frustrating rebuying same app

[iKennett]

Hi All..

Some minor moans from an iPhone and iPad user.

I bought both angry birds and cut the rope for the iPhone and LOVE them both, I then went and bough angry birds for the iPad which I also love but didn't like having to buy it again... but understand why.

Now time for cut the rope.....

I bought the APP on the iPhone and completed the game, well worth every single penny. Now it is available on the iPad, same game, but just for the iPad and a small extra price.

Anyone else find it frustrating having to buy the same game twice? I wont go buying the same game on the iPad again BUT would pay that little extra if the game worked on both....

 

[robbieduncan]

The problem is that the app store does not allow upgrade pricing. So developers can't offer you an upgrade price to an iPod + iPad version. They can only sell you a whole new version if they want to get paid for all the extra work. If they are releasing a new app from scratch they do have the option of making 3 version: iPhone only, iPad only and combined but thats more effort.

 

[iKennett]

The problem is that the app store does not allow upgrade pricing. So developers can't offer you an upgrade price to an iPod + iPad version. They can only sell you a whole new version if they want to get paid for all the extra work. If they are releasing a new app from scratch they do have the option of making 3 version: iPhone only, iPad only and combined but thats more effort.

Understood

What about offering a combined version at a price and then individual version? Or does the effort in combining them take a fair amount of work?

Ah well.... maybe I will end up buying it again LOL!

 

[robbieduncan]

Understood

What about offering a combined version at a price and then individual version? Or does the effort in combining them take a fair amount of work?

Ah well.... maybe I will end up buying it again LOL!

That was what I said was possible with the 3 versions. But it takes time and effort that doesn't really net the developer any additional cash: if anything it gets them less as people who are willing to pay a premium (even if it's small) to have optimised iPad and iPhone versions is probably willing to buy the two individual version which would retail for more than the combined version. Doing more work to earn less is simply not good business.

 

[logitechFan]

Although I can't agree more with your comment in general, I really didn't mind paying "twice" for cut the rope (for iphone and ipad). I know this is besides the point, but just wanted to shout out! Brilliant game Cut the rope! Not quite as good as Angry Birds, but comes close in my little world of ranking!

 

[MadeTheSwitch]

At this point every app should be written as a universal app unless it is tailored to a specific device (i.e. phone apps would only need work with an iPhone). Not only does it seem like a rip off to need to buy a separate app, but it also creates duplication to wade through on both your computer and the iTunes store. Could you imagine if every single app was duplicated? What a mess!

Also I am annoyed by the higher price of iPad versions. Just because it is a bigger screen, doesn't mean that it needs a bigger price to go with it. I've seen some games sell for a dollar or two but their iPad counterparts are 8-10 bucks or even higher. That's just a money grab and it's completely unethical.

 

[robbieduncan]

Also I am annoyed by the higher price of iPad versions. Just because it is a bigger screen, doesn't mean that it needs a bigger price to go with it. I've seen some games sell for a dollar or two but their iPad counterparts are 8-10 bucks or even higher. That's just a money grab and it's completely unethical.

As an you are clearly an experienced developer who's built apps for both the iPhone and iPad I'd be interested in seeing what you've built? Or do you actually have no experience of this and are just spouting rubbish about stuff you have no idea about? I think you'll find it takes developers time and effort to build iPhone versions over and above the time and effort they spend in the iPhone ones. If they need to spend longer per sale on the iPad version do you think they should effectively work for less money per hour spent or charge more?