What attracts you to download and try a game? How would you rank these factors. What are your top 3? A. Graphics B. Story / Content C. Gameplay / Mechanics D. Rating E. Music F. App Size. G. Availability H. Developer I. Price *Edit, I added price.
Well to get me to actually look at the app when I see it on the AppStore the 3 things that attract me are probably Developer Rating Title Then when it comes to actually downloading an app, it's complicated, as I'm rarely flying blind on the AppStore. But on the odd occassion that I am... Developer Rating (I look at the "all reviews" as it's a better representation) Gameplay/Mechanics But most of the time I approach apps the same way I do other games, and look into things thoroughly. So I'll be looking at forum impressions, gameplay videos, etc., but the most important thing is definitely gameplay. Graphics are more of a bonus, and will usually not stop me from trying out a game. Story only matters when I'm looking for a story driven experience (a la Dead Space Mobile, Deus Ex: The Fall). Just look at Threes! for example. Stellar gameplay and very pleasing visuals. Graphics are just a thing that will make the difference between a 4.5 and a 5 star review from critics. But there are definitely games out there that genuinely would be less valuable without their great or unique visuals (I'm looking at you Year Walk, Infinity Blade, Super Hexagon, and every game with outrageous vector graphics). Wow, that turned into more than I had anticipated haha. Hope I actually helped, and didn't just say things you knew already
Dont have a panda in them! C) Gameplay mechanics - Dont care if a game has simple graphics, gameplay is key H) Developer - Theres quite a few devs i follow on twitter and buy most of their games Dont care so much about graphics or music, i want the filesize to be low not huge. The rating i dont care for as so many seem fake on the app store, same for reviews so i ignore most of these now. If a game has the word 'flappy' in it i wont ever download it. I like a lot of original games so if its another endless runner/Angry Birds clone/Flappy clone i'll stay away. If the dev gives his game a 5 star rating on the thread i'll also stay away
For me I'd say... C. Gameplay / Mechanics It has to be something I think I could like, of course. D. Rating If it's low I usually don't bother. A. Graphics Impressive screenshots could convince me to try a game of a genre I usually don't play. H. Developer If I loved other games from the same developer it's almost certain I'll try it out. I'd also add the price. I don't like the freemium model, so I usually don't download free games with lots of ads and consumable IAPs. At the same time I won't pay more than two dollars for something that I'm not so sure of. At 0.99$ I'm willing to take a chance even if I'm not completely convinced.
I'd have to say c, d and h. But I take also take other factors such as file size, price, iaps. I have no qualms about buying a high priced game but I'll be more likely to research it more, I pay little attention to AppStore ratings, I go by what the people here say. The presence of iaps is also a factor, especially in a high priced game.
I have to say C, B then A. Gameplay is the most important, no question. Content goes next, too simple or too basic isnt good. Then graphics, have to appeal to me somehow. And you should add IAP. That something I look on every app I buy. Dont care who the developer is (but if I know them, better), dont trust iTunes ratings and reviews, dont care about app size unless its exagerated related to the content, couldnt care less about music (most of the time I play on mute), so if I like what I see on a trailer most of the time I buy it.
Thanks for replying! I too want a low sized game. Oh and I didn't know the dev could rate his own game. hahaha! Biased! Oh and you don't like pandas? >.<
Thanks for that suggestion! I will add the price to the survey. I agree, freemiums aren't really free with those ads and stuff. Thanks for your contribution.
1. Gameplay / Mechanics I consider gameplay the most critical part of any game, more than visuals, story, music, etc. Without fun polished gameplay, the experience is already flawed in a fundamental way. 2. Developer Considering how open the App Store is and how easy it is for games to be submitted, there's a lot of crap games, a lot of hidden gems, and then there are a handful of developers and publishers who can be trusted to consistently release quality experiences. Foursaken, Radiangames, Crescent Moon, Bulkypix, to name a few. On the flip side, I almost always support indie devs, like those behind such excellent titles as Hoplite, Ninjin, Boson X, etc. 3. App Size I have an 8gb iPhone 4 so I'm always battling for space, sometimes barely having 50mbs left on my device and always needing to delete games to install new ones. So app size is important for me And two that aren't mentioned but influenced my decisions over the last two years: Forum Impressions I trust and respect the impressions and opinions here over any review site, especially the members who I know share similar tastes in games as me. IAP model I don't believe IAP is as evil as some here do, but I won't support games and developers that abuse freemium elements. So how IAP focused a game is, if it's fair or if it's full of paywalls and timers and obnoxious ads, absolutely influences the games I'm interested in
Thanks! This is very interesting! The mention of forum impressions and especially the IAP model is really a good point. Thank you for your inputs!