMO, stuff like ads and bait-and-switch are definetly things I have to disapprove Just to add on, whilst some of the reactions from the people opposed to the update are a bit hyperbolic, some of the reaction from the people towards it aren't anyway nice however. You might think that some reactions of '$2! That's extrodinate', or something akin to that, are too much, but the thing is, if you don't have any source of income, that stuff takes up more weight. Trust me, as someone who has never had a job, you definetly get more cautious with spending on apps, and a $2dlc of 5 levels for a game may not sound as good as something like Threes at the same price. Simply telling someone to get a job is going to do absolutely nothing as well and just more douchey (let me touch on that a bit later). It's not like they wouldn't be even looking for a job. And even if they have a job, maybe their budget for iTunes isn't as high as yours, and they prefer to spend it on things more important than DLC for an iOS game. And I'll go back to this: A lot of you guys are just acting like douches. This may just be some sort of mirror affect (I think you're acting like a douche, so I'll act like a douche to you, ad infinitum), yet everyone arguing over this is just acting like a little kid. Especially Eli in my eyes, flat out stating that he wants to put complainers into time-outs. That's not keeping a rational eye on argument, it's childish. It's pretty much you ignoring a parent because they told you that you can't have the toy that you so desperatly want. People having a negative opinion on something is perfectly natural. Nothing is looked at by everyone through rose-tinted glasses by everyone. That's why we get criticism, and that is how things improve. Silencing the criticism holds no improvement and can ultimately mess things up a hell of a lot more. Whilst we're talking about video games, imagine what the Xbox One would be like now if nobody complained about it after it's reveal? How about Battlefield 4 if it was never updated after it was released? Criticism is how things improves. Silencing criticism is close-mindedness, and what's more, it's censorship. I don't care what people think when hearing that word, silencing something which is negative towards something is censorship. It doesn't matter if you go around silencing people just so you can get more developers. It will end up being nothing but postive comments which could do nothing to improve the game, and what's more, you are going to have a hell of a lot more people going to developers telling them to not go to Touch Arcade because they do all they can to silence people just so developers can keep their own little image of self-satisfaction. Whilst I agree that a lot of people can be over-ridiculous, silencing them for a long amount of time is something which will ultimately backfire to you. I'm not trying to disrespect 5 Ants and their work with Tiny Thief with this post, I respect the fact that Tiny Thief has a hell of a lot of detail in it which takes a lot of time to complete, which as someone who wants to do game design-programking future, I find extremelly awesome, and I do agree they should be paid for their work, and even if I'm slightly annoyed by the Bait-and-Switch, I still don't regret my purchase. However, I think everyone in this thread needs to calm down and try to be rational to each other. Yes, I know this is the Internet and stuff like that has no place on it. However, everyone is acting really unprofessional, on both sides. I'm not siding with anyone on this, but you all need to stop thinking that your opinion is high and mighty and you need to understand that everyone is different, everyone has their own view on an issue, and that is something which makes a forum special. It allows for people to share their opinions and to hopefully learn from reading others. It's honestly quite funny to see how everyone (including me) is getting so worked over the simple issue of a $2 DLC in video games. I would have loved to see what this would look like if this was talking about something which holds importance in millions of lifes...maybe this is what it's like in politics. I look forward to the inexplained 6 month timeout, the mocking of my post on Twitter by Eli, and for everyone of my points to be completely ignored, picked-apart to see how hypocritical/worthless/outrageous they all are and forgotten
As explained the game is free but only the first 3 chapters, meaning in the end even a "free" player will have to pay the same amount for the full content (which is $5 and this includes the recent update for a 3-4 hour content). The advertisements.. they only appear when you pause the game, which rarely is needed. I don't think ads are really hurting the experience, to me they are quite subtle and they just showcase some other games from the publisher. All in all as dev we really like to come into the TA forums and read what you guys think about what we do. When you are 24 months in the studio putting a lot of hours into creating this game which you feel is special, its really exciting when you finally unveil it and get direct feedback. Even if its not the expected feedback.
That sounds like a great business model. The game probably should have launched with that model. Then nobody would feel (unjustifiably in my opinion) ripped off. And it wouldn't sour the waters for other developers seeking to release paid apps. When apps go from paid to free, users eventually get it in their head to stop buying apps. The entire market suffers. I understand that the game is supposed to restore the content for former paid customers. The problem is, it didn't. I purchased the game on launch day, and it still thinks I'm a free user. I actually KNOW about bugs iTunes restoring and all that, but the average user? They just see themselves locked out of something they already bought. You and I can agree to disagree about advertisements. Personally, I consider it morally wrong when a developer takes a formerly premium, ad-free game and retroactively includes advertisements after early adopters have purchased it. That is against what I consider fair treatment. It isn't about the content of the ad, or where it appears - it's about the bait and switch, and about selling out the most loyal customers. When a company does that, I remember it, and right or wrong, I feel personally slighted by it. There are a few developers I will never purchase games from again because of it. That's me - I'm not everyone, but I have the right to my opinions. It is an easy fix - let the people who purchase the unlock also get an ad-free experience. Everyone wins My point with my post was mostly to lament the fact that the iTunes reviewers were all complaining about the DLC. Personally, I love DLC with actual content in it, and I don't mind paying for it. I find it unfortunate that iTunes reviewers are reacting to the BEST part of the recent update. They could easily be upset with the advertisements or the price switch - I think those are legitimate complaints. But leaving 1 star reviews because of a completely optional DLC pack that obviously took months of work is just ridiculous to me. I don't get it.
Finally someone who addresses the cinema/coffee issue with a strong argument. In Paris, going to the movies will cost you about 10 euros (averaged with 3D/indie theaters/etc) and that's prety steep, considering the movie sector is supposedly in crisis (with piracy to blame). In short, what might sound cheap for someone, can be very expensive to other more unfortunate people. Everything's relative in life, and we should never embark on a simili-crusade to defend your own lifestyle and debate that it's the right thing.
with all due respect, if you can afford to buy an apple device then you're definitely not considered the unfortunate one ...not trying to derailed this thread into more pricing madness but please can we just try to say something nice here instead of 4.99 is to expensive for a 5 levels updates? i used to complain bout the price in back in 2010(the first time i joined TA ), in 2011 i start learned how to developed a game on my own then i realise how hard it is to develop a game and its SUPER HARD to develop a good one and its FREAKIN TIME CONSUMING AND SUPER MEGA HARD to develop a great one. ok ill stop there, i hope you guys here understand the point.
