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iOS Users Overwhelmingly Prefer Free Games With Advertisements to Paid Titles
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Even with the small sample and biased survey-taker, these numbers are probably correct--reality bears them out.
That said, by their own calculations that means there are about 70 million people with App Store accounts who would rather pay upfront for a game than play an ad supported game. That's not exactly a small user base to target.
Sure, churning out a simple, addictive freemium game that cajoles its players into paying to play is the easy road to riches. So is making cheap, crappy hamburgers and advertising them like crazy. And you're also competing with the "big boys"--you're up against Candy Crush Everything et al. It's like trying to open a new national cheap burger joint--you're going toe-to-toe with McDonalds, Burger King, and several others, who already know how to beat you.
This is proof there's also a very sizable market for quality games that don't treat their players like marks to be bled on an ongoing basis, just like there's plenty of room in the world to open a good restaurant or upscale chain that sells quality food for fair prices to people with taste.
You could also flip it around and say "86% of iOS gamers only game in small fragments of time, so intentionally or unintentionally have very poor value calculations when it comes to paying for a game rather than downloading something free with ads. The other 14% are gamers who spend more time or have better taste."
It's also worth pointing out things like the sketchy, sexed-up, free-to-play (but pay-to-win) MMORPGs whose entire business model is based around a small player base who dump huge sums of money into the game to stay ahead of each other while the vast majority of players pay little or nothing. They're just a more narrowly-targeted, blatant form of the same thing as Clash of Clans and Candy Crush are--basically a casino that gives away the cheap seats in an effort to draw in the gambling addicts.
Personally, the moment I realize that paid add-ons in a game aren't just there for people who are lazy, but are actually the intent of getting you to install the game, I will immediately stop playing and delete it. So I'm proudly in that 14%--give me a quality, meaty game for $10 (even $20, if it's big enough) that doesn't try to upsell me once I'm playing and I'll gladly pay it.
That said, by their own calculations that means there are about 70 million people with App Store accounts who would rather pay upfront for a game than play an ad supported game. That's not exactly a small user base to target.
Sure, churning out a simple, addictive freemium game that cajoles its players into paying to play is the easy road to riches. So is making cheap, crappy hamburgers and advertising them like crazy. And you're also competing with the "big boys"--you're up against Candy Crush Everything et al. It's like trying to open a new national cheap burger joint--you're going toe-to-toe with McDonalds, Burger King, and several others, who already know how to beat you.
This is proof there's also a very sizable market for quality games that don't treat their players like marks to be bled on an ongoing basis, just like there's plenty of room in the world to open a good restaurant or upscale chain that sells quality food for fair prices to people with taste.
You could also flip it around and say "86% of iOS gamers only game in small fragments of time, so intentionally or unintentionally have very poor value calculations when it comes to paying for a game rather than downloading something free with ads. The other 14% are gamers who spend more time or have better taste."
It's also worth pointing out things like the sketchy, sexed-up, free-to-play (but pay-to-win) MMORPGs whose entire business model is based around a small player base who dump huge sums of money into the game to stay ahead of each other while the vast majority of players pay little or nothing. They're just a more narrowly-targeted, blatant form of the same thing as Clash of Clans and Candy Crush are--basically a casino that gives away the cheap seats in an effort to draw in the gambling addicts.
Personally, the moment I realize that paid add-ons in a game aren't just there for people who are lazy, but are actually the intent of getting you to install the game, I will immediately stop playing and delete it. So I'm proudly in that 14%--give me a quality, meaty game for $10 (even $20, if it's big enough) that doesn't try to upsell me once I'm playing and I'll gladly pay it.
Thats partly because Apple never provided a way to do a trial of an app.
I'm very reluctant to buy an app without being able to try it before committing to it.
In app purchase has become the alternative.
I personally hate the pay to stop waiting style games that have taken over.
I'm very reluctant to buy an app without being able to try it before committing to it.
In app purchase has become the alternative.
I personally hate the pay to stop waiting style games that have taken over.
As a game developer, I would love to do paid apps as IAP and ads involve additional non-gameplay work, but players have voted with their behaviour. The reasons are many, and understandable. I still buy some games, but I am happy to watch a few ads if I get to play for free. But ads in paid for apps are terrible.
Was this a headline from The Onion?
In other news people prefer having more money to less money.
In other news people prefer having more money to less money.
Well, who do you think gets it's 30% cut every single time an in app purchase is made?
All I say is R.I.P Real Racing..
Ad Monetization company claims that users prefer free games with ads over paid titles.
Color me shocked.
This is how these companies view their users:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG_MKsoyMm8
Color me shocked.
This is how these companies view their users:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG_MKsoyMm8
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I hate IAP. I prefer paying upfront, as I've did for for example XCOM: Enemy unknown. It was probably the best $10 I've spent (in addition to Spectromancer) WRT iOS games.
And Android, remember it's a system used across all mobile platforms.
It sickens me to see console games attempting to adopt this rubbish too, take Forza 5, I think it's 5, on the Xbox One, a nice new next gen title trying to make you buy additional content like tracks and cars! On a game costing nie on the RRP of a full AAA game!
You don't get all the tracks in the game you buy, they cost extra...
Hopefully these games are suffering in sales due to these underhand tactics. It's just pure money grabbing.
All I say is R.I.P Real Racing..
Yeah, it's a franchise seriously let down by switching to IAP. I've purchased both RR1 and RR2 (both paid-for upfront) but refuse to pay for any kind of consumable(!!!) IAP in RR3. That's definitely a loss for the devs.
Most people prioritize short-term gains instead of thinking of the big picture. They tend to act on their own immediate needs instead of what is best for their community.
Short-term gain:
* Games: freeeeee
* Goods: low prices
Long-term loss:
* Games: Privacy infringement. Low quality of content. Narrowing of genres.
* Goods: Local job losses. Greater pollution levels. Labor abuse.
Short-term gain:
* Games: freeeeee
* Goods: low prices
Long-term loss:
* Games: Privacy infringement. Low quality of content. Narrowing of genres.
* Goods: Local job losses. Greater pollution levels. Labor abuse.
This is my favourite model as well. And not just for games. Plenty of apps could use this model and I'd be more than willing to pay an in app purchase to remove the ads if I like the app.
Fortunately, some (very few) quality titles haven't gone the IAP way; for example, XCOM. (The one I've been playing for two weeks on my rMini - it's gorgeous!)