Views on In-App Purchasing

[SkyMuffin]

I'm okay with IAP as long as it's not absolutely necessary to progress, as said above. There's also games where it might not be necessary, but the alternative is a ten hour grind (8-bit ninja and Mega Jump come to mind). In cases like that it becomes clear after a few plays that the game is not built to actually be interesting or fun, but to slowly annoy people enough to pay money.

And there's those apps where they nag you over and over again to buy extra stuff...

The only IAP I ever pay for is if it's for more content. Occasionally, cosmetic things if I like the game enough and want to support the developer.

[EightRooks]

I don't object to the idea of IAP - I've bought DLC for various different games across all the formats I currently own. I don't generally buy cosmetic stuff or cheats or what have you unless I really, really want them, though, and off the top of my head I can't think of a single instance where I have in fact given in to temptation.

My main problem with it is, as always, while it's entirely a developer's right to implement IAPs and charge whatever the hell they feel like for them I wish they wouldn't hide behind moral or ethical arguments where they try and convince me they're doing me a favour. The recent Reddit AMA with two Zynga employees is a good case in point:

The notion that F2P is 'evil' is silly, especially given how many other markets work like this. When you want to be an artist, do you go to Michael's and ask for the Artist Special? It's $200, includes a spread of paints, brushes, canvases, markers, oils, etc. Oh, you don't? You mean you just go and buy piece-by-piece the stuff you want or need when you want or need it? That's F2P gaming.

Uh, pal, the issue under debate is the idea that by charging piecemeal you're actually tempting/coercing people into spending $400 or thereabouts on buying the Artist Special instead of the one-off fee. That's what's seen as "evil". Convenience or lack of it isn't really the problem.

For example, after the arguments in this forum over Heroes Call and its use of wait timers you can only skip with IAP gems, I would love to have one of the developers say look, if you buy X amount of these things you'll have enough to skip through every single timer you could reasonably expect to see in one, two, three playthroughs, whatever. Just so the core gamer audience could know how much they would effectively be paying for the game. Because, I mean, I'd quite possibly go that route, if it fell within what I felt was reasonable. Technically they already have a "One-off payment to skip all wait timers" - they're just not letting us know how much it would cost.

[Habakuk]

I am completely against those IAPs. One of the worst "inventions" (okay they made it like Facebook games and they still don't stop implementing this Facebook crap) by Apple. I know there are games with "good" IAPs (but not more than 10% of games with IAPs).

IAPs have a very bad reputation. So I automatically SKIP games with IAPs. There is only ONE chance that I care about such games: When there is a honest and serious explanation in the main app description text about what IAPs are doing. I recently made a poll on that topic in my blog and most of my readers have exactly my opinion.

http://forums.toucharcade.com/showpo...70&postcount=5

[itouchbd]

the thing is most of the freemium type games are nothing more than money pits that might be fun but cost more than a xbox360 game to even be competitive. junk jack has a very good iap as does mage gauntlet they offer things you do not need but things that are cool and very helpful for completing the game. it can be made right but often it isn't.

[psj3809]

It's our own 'fault' as too many people are too cheap and wait for a game to drop in price or for it to be free. I mean when a quality game is a tiny 2 dollars anyway I would buy it instantly to help the dev.

I find too many people are cheap and wait for a price drop. Even when the games 99c they seem to wait for it to be free! Then moan when games are freemium!

More sales the indie devs get the more games we'll get

Heroes call is a good game but waiting for new quests unless you buy IAPs to speed it up is terrible

[Nobunaga]

Originally Posted by EightRooks

I don't object to the idea of IAP - I've bought DLC for various different games across all the formats I currently own. I don't generally buy cosmetic stuff or cheats or what have you unless I really, really want them, though, and off the top of my head I can't think of a single instance where I have in fact given in to temptation.

My main problem with it is, as always, while it's entirely a developer's right to implement IAPs and charge whatever the hell they feel like for them I wish they wouldn't hide behind moral or ethical arguments where they try and convince me they're doing me a favour. The recent Reddit AMA with two Zynga employees is a good case in point:



Uh, pal, the issue under debate is the idea that by charging piecemeal you're actually tempting/coercing people into spending $400 or thereabouts on buying the Artist Special instead of the one-off fee. That's what's seen as "evil". Convenience or lack of it isn't really the problem.

For example, after the arguments in this forum over Heroes Call and its use of wait timers you can only skip with IAP gems, I would love to have one of the developers say look, if you buy X amount of these things you'll have enough to skip through every single timer you could reasonably expect to see in one, two, three playthroughs, whatever. Just so the core gamer audience could know how much they would effectively be paying for the game. Because, I mean, I'd quite possibly go that route, if it fell within what I felt was reasonable. Technically they already have a "One-off payment to skip all wait timers" - they're just not letting us know how much it would cost.

100% agreed. In any game where IAPs are basically a necessity it'd be nice if a dev would tell you exactly what you'd have to spend. Ie. gems to skip wait times for a full play through. Or alternatively an IAP for $5 $10 $20, whatever they thought was reasonable to skip all wait times. Options like this would probably help people to not feel ripped off and disregard games with IAPs entirely.