Will we ever see $60 games in the Mobile Market?

Youll have to settle for ports, wich isnt a bad thing really. But no id even be shocked if console games remained 60 for long. Too many free games are making a billion a day.

 

Probably not. Mainly because I prefer to play the more immersive and time consuming games in my consoles or PC as it's much more comfortable and I prefer the bigger screen and better sound quality for extended gaming sessions, I use my tablet on the go mostly so while I have some meatier titles I don't get to play them as much as I like as usually when I'm on my tablet I'm not fully focused. If a tablet was my only gaming device then absolutey I would spend $60 but while I have other options, then I'd probably not.

 

This, pretty much.

But im willing to pay $60 on day one for each MH title ported off the wii or the new ds.

 

The kind of games I enjoy as a gamer are not really available on mobile and I don't see that changing (games like Dragon Age Inquisition, Legend of Zelda (and please don't compare Oceanhorn. I own oceanhorn but I don't think it's close to Zelda quality, even though it is a solid game in its own right).

I do enjoy the mobile platform but it's different and that's not really a bad thing. I absolutely loved Dragon Age Inquisition on my ps4 but I couldn't imagine enjoying that game on a touch screen. Even if the graphics could compare it'd be a battle for controls. I think a $60 price tag for a mobile game is out of the question. I don't mind paying for premium games, but not at that price on this platform.

And the majority of iOS users want free games, so I expect free-to-play to keep rising as it has in the past few years.

 

I think there's plenty of console quality games available. Lots of great poets out there. Plus I'm happy with console ports from the Genesis etc ! Plenty of great retro games to port over

 

I think one day you may see a big name game retail for a true premium mobile price which in some cases would be more fair to the player than buying overpriced IAP (ex. cars in racing games) although I don't think all IAP is overpriced. To me the premium price would be what the premium mobile leader charges and to me that is still Nintendo ($39.99 around here).

If you are going to try and get $60 in the App Store it has to be something special in name value, unbelievably amazing, unexpected, uncut, and released at or around the same time of the console / PC versions (unless packaged in a series). If for example Bethesda released Fallout IV, Elder Scrolls VI for mobile or if EA released the Mass Effect Trilogy with App Store size limit exceptions granted from Apple for all games mentioned then you will see people willfully purchase for $60 without thinking twice.

Certainly not expecting such things to come to pass in the near future even if developers and publishers are eager since mobile storage is going to need to be much greater than it is now but besides that it will take a juggernaut of a game to accomplish anything with a big brother full retail price tag on the marketplace. I believe companies like EA or Gameloft should test the waters of the marketplace with stacked premium unlocks for their f2p mobile franchises coming in around $20 to $35 and see how those perform.

 

Isn't Skylanders Trap Team for iPad around $60 and the exact same experience as the console versions?

Looks like the answer to the OP's question is that it's not only possible, but it's already happened!

 

Skylanders Trap Team is free to download with three $15 packages which is still a good chunk of change. There are also various war games that have higher price tags than most games in the App Store. Highly praised Panzer Corps in particular is $20 plus $60 for the gimme everything IAP so the higher priced games certainly exist in the more niche areas of the marketplace.

 

Hell no.

 

Dont think people need to. Ridiculous question in my view. I'm happy paying up to $20 a game but $60 ? Seriously ?

Its not like lots of other iOS sites are asking the same question. I'm happy when a port of say KOTOR sells really well despite being a higher price. But $60 ??

Just wont happen

We have tons of different games to play, quick nice and easy throwaway type of games, great ports of classic games from the last 30 years. Some great original games like Radiation Island for just a few dollars, Leos Fortune etc

If people moan that Monument Valley and its 3 or 4 dollars price was high, imagine how these people will act if a games $60 ! They'll want 30 years of gameplay and updates every 7 hours.

Look how cheap people are with a 99c game ? They want 4 opinions before they splash out on a dollar. A $60 game would cause major issues !

 

I agree. $60 for an iOS game will never happen. $20 is most likely the ceiling.

 

This is the wrong question.

When the PS3 and XBox 360 came out and games suddenly jumped to $60 we were told it was because we'd be getting a much better experience. Companies then used those platforms to make things really pretty but also very shallow.

