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'Freemium' iPhone Apps Growing as Successful Business Model

fxtech said:
Maybe not "bad" parenting but rather dumb parenting.

I don't know about most people's kids but if I gave my iPhone to one of my kids to play a game on within 5 minutes all of my mail would be deleted and they'd be talking with 911.

Frankly it's just dumb to give your personal electronic device to your kids, especially if it's a phone.
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There was a story recently in my city about a little boy who called 911 over 400 times while playing with a cell phone. The parents never noticed, despite the 911 operator's attempts to ask the boy to stop.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/story.html?id=3663916

It's not about "bad" or "good" parenting, though, it's about being informed. The story above happened because the parents weren't aware (presumably) that even a deactivated cell phone is still capable of calling 911.

Similarly, the parent that hands their iPhone/iPod to their kid to play the game that was just downloaded, needs to be aware of the 15-minute timer in which further app purchases don't require a password.
 
SidewaysTakumi said:
I think some people here are missing the point---

It's not the ok, this is lite and I've liked it so in the app, I upgrade..

It's like oh, this app is cool but to get any further I have to buy more "coins" for 99 cents. Oh, ok now I've ran out of that or I need more potions so I have to buy more "coins" in order to progress...another .99.

Etc, etc.

This happens with games that I mentioned...GodFinger, Farm Story, City Story, etc.

Those games are the one that piss me off personally.

I don't mind the other trial to paid in app purchases--those make sense...but it's only a one time thing. The others, in order to keep going--you've got to keep paying.
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Exactly. "Do you want to purchase the full game for 1.99?" when finishing few levels in a free app isn't freemium. Freemium is a model, where you have to pay to advance in the game, and if you don't pay, you have to wait minutes, hours or days until something is finished and you can continue playing.

I love building games, but this freemium model has deleted proper building games on iPhone quite effectively. I'd rather pay for a full game and I won't support this freemium model, no matter how carefully the game is made.

In-app purchases are totally ok, when they doesn't affect actual gameplay. For example new levels or maps as an additional purchase are okay for me. But I hate that "Wait 20 hours until this building is completed... do you want to complete it immediately - pay 0.99!".
 
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I've got no problem with the shareware model of try before you buy. What I've avoided like the plague are "pay as you go" apps that require some sort of recurring payment scheme.
 
teme said:
Freemium is a model, where you have to pay to advance in the game, and if you don't pay, you have to wait minutes, hours or days until something is finished and you can continue playing.

I love building games, but this freemium model has deleted proper building games on iPhone quite effectively. I'd rather pay for a full game and I won't support this freemium model, no matter how carefully the game is made.
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Exactly, it doesn't make the game fun. To have a fun game, you want a motivator to keep playing the game. Usually that is working towards getting that shiney item that will make you more "powerful". But in freemium games you can just pay for that outright which cheapens the powerful items they don't feel like such an accomplishment, or wait a super long time to the point the game gets boring cause you're not really advancing anywhere, to get that item.

So in the end, the freemium model tends to cheapen the game whether you chose to pay or not to pay. Games need motivation to really be entertaining, they lose fun when things are too easy (which paying to get that powerful item tends to do cause you really didn't have to do anything to get it) or just so either frustratingly hard or repetitive doing hte same thing over and over until eventually it lets you do something different (which is what happens when you don't pay for that item in freemium games).

I would really hate to see all games move to that model with little choice in other styles (I don't object to them existing though I find I lost interest in games that work that way, especially when you start realizing they are all the same thing with different skins, they're not innovative in game play at all).
 
I hate freemium apps, especially as a lot of what I download will likely also be installed on my granddaughter's iPod Touch. She keeps activating the WiFi to see where the Buy button takes her.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B118 Safari/6531.22.7)

I HATE freemium apps . Imagine Nintendo gave out Nintendogs free and charged you to keep feeding your dog.
 
Zepaw said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B118 Safari/6531.22.7)

I HATE freemium apps . Imagine Nintendo gave out Nintendogs free and charged you to keep feeding your dog.
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Well, if they did that, then scores of people would stop playing the game once they hit the first "time to pay!" point. Sure, a few people would keep paying, but (I would sure hope) the majority wouldn't. The sales and popularity statistics would drop off dramatically, they'd realize nobody liked this model, and the game would change.
 

