Hi, my game is out for a few days so now I can make a lite version. My questions for developers - how do you normally do it? Do you make a separate project for lite version, or make changes in current project and just hide some functionality? I'm thinking of making a separate project for lite version, I feel it's a better solution? Also, apart from 'Buy Full Version' button, do you advertise somewhere what features there is in a full version? From what I understand you can't show menu options and then popup menu saying 'In full version only', so it would be nice to list what goodies people would get if they bought full version.
Depends on the game. N.Y.Zombies was a rather intensive full 3D project, so we just copied the full game and did changes there. And yes, you are able to advertise the features in the full game via lists and splash screens. For example, we have a list of equipment that is not included in the lite. We also have a little splash screen once you "beat" the lite which lists more features in the full. The issue is you just can't "fool" the player into thinking there is something in the lite that really isn't there. For the most part I think other lites I have seen pop up a splash screen at the end as well, showing the extra features in the full version and maybe some screenshots of cool things you are missing out on.
For Backlash we plan to do 10-15 levels (out of the 40 total) and then the splash screen to buy the full version - figure give people a taste of the game and then they'll want the rest
For "Letter Slide" we have a paid version for 99c. We then have a Free version, "Letter Slide Free" that is the full game but with ads and in app purchase to convert people who want to get rid of the ads at 99c making it exactly like the paid version of letter slide - Matt
Instead of a separate project, I find it easier to use #defines to remove or add functionality in various part of the main project. Then you can have 2 targets in the project - 1 for the lite, and 1 for the full version. This makes it much easier later on, when you add stuff or make fixes to one version, and don't need to worry about keeping the source code for 2 projects in sync.
Two targets and #defines is how I did it also. My lite version was originally timed, and had some success with that, but in the latest update switched it from "timed" to "advertising supported". Acceptance has been great and now have two revenue streams. If your game is the sort of game that could possibly be advertising supported, then it's worth thinking about. For a success story, take a look at Paper Toss.
Ads would be a good idea, I'm sure the conversion ratio isn't really that high, so at least there would be some cash coming in regardless
A good trick we did with the Lite version of Jet Car Stunts was to do original levels. The reason behind this was because we released the Lite version months after the paid version and by that time people were after new tracks to play. So it was away to get people who bought the game to download the Lite to get it up in the charts. This will only work if you release the Lite a few months behind the paid release and the game has got a following. The Lite version helped sales and we managed to push the game into the top 100 games and got to about 70. After 3 weeks of been back in the charts we have dropped below the top 100 games at last viewing.
