What's the one major thing you hate in mobile gaming?

My biggest gripe is the anti-IAP kvetching that goes on non-stop making it almost impossible to tell anything about half these game beyond whether or not the unwashed masses are happy with the monetization scheme or not (usually not).

 

I REALLY hate pop up adds, premuim games with freemuim models, and when developers only optimize a game for latest devices (example: San Andreas for ios, on for 4s and up. I play it on iphone 4 and it isn't bad, thy could lower the graphics to original standard rather than the new dynamic shadows and other upgrades.)

 

I agree with the sentiment, but unfortunately the IAPs are sometimes so integral to the gameplay (see Dungeon Keeper) that it's sometimes just as important or even unavoidable to discuss when talking about certain games. Jumping on IAPs for the sake of jumping on IAPs is a different story.

 

Not to mention games that you buy that either price drop or go free after you buy them, and you get no compensation for it.

 

Its all kvecthing yes, its the "I hate IAP forever" crusaders who critisize it in general each and every time. Its like having a few good and informative posts drowned in a sea of kvetching.

 

Inferior graphics and sound compared to the console counterparts. Take pinball arcade as an example. On PS4 your get better GFX and lighting + better SFX. So I get put off paying for IAP, because I want to pay for an equal product, not a rubbish version.

 

Minter leaving iOS and no one caring that Minter left iOS.
People calling £2 games premium.
Sorry, that was two things.

 

Presence of IAP on RPGs.

 

The moaning that no matter what all IAP's are horrible and deserve to burn. There are bad and good.

That's a weekly article TA should do. Feature 1 f2p game where the IAP's aren't horrible.

 

The question is... do the IAP's make the game better?

 

Maybe they should work on another job. Why is there so much developers? Everyone who reads some book about C++ becomes a developer and then says I can't make money. Of course you can't, there is tons of other people like you.
If there wasn't so much developers to begin with there wouldn't be price fights. And games wouldn't drop to 99¢ or free. Sure we wouldn't have some of the great iOS games but we wouldn't have crappy iaps too.

 

People will keep making games for money as long as there is money to be made from games. A typical great game requires a team of people with various skills (management, marketing, design, code, art, music) working on a schedule. Human beings typically want to be paid to do that. Business people typically want to recover their investment. If they can't, they will move on, and the jobs will go away also. Capitalism.

If you don't like IAP at all, don't download a game labeled for IAP. That's why that information is there. So you as a consumer can make an informed choice.

My gripe is that the app store could be more transparent regarding the business model each app uses. Information regarding the nature of the IAP used (e.g., what it's for, such as a repeatable or non-repeatable purchase, and how much would it cost to get every non-repeatable purchase in the game) and the presence of advertising would help consumers make better decisions. This in turn would help games that actually offered a better value (e.g., a one-time price of $x.99 for everything) to get noticed.

 

...and to you that is seemingly only possible through IAP?

Premium titles allow for the complete focus on solid core mechanics without wasted design effort given to skinner box diversions.

 

Freemium games in the likes of Dungeon Keeper and some Gameloft freemiums

 

IAPs! And the fact that some of the games are such battery hogs.