$50 is a lot of a game. The real truth is that console game prices ignore a lot of factors about marketing software. Instead, companies put themselves into an artificial cycle of having to make their money within the first TWO WEEKS of release, which is why there is such a big push for pre-orders and getting people in the store as soon as a game is out. It's a model that has failure for all but a few baked in.

The way console games, and the way PC games used to be, marketed has no long-term viability.

The other problem I see is that $60 for a non-physical good is ridiculous.

Once you've developed a game you've sunk most of your costs. Development is often the biggest cost outside of advertising. You may have to release a patch or do some other update but for the most part you've spent a majority of your money on development. Once a game makes back it's development costs, everything afterwards is pretty much profit.

So it doesn't matter if a game is $60, $50, or $5. In fact, the sweet spot has been shone to be about $30 for a console game. So if you could sell 3 times as fast for $30 than $60, why market it at $60? The $60 is arbitrary.

Of course, it is more complicated than that. Gamers, having been trained to think price == quality are immediately suspicious of anything that releases for less. However, the end result is that the console game market needlessly strangles itself and eats its young constantly.

I think mobile games have the opportunity to fix this. Steam has largely adjusted this in the PC gaming market almost single-handedly. I think we do have some quality titles that are starting to compete with other platforms and that's a good thing. I do think Radiation Island is a missed opportunity (Seriously, it could easily be sold at $5 and probably make just as many sales. There's no way I would have released it for less!)

The trick with software is to sell for a price that most of your target demographic will actually pay. If your target is financial institutions, which is the world I used to live in, then your potential customer base is relatively small. If you're making a game, you have a huge audience these days. Why game companies play financial Russian Roulette is beyond me. Seeing how many long-time monolithic publishers are struggling I'd say we just have to wait for the dinosaurs to die off at this point.

 

Ah, ya gotta love that post.
It's so funny because it's true.

"30 years gameplay and updates every seven hours".

The latter part cracked me up because funnily enough, it's almost exactly what mobile gamers would probably expect.
Along with free content updates and support for every new iOS for the next 30 years along with downgraded graphics for the iPhone 4. Let's not forget the iPhone 4, heaven forbid.

And of course absolutely no iap whatsoever because, you know, that'd just be downright evil.
Expecting to make money on the initial price alone while continually spending on upgrading and supporting an app forever and a day, how ridiculous of developers, whatever do those lunatics be thinking.

Ha, ha. Excellent post PSJ. Going in to my hall of fame.

 

I will buy msg peace walker port on iOS. My favorite game ever.
Rivaled by MGS V .
I still owned the psp cd

 

Agreed.

When your audience is used to F2P games that entertain them well enough (on a device that wasn't even made for gaming when compared to consoles) why would they pay $60 for a game?

Selling a mobile game for $60 will be huge risk since not only will you have to meet the high expectations (a $60 game better be worth it) but also you can't expect users to pay for IAP afterwards which eliminates any chances of consistent revenue. In other words if your initial launch doesn't get enough users you're f***ed.

 

The iDolM@ster games are sold for $60 each. Currently they are on sale for $20-ish (god damn I don't have an iTunes card) but that's the only game I know that sells that much. Considering how well iDolM@ster sells in Japan I wouldn't be surprised if the game actually sells well since its considered the superior version to the original version (higher graphics, better framerate, gameplay).

 

I think everyone will have to pay this much. After all - gasoline used to cost 11 cents / gallon, bread was a dime, cars ran about $2000 and house between 10 - 20K.... in a few years those $5 will cost $60.

 

If someone bought a game wether good or bad just cause it's 99c, the developers will think-
" Hey! Games that are 99c only are really selling, even if the game is terrible! We should make a crappy rushed game and sell it at 99c! Every one will buy it cause it's ONLY 99c ! "
Would you buy uneatable rotten food just cause its "99c" ? Would you buy the worst movie that is unwatchable because of how bad it is just cause it's "99c" ? No. A game is no different, people don't want to buy sh*t games just because the game is "99c". Hence why people ask for opinions before buying a game, even if its only "99c".

Now for the 30 years of gameplay part, I know it's a sarcastic joke but.. That's just silly.

As for the thread title, "paying $60 for a ios game" nope. Premium games are not making enough money on the Appstore whilst freemium games are making amazing amounts of money every day.