Consumers Less Willing to Pay for Content as Free Apps Surge

[haravikk]

Apple instead acts like the App Store is comprised of retail shelf space that can hold no more than 100 or 200 apps, and everything else is locked in boxes in the storeroom where no one can see them.

I definitely agree on this one; suggestions and "other customers bought" stuff really needs to be more accessible.

The app store really needs more sub-categories as well, or a lightly moderated tagging system that helps you to find games of a particular genre (as the app store's game genres are rubbish).

For apps there should be a way to list key features to make it easier to find an app that does what you want, how you want (or at least might do these things), and to find similar apps that have listed the same features. Ideally this would have a limited, but useful, amount of entries to force developers to think what their key features are. This would essentially be tagging as well to a degree, but in addition to the normal tag allowance.

I do love tagging things btw


I do still think though that $5 is too-high for the majority of apps, even ones that may actually justify the cost. The example you gave was a game you've played before on another platform, so at least you have some idea of what to expect, but what about people who don't? This forces the developer to either find a way to monetise it as a free app, or to provide a separate demo version to get someone interested.

But I'm concerned more with new apps and games, rather than existing games from other platforms or something from well known series or publishers, as these can manage with a high(-ish) cost because people have some idea of what to expect.

 

[SpyderBite]

I've paid for plenty of apps. Like most, it is dependent on whether a free alternative offers the same content, entertainment, etc. The only in app purchases I normally make are magazine subscriptions and iBooks.

I don't game very frequently on my mobile devices so that may exclude me from the mainstream revenue that in app purchases produce.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

The app store really needs more sub-categories as well, or a lightly moderated tagging system that helps you to find games of a particular genre (as the app store's game genres are rubbish).

For apps there should be a way to list key features to make it easier to find an app that does what you want, how you want (or at least might do these things), and to find similar apps that have listed the same features. Ideally this would have a limited, but useful, amount of entries to force developers to think what their key features are. This would essentially be tagging as well to a degree, but in addition to the normal tag allowance.

I agree with this. I would like to be able to enter a search something to the effect of "hex grid wargames" and see results reviewed and moderated by a community of people who like such games.

Today, that search results in "There are no results for "hex grid wargames"".

 

[mmcc]

Agreed. It has to be a balance. Software can't become so devalued that developers no longer find developing for iOS a wise business decision.

That's already happened in the casual gaming segment. There is no money in it anymore as the pricing model for mobile games is now expected for desktop titles -- and the number of new desktops is declining rapidly. Mobile revenue is not picking up the difference.

My gaming business is down 70% from two years ago and most of it is due to free apps. I don't have a problem with free, but I have a major problem with Apple plastering free titles on the same page as my app listing. Please, how many customers are going to pay for my app when there is a row of free titles listed at the bottom of the page?

Plus, free titles even have their own listings in the App Stores and are prominently featured in every category. Where do you think most customers go first?

I made one of my iOS apps completely free for three days last fall and it got 900 downloads. The same iOS app as a free download with limited play and in-app purchase for $1.99 struggles to get 10 downloads a day. Customers are using the App Stores as freebie sites, period.

Developers have few options to make money except incorporating ads because the majority of customers won't pay anything for an app -- not even 99 cents.

Apple's App Store design funnels customers into free titles, so that's what you get.

 

[ValSalva]

That's already happened in the casual gaming segment. There is no money in it anymore as the pricing model for mobile games is now expected for desktop titles -- and the number of new desktops is declining rapidly. Mobile revenue is not picking up the difference.

My gaming business is down 70% from two years ago and most of it is due to free apps. I don't have a problem with free, but I have a major problem with Apple plastering free titles on the same page as my app listing. Please, how many customers are going to pay for my app when there is a row of free titles listed at the bottom of the page?

Plus, free titles even have their own listings in the App Stores and are prominently featured in every category. Where do you think most customers go first?

I made one of my iOS apps completely free for three days last fall and it got 900 downloads. The same iOS app as a free download with limited play and in-app purchase for $1.99 struggles to get 10 downloads a day. Customers are using the App Stores as freebie sites, period.

Developers have few options to make money except incorporating ads because the majority of customers won't pay anything for an app -- not even 99 cents.

Apple's App Store design funnels customers into free titles, so that's what you get.

Wow, that's depressing. You'd think this would eventually come back and hurt Apple. Developer's can't work for free.

 

[McPaul]

Hi everyone,

Im a Developer on iOS devices. And I figured i put in my 2 cents and see what people have to say.


1. Last Year I released my First game on iOS (Night Whisper Lane) A Survival Horror Point and Click adventure Game.

How i released the full version for $0.99 and a FREE Trial / Version.

Now in the Free version you get to play 50% of the game, there are a few ads as it is the free version. Where as in the full version you get the Full game, A bonus Mini game called boss rush mode and its AD Free.