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Description of this business model should exclude those apps for which the only In-App Purchase is the disabling of the ads, since that's against the spirit of the "a solid app experience for their free versions while also pushing attractive upgrade options".

Hopefully the Freemium model will replace the plethora of "SuchAndSuch"/"SuchAndSuch Light" or "SomethingOrOther"/"SomethingOrOther Free" multiple app publishing that started as soon as the store did.

Frankly, since In-App Purchase has been with us since iOS 3.0, it seems like this model should be much more prevalent. This is probably a combination of developer laziness, as well as playing the Top Listing game (since a separate Paid app can appear on Top Paid lists, while In-App Purchases do not).

teme said:
Freemium is a model, where you have to pay to advance in the game, and if you don't pay, you have to wait minutes, hours or days until something is finished and you can continue playing.

I love building games, but this freemium model has deleted proper building games on iPhone quite effectively. I'd rather pay for a full game and I won't support this freemium model, no matter how carefully the game is made.
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So, basically, you're upset that there's a shortcut that you're tempted by, that nobody's forcing you to take, that you can ignore and complete the game the 'proper' way. Do you get upset by bakeries with already-made cakes that you don't have to buy, in place of your grocery store-bought ingredients?
 
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well they do it for the people that pirate the apps this way u cant pirate anything gotta pay
 
batchtaster said:
So, basically, you're upset that there's a shortcut that you're tempted by, that nobody's forcing you to take, that you can ignore and complete the game the 'proper' way. Do you get upset by bakeries with already-made cakes that you don't have to buy, in place of your grocery store-bought ingredients?
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I guess the difference is that games are competitive, and often they are multiplayer or otherwise have rankings and scoreboards. Instead of purely being a contest of skill, it's now about who has the skill and/or who has the money to buy shortcuts.

Perhaps your cake analogy would make more sense if we were talking about a baking competition. People being judged by the cakes they bake from scratch would be understandably upset if there was a way that someone could just buy a premade cake from the store and enter that in the competition.

So the answer is to learn to ignore it. That's the whole reason this system works, is because people become tempted to use the shortcuts because "everyone else is, and I have to keep up!" No, you don't. And if you feel that you do, or if the game sets it up so that you do, then recognize it for what it is -- manipulation -- and start looking for a new game to play.
 
i paraphrase steve at one of the keynotes, not sure which:

"Free apps will stay free, no in-app purchases will be on free apps"

What happened to this?

in app purchases should only be on paid games
 
fxtech said:
Maybe not "bad" parenting but rather dumb parenting.

I don't know about most people's kids but if I gave my iPhone to one of my kids to play a game on within 5 minutes all of my mail would be deleted and they'd be talking with 911.

Frankly it's just dumb to give your personal electronic device to your kids, especially if it's a phone.
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Haha, well maybe it's because I don't have children.. I don't let most people touch my phone, let alone kids ;)
 
this is scam, period. i know i dont have to use such software so i really dont and never will.
 
How is it a scam, exactly?

You do have the choice to delete the app and not pay for anything, if you don't want to.

Sure, it sucks to think you're getting a completely free app, only to find out you have to pay for full functionality.. but you don't have to pay. It doesn't just take money.
 
This thread confirms that MacRumors is filled with idiots and/or trolls.

This isn't a scam. Also, don't understand the people that 'hate' freemium apps. As I said before, just put the app on your device, play it until you get to the point to where it wants you to buy something to continue, then just delete the game. That way, you haven't spent one cent on anything and you've played the game. How is this a scam?

No need for hate. No need for feelings that you've been ripped off. You play with the app for a while and then you move on to something else. If you enjoyed the app, then fricken buy it and keep playing. Seriously, do you morons actually need someone to explain this to you?
 
batchtaster said:
So, basically, you're upset that there's a shortcut that you're tempted by, that nobody's forcing you to take, that you can ignore and complete the game the 'proper' way. Do you get upset by bakeries with already-made cakes that you don't have to buy, in place of your grocery store-bought ingredients?
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Have you actually played "normal" games and "freemium" games? It's not just about waiting time and shortcuts, the freemium model changes the whole game. You'll probably get the idea if you play SimCity/Virtual City/Settlers (normal games) and We Rule/Smurf Village/FarmVille (freemium games).

