Just curious, how many of you out there are hyper-addicted to downloading nearly everything "when it goes free" just so you can have it? In particular if you might launch it once, try it for 15 seconds, and then never load it up again? At this point I will still DL games that go free if they looked like something I'd actually be interested to try playing (and there was never a lite version available) but even now after a couple of years, I find that it's a stretch even to say that. It is a little startling to me to think that there are people who "have to download everything that goes free every day," still, even after a couple of years. How do you feel on the subject?
Haven't downloaded a lite version of anything since 2009. When the prices of apps are so low, your time is more valuable. Don't download free games unless they were popular paid games that I somehow never bought. Not interested in trying free games that no one really cared about.
I never bother to download lite apps unless it's for a relatively expensive game that I'm interested in, but unsure of. I download quite a few freebies when I see that they've gone free on AppZapp. There are less games that interest me nowadays, so I typically buy one higher priced game once in a while rather than lots of 99 cent games.
I don't really download lite apps at all. Most of the time, there isn't even a lite version for what I do want to try out. However, if there's something free that I might have even the tiniest bit of interest in, I will usually download it. Sometimes I just don't get around to downloading it because it wasn't really that important.
Can't say I don't take advantage of paid apps that go "free" for a day -- doubt there's anyone on the forum who could say they've never downloaded a freebie. But typically these are games that I was on the fence about as anything I REALLY want I usually pay for when they come out. But I do think free sales do help a dev in the long run building a customer base for future purchases. Lites are also a good way to try a game. So, can't say I fall into any of the categories in the poll. I don't just download a game because it's free -- I need space and am not just going to download any old crap. And, while I do download freebies if it's something that sounds good, I certainly support devs by buying paid apps that I want (ie., I don't wait around waiting for something to go free).
I'll download a freebie or take a code only if I'm interested. It used to be that I would just grab anything just because it's free, but I found I gave myself too much clutter. A lot of freebies get 10 seconds of playing time before they get deleted. I guess that's the typical value of nothing. Tendency to be able dismiss it without giving it much of a chance if one didn't pay for it. But also, I guess if I had been interested, I would have bought it already before it went to free.
I think the days of people downloading everything free on the app store are over just due to the fact that there's so stinking many of them now! Keeping up with every game that goes free would be a full time job these days! Nowadays I think most have to judge whether it's even worth their time to download a free game. Usually it isn't. That being said, I'll still download a game here and there if it's in a genre I love and it looks interesting. I'll also download a game that goes free if it's something that I've heard of previously. I'd imagine many others are the same. That's why marketing is so important even post launch!
Used to download almost anything remotely good looking when I first started using ios. Hardly spent any money for a few months. Then joined toucharcade and started buying games on sales and would download anything wish listed that went free, or anything fairly polished. Then started buying more games and only downloading the best free games. Now I buy every game I am interested in (cut it down about 6-10 a month since I deleted so many good games due to backlog and buying great games but in genres I never liked). So I never download free games since I have everything I am interested in, but I will still download the occasional free productivity app, and I only wishlist high end productivity apps (1password for mac).
I try and buy games asap so the dev gets as much money as poss and 'hopefully' does well with their app and wants to buy more games. If we all waited for freebies then the app store would just turn to rubbish and devs would move onto other devices to try and make some money. So i'm a 'paid game addict' myself, when a games a buck or two then theres no excuse to be cheap and wait for it to be free Being a dev yourself i find it quite hyprocritical. When you release your game 'gunhead' imagine if everyone waited for it to be free, so your profits are minimal. I'm sure you would change your tune then
I used to download EVERYTHING! Two years later, I'm still on a 32 GB device and space is more of an issue than even price. Mostly I buy things I really want and wishlist anything interesting on AppShopper. I still check FAAD, etc. but don't download unless it looks really interesting, or is something I wanted to try out before.
Been through the earlier (crazy) stage of downloading whatever was free but even so I still bought most games back then. I'm now more discerning and normally will research a game through video, friends, recommendations and TA/postings, even if its free. Most everyone I've read so far hasn't cared for the lites but I like them for a try out if available before purchasing (or not) if I'm still on the fence. So keep those lites coming devs, its what prompts me to buy the full game.
I think many of us are passed that "hoarding" phase we went through when we first got our devices. Nowadays I look more for quality than quantity and definitely think the old adage - you get what you pay for applies. If a developer doesn't value their work enough to keep it at a fair price why should I? For some you couldn't even pay ME to download some of the freebie sale games! That being said, there ARE games that scream "price drop soon" to me and those I wish list and wait for the inevitable fall. It happens, I download, and then I realize why I didn't jump on it when it was paid. I guess I have become more discerning and get what I REALLY want, when I want it and am willing to pay for it - if it falls after that it falls. Otherwise I don't really hunt down the sales any more. I mean my time is much more valuable to me than the 99 cents I might save!
