coins and inapp purchase difference?

Discussion in 'Public Game Developers Forum' started by Planetman, Jul 11, 2014.

  1. Planetman

    Planetman Well-Known Member

    May 3, 2014
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    I cannot see the difference between inapp purchase and coins only that coins buy anything an inapp purchases just buy one thing.
    But concerning monetizing kids both coins and inapp purchases require a credit card
     
  2. Destined

    Destined Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2013
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    the difference is psychological. People who use coins as an inapp purchase for stuff are trying to disassociate the actual act of purchase from the receiving of the virtual goods.

    It is partly why inapp purchases are often viewed in such negative light.

    Most parents disable in app purchases now to stop this (thankfully).
     
  3. Planetman

    Planetman Well-Known Member

    May 3, 2014
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    candy

    Hi
    Does candy crush use inapp purchases? How do
    You use coins instead?
     
  4. Destined

    Destined Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2013
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    I don't play candy crush but play it yourself to see how they do it.

    It is just a code thing. Either you code a direct IAP to give you something in the game. Or you IAP some currency in your game which you can then spend inside your game.

    IAP purchases can be hard to balance and can lead to players hating the game. I personally plan to steer well clear of them :)
     
  5. Blackharon

    Blackharon Well-Known Member

    Mar 15, 2010
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    Game Designer for Ludia
    Canada
    Usually, this decision is a lot less seedy than you're implying. Virtual currencies allow for more flexibility to give smaller than 1$ denominations to the player.

    If 0.99 gets you one power-up in your game and 0.99 gives 100 coins in my game (and power-ups cost 100 coins) the result is the same. In fact, its often better to give the 1 for 1 trade because there's no need for the player to 'spend' 2 times to get the power-up.

    However, what if I wanted to give you the chance to view ads, and an ad view pays me 0.02$? In your game, you would have to reward them with a 0.99$ power-up, severely devaluing the power-up! In my game, I can give you the 2 coins (or even 10 coins) which may not get you a whole power-up but allows you to save for it.

    Everything in a game is hard to balance, and if that's your only reason for skipping it's not a great one.

    My personal preference is for premium priced, one time purchase games (like seemingly all of TA), but my last two games weren't. Nothing wrong with that, but it forced me to learn the ins and outs of IAPs and currencies.
     
  6. Planetman

    Planetman Well-Known Member

    May 3, 2014
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    pay

    I am changing to coins as I only have about 4 items to buy really so have I done wrong charging premium for the game also? as this will appeal to adults and kids alike
     
  7. Blackharon

    Blackharon Well-Known Member

    Mar 15, 2010
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    Game Designer for Ludia
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    Paidmium can work. You see it from time to time, but it has 2 faults. It has the barrier of entry of an initial price AND turns away those who dislike IAPs. Your game/marketing has to be very strong to overcome that.

    You're probably mistaken in this assumption. This payment model will appeal to neither adults nor kids. If you're targeting kids with a paid application, you have to convince the parents, and IAPs will not help you there. "Oh little Jimmy, you can't have this app because it's going to cost me now AND when you want ultracoolpowerup!"
     
  8. Planetman

    Planetman Well-Known Member

    May 3, 2014
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    attention

    I want to bring your attention to a game called Ellen's heads up where is is always top seller and this game costs to download and also
    They charge for
    Card packs in the game and really I think
    The game is a little crap but still it's top of charts so this game defies what you are telling
    Me
     
  9. Blackharon

    Blackharon Well-Known Member

    Mar 15, 2010
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    Game Designer for Ludia
    Canada
    #9 Blackharon, Jul 11, 2014
    Last edited: Jul 11, 2014
    Ellen DeGeneres has a HUGE following. The game is a party game which requires several people to get the app at the same time. There are a number of other things going for this app (it's simplicity, it's virality and the fact that it's a well known party game that hasn't been effectively done on mobile before that.)

    There's always exceptions to the rule, but I had said that "Your game/marketing has to be very strong to overcome that." And Ellen's Heads Up has both a strong game and a strong marketing plan.