It's true that no one forces me to download freemium games and no one forces me to pay for the shortcuts. I'm just saying my opinion about freemium model, because this is a discussion forum.
 
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I assume this situation is the one everyone is talking about.

A few days ago my son (almost 12) was playing with my old iPod Touch I gave him and his sister (almost 11) after I got my iPad. They both understand that they are only allowed free apps, and every time they want a new app, come to me, let me see what it is, and I will download it (or not). I have noticed that sometimes it asks me for my password and sometimes it doesn't, and I was never sure why it didn't ask every time. But since the kids know to ask me every time, I figured it was an acceptable risk. They are really good kids (honestly) and I seriously doubt they'd try to get around the rules deliberately. That may sound naive, but I know how they behave on a daily basis.

Anyway, I had just downloaded a goofy free app for him (it's a face that you can poke in the eye, tickle the chin or corner of the mouth, etc. and it laughs or cries...totally useless but hilarious to kids). I was standing right beside him as he tested out the app to see what all the buttons do. Little did I know that there was an "in app upgrade" available that unlocked a few more capabilities related to torturing the goofy face. Before either of us knew what had happened, he had purchased the upgrade with two touches...one touch on the locked feature and one touch on an "ok" button to buy the upgrade. He did it so quickly, neither of us had time to read the message that popped up, and no password was requested. I realized what happened when the "thank you for upgrading" (or whatever) appeared, and I said..."uh...you just bought an upgrade." He had no idea that he had done it and was mortified. He did get in trouble for not being careful and reading what he was agreeing to by touching "ok," but it was hard to be very forceful about it because it was clearly an accident and WAY too easy. I didn't even know the amount of the upgrade price until I checked the bank account online the next day.

Needless to say, I'm not a huge fan of in-app upgrades, especially on apps that are clearly designed for kids, and when no password is requested. I may be "a bad parent" but I would like to know if there is a way to prevent this from happening in the future, like a setting that requires the password for any purchase or upgrade at all times. If anyone knows, I would appreciate the help,
 
UnstrungHarp said:
I may be "a bad parent" but I would like to know if there is a way to prevent this from happening in the future, like a setting that requires the password for any purchase or upgrade at all times. If anyone knows, I would appreciate the help,
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Settings - General - Restrictions - In-app purchases - Off
 
ksgant said:
So...um....don't keep paying? Sorry, not sure if you thought of that option or not. Yeah, it's probably so obvious you just totally missed that. Yes?

Look at it this way, when you get to the part of a game...any game...that wants you to pay something to keep going to the next level, pretend that you got to the end of the game. It's done. It's finished. You solved it. You can now safely delete the game from your iDevice and move on to something else.

Yes?
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Yes--and as you may or may not have seen in my later post, I said that if it is one of those games, I just delete it. I don't want to play a game where I feel I need to buy in game credits to progress. That is hogwash to me, and so therefore, I don't do it...ever.

scootaru said:
I'm sure that Honda will serve you well...until you run out of gas that is.
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Ahh--Umm...no? My Honda gets 40mpg AND comes with a gas gauge, and I'm not having to pay HONDA everytime I need gas. That is the difference. Plus I NEED my car, I don't NEED a game (and I live in a rural area and cannot walk or bike to work).

What I was saying here is that I may pay more for the Honda up front, but in the long run it won't nickle and dime me to death. Because my Honda gets such great gas mileage and uses the lowest octane gas, it is more economical than others.
 
robbieduncan said:
What's the scam :confused:
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apparently a lot of people think that programmers shouldn't be paid for their work :rolleyes:

If you can't resist the impulse buy, simply don't load the app. This is as much of a scam as stocking products like candy at the checkout counter or Amazon's 1-click. Increasing the convenience of purchase has been around a long time.
 
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