What do you guys think of lite versions of apps? Like? Dislike? What works and what doesn't? How often do you guys convert from lite to full? What makes you convert over, what doesn't? I ask because I am tinkering with the idea of making a lite version for my app, Jetman Jack. I have been hesitant of doing this simply because my app is already such a simple app that I don't know what lite version would even entail. My app is an 8-bit remake of the Helicopter Game/Jetman on Facebook (think 8-bit iCopter). Basically you fly Jetman Jack through the never ending cave, the further you get the higher your score. I would love suggestions on what I should do in a lite version if I were to create one. I have some ideas already but I wanted to see what you guys thought. Thanks, Matt
as of right now you application is free so why would you want to have a lite version of it if it is already free Some lite apps like pocket tanks are good because they give you quality gameplay unlike some applications. it also a risk by using a lite application. i was thinking of buying trism but then a tried trism lite which turned me off the game, but lite version of edge and zenbound made me want the game more.
do a forum search on Lites, i've made a couple of threads on them myself. i personally love Lites. they're the best invention since the Earth cooled. I'm the kind of gamer that catches 10 mins here and there to play games, and i'm not too much into them in the first place anyway, so a freebee Lite with maybe 1 or 2 taster levels is ideal for me. And then, if i actually like the game that much i will immediately buy. idigit being the last example. brilliant game. it means that the dev will at least get the chance of my cash than if he didn't release a Lite. I'll quite happily spend a single $ on games without lites as they're basically throw-aways (most of the time), but there's no way i'll spend more than a couple of bucks on a game if i cant test drive it first. not because i'm tight, which i certainly am not, but because i dont know games that well and if the dev is gracious enough to accommodate me with a Lite then i'll give him my proper attention. there's so much crap in the app store i want to know where my dosh is going. so yeah, Lites are good
I like lite versions. They give me a feel of how the initial game plays without giving away too much. It works better for more featured games though. Jetman Jack wouldn't be a good one to make a lite version for, because it would be about the same as the full version.
Well jetman jack is free for now. We have had it out for two months and sales haven't been that great and when we put it up for free, within a day we had 3,000 downloads (which is like 10 times more than we had in 2 months at $0.99). this makes me think i should have a light version since i have done everything i can with just a paid one. i am thinking of making it so that you can't save your highscore. i feel this gives them a good idea of how it plays, but since you can't save your highscore and the addicting quality is trying to beat your highscore, if you don't know what your highest score is then you'd want to be able to save it? yea? no? also in combination with that, maybe cutting it off at like 800 points or something? so you can play up to 500 or 800 or something. i guess i wouldn't need to disable high score saving if i do that since most people could get to the cutoff point pretty soon yea?