    Also: kids are not her target audience, the mom's are. The game does not do 'well' (considering its rank on the paid charts) on the top grossing so I would hazard a guess that the IAP's aren't purchased much. There's probably a million other things I can say about the app, which I won't because I don't have the time to do a full study.
     
  10. Planetman

    Planetman Well-Known Member

    May 3, 2014
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    #10 Planetman, Jul 11, 2014
    Last edited: Jul 11, 2014
    free

    Alright my plan then is to go free download with coin shop to buy 4 different items. Is there a minimum coins I can set up or I can say ten coins to buy each item?
     
  11. Destined

    Destined Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2013
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    You can set up any number you want since by using virtual currency you can now use it however you want in the code.
     
  12. Destined

    Destined Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2013
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    But that in game currency means you can pay to win. For me that beats the point of making a game.

    I don't really want to get into the whole debate cause there are multiple sides but the reasons I don't are
    -I don't want to balance gameplay for a currency
    -I don't want to deal with people who are unable to restore purchase etc when everything works fine
    -I don't have the advertising budgets which people who have had success with these have used

    Overall I don't have a problem with them and offering stuff like outfits could be a good stream of revenue but I figure I will wait until I have a game popular enough to worry about that!

    Also while I would like to make money it isn't the main reason I make games. I have a very well paid job which I love and wouldn't quit even if my games were making millions :)

    Paidium only works IMO if the IAP purchases are things like extra level packs and not powerups etc. Problem with paid in general for any indie is no marketing budget for people to find out about the game.

    As previously mentioned this success has NOTHING to do with the quality of the game but the person supporting it. It also I bet had a ton of advertising to go with it.
     
  13. Planetman

    Planetman Well-Known Member

    May 3, 2014
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    Well exactly

    A famous TV celeb and a giant company
     
  14. OnlyJoe

    OnlyJoe Well-Known Member

    Sep 29, 2013
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    Auckland
    I quite like the approach that tiny towers took with their in-app purchases. You can play the game without paying, its just a slower game. Spending real money doesn't really give you an advantage, its more that it just makes things happen faster.

    The pay to win is an odd sort of a problem. As you would think that it would cause gamers to feel sort of disappointed, like I wasn't smart enough to do this level so I had to cheat by spending some money. But this doesn't seem to happen, I don't think people view buying a bonus as cheating or doing something that gives them an unfair advantage. The psychology behind it all I think is quite odd really, its like people say, I really hate how this game keeps trying to get me to buy things, but then they keep on playing it.
     
  15. Planetman

    Planetman Well-Known Member

    May 3, 2014
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    cheat

    The coin pAcks in my game are not for cheating B
    Only to buy a few card packs and some paint.

    There you go Destined a little clue to what the game is about.
     
  16. Destined

    Destined Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2013
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    I am curious, but more to see the kind of quality you got.

    I also hope it works out for you.
     
  17. Blackharon

    Blackharon Well-Known Member

    Mar 15, 2010
    978
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    Game Designer for Ludia
    Canada

    Not necessarily, and it's especially better than if the OP was going to make an straight IAP for a power-up, there are ways to design around it. But that's a debate for another topic in another day. Feel free to PM me if you want to duke it out mano-a-mano ;)

    Fair enough, the first 2 are personal preferences which are fine because they're personal and the last is capability. Even if you have a marketing budget it doesn't guarantee success (see my previous project for the spectacular... nothingness that happened with it!)
     
  18. Planetman

    Planetman Well-Known Member

    May 3, 2014
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    Multi play

    Thanks I hope so too like Flappy Bird

    Anyway

    Its complicated doing it yourself with like £UK500 a month for programmming and art to hire people.

    Then you have to port to Android Windows PC etc.

    Sometimes it drives yo crazy agains all the competiio and those blasted cloners
     
  19. Destined

    Destined Well-Known Member

    Aug 11, 2013
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    It is okay, I don't have a problem with others using it :) I am all for people trying and doing different things.

    I am sure many people aren't happy with the advertising in my free games but I feel it is working I just need to make more popular games.

    lol now you are dreaming :)

    One quote that i read on the unity forums was the only correlation for success in app development was the number of apps that developer has made. ie mostly you have to work your way up.


    That is why I develop in unity. Just click switch platform and go go go!
     

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