Poll: Would you download a Wi-Fi only app?

Discussion in 'General Game Discussion and Questions' started by Rainier, Nov 24, 2012.

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Would you download a Wi-Fi only app?

  1. Yes, I would still download a Wi-Fi only app

    13 vote(s)
    68.4%
  2. No, I would automatically disqualify it from consideration

    6 vote(s)
    31.6%
  1. Rainier

    Rainier Well-Known Member

    Apr 16, 2012
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    #1 Rainier, Nov 24, 2012
    Last edited: Nov 26, 2012
    Apple seems to have a data usage limit for apps they will approve. Anything that draws above 5MB of data within 5 minutes over cellular networks has been rejected in the past. It's making me consider making my upcoming video charades app Wi-Fi only since the sending and receiving of videos will easily blow past that limit. My original idea was to give each person up to 60 seconds to act their videos (in both low and medium resolutions), but hearing about this limit leaves with me the unappealing option of cutting the low resolution limit to 30 seconds and the medium resolution limit to 10 seconds.

    So my question is, if you saw a fun looking app on the app store that was Wi-Fi only, would you download it, or automatically disqualify it from consideration?
     
  2. Bytebrain

    Bytebrain Well-Known Member

    Jul 24, 2010
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    Copenhagen, Denmark
    If it's an app I want, I don't care if it's wifi or not.
    I have plenty games and apps that rely on a fast connection and likewise apps too big for the paltry 50 mb apple restricts upon us.
     
  3. Primoz

    Primoz Well-Known Member

    Aug 14, 2012
    2,075
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    I don't even use anything else for network needs other than Wi-Fi. I have it at home and in school. But I know lots of people don't have it (or have limited access to it) so expect less downloads than if it would run on all networks.
     
  4. Rainier

    Rainier Well-Known Member

    Apr 16, 2012
    160
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    I like to use WiFi all the time myself, but I know I may not be the typical user. Still hoping others would add their responses to the poll!

    Thanks everyone!
     
  5. Pman

    Pman Well-Known Member

    May 2, 2010
    495
    0
    0
    Texas
    I would in fact use a wifi app because of how much memory it would cause from my carrier. Only 3gb before rollback on AT&T.
     
  6. Greyskull

    Greyskull Well-Known Member

    Dec 13, 2009
    5,588
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    Photographer/Social Sciences adjunct/sweet sweet l
    Fort Lauderdale
    It's rare for me to purchase an app that doesn't have no-fi (in other words, offline play) as an option.

    More to the point of your question, sure. I leave cellular data turned off 95% of the time anyway to save power. I could see more rural TA members having an issue with it, though. But, is it even possible to make an app that doesn't allow data to be transferred over cellular? I've never heard of it. Have you looked at all video compression options available? Is this a live streaming app? If so, perhaps delay the data from being sent for a moment and apply additional compression.
     
  7. Rainier

    Rainier Well-Known Member

    Apr 16, 2012
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    I'm still on the unlimited AT&T data plan. I don't think I've ever broken 2GB per month though, so I've pretty much thrown money away based on the obscure possibility I'd actually need a lot of data.

    I've also been hearing that it's probably unrealistic to assume kids will be tracking their data usage closely, so there will be potential for parents to wake up one day with an alert saying they owe a gazillion dollars.
     
  8. Greyskull

    Greyskull Well-Known Member

    Dec 13, 2009
    5,588
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    Photographer/Social Sciences adjunct/sweet sweet l
    Fort Lauderdale
    2 gb for me, per month. Though I've never even approached that. I don't sext though. If I did, :nudgenudgewinkwink: ;)
     
  9. Rainier

    Rainier Well-Known Member

    Apr 16, 2012
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    I've actually never run into a Wi-Fi only app myself, but there are ways of detecting if a Wi-Fi connection is established, and using that as a requirement for continued operation. One way I know this can be done is because I tried downloading Galaxy on Fire when it was free over my cell network, and I promptly got a warning I needed to have Wi-Fi on to download it.

    We've looked at different compressions available, and this is what we had available at the time:

    High Resolution->(1280?720) = ~14MB = ~11Mbit/s
    640x480 Resolution->(640?480) = ~4MB = ~3.2Mbit/s
    Medium Resolution->(360?480) = ~1MB = ~820Kbit/s
    Low Resolution->(144?192) = ~208KB = ~170Kbit/s

    The data usage can be ridiculously high since it scales exponentially. To make it work, we needed to go primarily with low resolution, and in the pro version, the option for medium resolution. But we hit the ceiling very quickly with medium res. It's not live streaming, but it does record a video and send it to the opponent in the game.

    Under the App Store review guidelines, they have this:

    9. Media content

    9.3 Audio streaming content over a cellular network may not use more than 5MB over 5 minutes
    9.4 Video streaming content over a cellular network longer than 10 minutes must use HTTP Live Streaming and include a baseline 64 kbps audio-only HTTP Live stream
     
  10. Platyrrhine

    Platyrrhine Well-Known Member

    Jan 6, 2012
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    You got the warning about GoF because its file size is over 50 mb, so it can't be downloaded over 3G/data.

    Anyway, yes I would play a game that can only be played over wifi.
     
  11. Greyskull

    Greyskull Well-Known Member

    Dec 13, 2009
    5,588
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    38
    Photographer/Social Sciences adjunct/sweet sweet l
    Fort Lauderdale
    To hell with children. Can't parents put a cap on the amount of data they allow their kids to use? If not, parents shouldn't buy their kids smartphones. Give him or her a "feature phone" and an ipod/wifi-only ipad.

    My game n watch had no data plan, did I complain? No. I was happy to have Snake on my second cell phone. Oh, and Memory.
     
  12. Rainier

    Rainier Well-Known Member

    Apr 16, 2012
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    Sometimes I think cell carriers are secretly rubbing their hands with glee when parents have no way of capping their kids' usage. It's like how banks used to operate: a huge chunk of their profits came from overdraft and ATM fees. They WANT you to screw up.

    Anyway, thanks to everyone who has voted! Please keep them coming! One of these days you may want to find the answer to the same question!
     
  13. addybaddy

    addybaddy Member

    Nov 28, 2012
    24
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    Game development
    Online
    i really dont care if its wifi only

    I would definitely download it if its something i want and totally depends on the app first
     

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