The funny thing is people have emailed me regarding why the free version isn't the entire game but only half.

I don't think there is anything wrong with giving people a 50 % sampler of your game for free with just a few ads.

What do you people think??

2. I have recently started working on my Next game and I'm debating on a few price models.

A. Freemium (But without nickle and dimming the customer to keep playing) I would use the iAP for people who want to Level up faster and or speed up there progress. I don't like the model where you play for a bit and then you see that it cost you more to keep paying. kind of like those old arcade machines. insert coin to continue.

B. $ 2.99 Game with little bit of iAP.

C. a $4.99 premium developed title with huge replay value without any iAP


I am a one person studio and i would like to cover my costs of development.

P.S.

If you have played Night Whisper Lane let me know what you like / dislike, plus check out the FREE version.

I want to see what the people think and create a better product

I will check out your game as that's a pricing model I support.

As to your question, I would choose option c. I've bought my last "app allows IAP" game.

In fact, if the content is good I would gladly pay 8.99 for it.

 

[alent1234]

you should have went the freemium model. in your case if i had played your free game i would have to go back and buy the full version and probably start all over. not worth the effort.

you want to capture people's impulsiveness and that means giving them the ability to spend money right there to continue in a game. just like candy crush does.

Hi everyone,

Im a Developer on iOS devices. And I figured i put in my 2 cents and see what people have to say.


1. Last Year I released my First game on iOS (Night Whisper Lane) A Survival Horror Point and Click adventure Game.

How i released the full version for $0.99 and a FREE Trial / Version.

Now in the Free version you get to play 50% of the game, there are a few ads as it is the free version. Where as in the full version you get the Full game, A bonus Mini game called boss rush mode and its AD Free.

The funny thing is people have emailed me regarding why the free version isn't the entire game but only half.

I don't think there is anything wrong with giving people a 50 % sampler of your game for free with just a few ads.

What do you people think??

2. I have recently started working on my Next game and I'm debating on a few price models.

A. Freemium (But without nickle and dimming the customer to keep playing) I would use the iAP for people who want to Level up faster and or speed up there progress. I don't like the model where you play for a bit and then you see that it cost you more to keep paying. kind of like those old arcade machines. insert coin to continue.

B. $ 2.99 Game with little bit of iAP.

C. a $4.99 premium developed title with huge replay value without any iAP


I am a one person studio and i would like to cover my costs of development.

P.S.

If you have played Night Whisper Lane let me know what you like / dislike, plus check out the FREE version.

I want to see what the people think and create a better product

 

[OhHaiThere]

Sorry that I didn't read this whole thread, but I'm posting here in order to both complain and hopefully get some information/advice.

The applications available for the iPad mini are extremely annoying with their ads and in-app purchases. There are apps we've paid for and they still have in-app purchases to buy even MORE crap. It's ridiculous. I buy games for my son to play with and put the iPad in kiosk mode and he just clicks all over the screen... of course he always seems to hit all these "unobtrusive" ads, even in paid apps.

That really bothers me and something I never had to deal with in a Nexus 10 tablet. I've disabled in-app purchases but it just pops up crap saying that they're disabled. Am I doing something wrong? Wife and I are debating getting rid of the iPad mini for a Nexus tablet.

Thanks...

 

[anewman143]

I think the bulk of the problem is that there are 2 distinct populations here. The developers are being killed by expectations of great software for $0.99, whereas consumers have winnowed the ecosystem down to complaining about an app costing $1 or $2 - jeez people, you spend more than that on a cup of coffee at Starbucks!

My bottom line - if you don't like apps with in-app purchasing like candy crush or clash of clans, then don't play the damn game! Why is that so complicated? These developers deserve to make every penny that they can - they should not have to worry about anything else - it's a BUSINESS for them. They have bills to pay too!

Yes - in app purchases can get expensive - but for what it's worth, I've NEVER come within a fraction of the cost of a new game for my xbox with in-app purchases. And even if I did, if I am enjoying the game enough, why would that matter?

Keep it simple - vote with your damn wallet! If you don't like iAP, don't play those games. If enough people do that, the developers will hear you. Otherwise, leave the developers alone and let them do their thing and make a profit at it! The alternative is that they go away...then you've got NO games to play.

Sheesh!

 

[Earendil]

I think the bulk of the problem is that there are 2 distinct populations here. The developers are being killed by expectations of great software for $0.99, whereas consumers have winnowed the ecosystem down to complaining about an app costing $1 or $2 - jeez people, you spend more than that on a cup of coffee at Starbucks!

I agree 100%. I'm willing to pay a good amount of money for an app. And have an "app buying" budget, for which I will spend to get quality apps, and thus support quality developers.

My bottom line - if you don't like apps with in-app purchasing like candy crush or clash of clans, then don't play the damn game! Why is that so complicated? These developers deserve to make every penny that they can - they should not have to worry about anything else - it's a BUSINESS for them. They have bills to pay too!

You are quite right that it's a business. And we are allowed to despise their business model the way we despise cell phone plans in the US. IAP when taken to the extreme make it extremely difficult to determine how much of a game you're going to get for how much money. And no body wants to invest $10 and hours of time into something and then be asked, unexpectedly, for another $10. If someone approached you and said give them $100 or they're going to take your fridge away, you'd be pissed. That's what IAP apps basically do when they are evil, they get you hooked and then make it impossible to play without paying more money. Even a subscription model like WoW offers you some idea about what you're buying.

Yes - in app purchases can get expensive - but for what it's worth, I've NEVER come within a fraction of the cost of a new game for my xbox with in-app purchases. And even if I did, if I am enjoying the game enough, why would that matter?

Because no one likes to feel cheated, swindled, or gypped. I payed $50 for Halo:Reach, and a year out I still enjoyed it. That doesn't mean that if it stopped working I'd be happy about paying another $50 to continue playing when I wasn't expecting it.

Keep it simple - vote with your damn wallet! If you don't like iAP, don't play those games. If enough people do that, the developers will hear you. Otherwise, leave the developers alone and let them do their thing and make a profit at it! The alternative is that they go away...then you've got NO games to play.

Sheesh!

The Alternative is that they get bad press and go back to using easier to understand business models that the consumers find more fair

But that doesn't make all IAP games bad. Here are a few types I fully accept:
1. I paid for the game, and there is IAP that allow the player to cheat. Because it's a cheat, the game is fully playable and can be beaten without IAP.

Don't like: I paid for the game, and the IAP is required to beat the game. @#$% those developers.

2. I didn't pay for the game, and there exists 10% of the game I can't play without IAP, but the game is still complete. Real Racing 3 falls into this category, where there are Supercars that basically have to be bought. However the game is very playable without them. I like this, and have used part of my app buying budget to buy a few cars. However I can stop buying those cars and be just fine.

Don't like: I didn't pay for the game, and there exists some % of the game that I can't play without some unknown number of IAP. Battle Nations is a game like this. I played it for a number of hours before I decided "This is pretty fun, I'll make a purchase because this is pretty fun and I'd like to keep playing". However it has dawned on me that 1/2 the units and 1/3 the buildings can only be had with IAP, and the only way to progress or be competitive is through those IAP. You can't even "play the game long enough" and get the currency required. I'll go add it up some day but it has to be in the hundreds of dollars. This is not remotely apparent to a potential buyer. In fact the game starts you off in a "mock battle" with units that you'll have to spend hundreds to get, and won't figure that out until way later. On top of that Battle Nations still shows ads. Ugh.

I'd love to vote with my wallet, but I've already given them money. So instead I'll praise the Apps and developers I respect, and verbally @#$% on those I don't, thank you very much

 

[anewman143]

I agree 100%. I'm willing to pay a good amount of money for an app. And have an "app buying" budget, for which I will spend to get quality apps, and thus support quality developers.



You are quite right that it's a business. And we are allowed to despise their business model the way we despise cell phone plans in the US. IAP when taken to the extreme make it extremely difficult to determine how much of a game you're going to get for how much money. And no body wants to invest $10 and hours of time into something and then be asked, unexpectedly, for another $10. If someone approached you and said give them $100 or they're going to take your fridge away, you'd be pissed. That's what IAP apps basically do when they are evil, they get you hooked and then make it impossible to play without paying more money. Even a subscription model like WoW offers you some idea about what you're buying.

I think you make the exact point with this - I don't mind iAP if I can tell ahead of time that it's there. It's when you've already spent $$ and are well into the game before iAP pops up that it's deceptive at best.

For example, Clash of Clans or Candy Crush - you can see from the onset that you can use real $$ to boost/help with the game. You don't have to - but you can. A game that gets you hooked and then essentially requires more $$ is unfair practice in my book.

 

[Earendil]

I think you make the exact point with this - I don't mind iAP if I can tell ahead of time that it's there. It's when you've already spent $$ and are well into the game before iAP pops up that it's deceptive at best.

For example, Clash of Clans or Candy Crush - you can see from the onset that you can use real $$ to boost/help with the game. You don't have to - but you can. A game that gets you hooked and then essentially requires more $$ is unfair practice in my book.

Since you seem to my on the higher scale of discussion partners around here, I'll toss this link out which you might find quite interesting.

For everyone else, I can only hope you'll read it, but I don't hold much hope

The Top F2P Monetization Tricks

There is a small section of "Skill Games vs Money Games". Battle Nation is a great example of what they call a "Money Game", but which I started playing and paid into a little bit because I thought it was a skill game.