One thing I wanted to add to this discussion... there is - all in all - no difference between gamers who are spending $20-$50 a month for games without IAP and gamers, who spend $20-$50 on IAP per month for games like Order & Chaos, HayDay, an online Poker game or Puzzle & Dragons. I know some of these IAP consuming people and they usually tend to play 1-2 games. Both parties spend a certain amount and both are happy with it, when they feel it's worth for them. Moreover: how many of us are buying lots of games full price but finish maybe 10% of them? The ones who are moaning are the people who want everything, but can't afford everything. I admit that I can't afford to buy games for 50$ / month and also spend another 50 bucks on IAP for games like Clash of Clans, so I concentrate on games without consumables. But I also spend a few bucks on Order and Chaos IAPs from time to time, maybe every two months. @ AlienSpace: yes, I see your point and know what you mean. The stupidity I am talking about is that the people mostly only tend to see the actual product - a small data package. But most of them don't see all the work, sweat and time behind it. For them, it's just a small amount of data they download. But yeah, in the end it is all in Apple's hands.
Yes, absolutely right. So, welcome to touchArcade, where lots of Holy Crusaders want to save the world from evil IAP. The App Store is the best example that you can't please everyone.
I spent 25x € 5.99 on Taiko No Tatsujin song packs (actual playable new content). That is € 149,75 (or roughly $ 195,50) (!) I would never spend $ 100,- on one car to be faster, avoid a time wall or buy a boat. All that is BS. IAP does NOT make sense to me anymore on that level. These kinds of IAPs are becoming more and more common with some IAPs being more expensive than full blown console releases. I don't understand that. Honestly. Sorry. I must be a "stupid gamer" then. No I'm not, nor am I a teenager on a low budget for the record. Nor am I alone in my opinions so let's keep it civilised ok? (You know who you are!). Please. If it's good IAP I'm not afraid to spend a lot because it truly adds something, but most IAP is for cheats or disabling crippled gameplay, timers, virtual cash (seriously,.. come on!) etc. Cut. That. Out. Make. It. Work. Better. Vovin. Your signature is right. PS: I'm not a crusader, not holy nor am I claiming all IAP is evil.
One more thing: It strikes me that some developers in this thread dont talk about IAP as a phenomenon in a broader context but mainly wanna talk "me me me" and the stupid gamers. This isn't about you, and if it seemed so, it wasn't my intention. This is about how IAP STARTED good, but is morphng into a greed machine. (See earlier comment with a lengthy list of in game crippling mechanics, premium to freemium conversions etc.) Right now, most developers get it wrong, some finetune it beautifully. It can be done. To the people who are explaining why and how this is happening: I thank you because it helps me to see the model from a new point of view without being called a stupid gamer. For the record, that's your target audience, not a very smart thing to say that about buyers from a marketing perspective. It's downright insulting. This is not about anyone or any developer in specific. This is not about a specific game. This is about iAP and where it's going. The ONE post that struck me the most is that Apple drove prices into the ground and got what it wanted. I think there lies a LOT of truth in that remark: cause and effect. Crystal clear. To those who answered respectfully and helped me understand the market and the mechanics from a developer's point of view in the current market situation: thanks, sincerely! (That's the reason I posted in this section). To those who call me a teenager at mom's, a stupid gamer, somebody who doesn't want to spend money, etc. I'm not going to dignify that with an answer because that is neither who I am nor what I wanted to discuss and learn more about.
I have a Freemium game on Facebook (Gangster War). It has a very small user base, and only the top players pay. But I have a few players who stay with the game for more than 3 years and some of them spent around $1000 - $3000 on Favor points. I find it strange myself. But anyway it's their choice. They love the game and they decide to pay for it.
That's just ridiculous. Why should Apple be responsible because you're stupid enough to give your child the iTunes password for your iPhone? People need to take responsibility for their own actions.
I fully agree with the rest of your post except for this line. Let me give you a friendly advice: buy the house but don't buy the stupid car! If you buy that stupid car, then you need to service it. We all have learned from a particular car simulation game (I can't recall the name) that servicing a car requires a lot of money plus you need to wait for a long time and that's just evil. So please, don't buy it, because you're only supporting the greedy car manufacturer and the garage who wants to charge you with IAP (in-auto purchase). Frankly, I don't get why those stupid car drivers buy their cars and support those greedy manufacturers. So, please, don't buy that supid car. Don't support these guys. Thanks.
I think it is futile to protest against the freemium plus consumable IAP model. This is why. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, had stated that the People's Republic of China (PRC) is going to be Apple's biggest market. http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2013/01/11/tim-cook-says-china-will-become-apples-biggest-market/ But what games sell in China? Only freemium. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20899165 So even if gamers unite and stop buying freemium games, mainstream publishers and developers would still increasingly target freemium because of the direction that Tim Cook had steered Apple towards. Expect to see 苹果手机 replace iPhone on the boxes sooner or later...
All I know is my iPad update this Holiday season is going to go down from 64GB to 32 and to utilities and productivity only. Serious gaming will go back to a console. Unfortunately. At one time I REALLY thought iPad gaming was going to become a serious console market threat. It is not. It was stupid of me to think so. And since EVERYTHING is iAP (it currently counts for 71% of income, statistics Feb 2013) Developers and Apple are only going to push it further? Sorry Sega, you want me to buy 45 Euros of Red Stars to unlock Knuckles instead of playing the game for two years. No. As in HELL NO. It's e-mail, web, painting, music, and more on iPad. With the exception of Happy Street, who keep juggling with their system, but I'be built a massive street, I am out. And judging from the iAP numbers. Nobody will miss me so that's good. I wonder where all this will lead.
There's still lots of quality titles who aren't iap driven released every week from indie developers. But don't expect those from big ones.
Rubicon, I have been reading touch arcade for the last year or two and have to say that your comments and the way you respond to people is highly unprofessional, you come off as abrasive and sometimes just downright disrespectful. You copied advance wars and think you are some kind of authority on the subject. I will not buy any of your games, your attitude sucks, not just on this occasion. I have seen you called out on this before. Learn to respond properly and try treat your potential customers with more respect. Did you really need to moan about the originality of the post and use pathetic "lmao" jibes. Maybe take some pr training, you need it.
Screw Knuckles, get Tails for free. You should probably play one for five minutes, then you can edit your post to say something other than "Advance Wars" and it'll make your argument a little bit stronger. You're welcome
That's good, because sometimes that's my intention. Although calling someone unprofessional because they don't suck ass all the time is getting about as old as being called greedy because I sell stuff. Or saying I copied a game because I made a game. Sorry to hear you won't be buying any of our stuff in future, but not sure why you wanted to tell me. Better to just not buy my stuff if all you have to contribute is a personal attack.
Pretty interesting developers forum lately. Makes the lounge look quite tame. Can't think of anything more to say. Was gonna ask if any of the developers have been contacted about the rumoured apple joystick, but maybe I should ask in a new thread. Unless someone knows something big. Anyway, continue on, don't mind me.
Ok, after 2 minutes of laughing, I am able to type again. Since when do we need to educate the devs about behaviour? And how many times has a forum member pissed off a dev who hadn't the chance to answer properly and swallow every insult/trolling/insolence? No, it's always the old "your customer is king"-attitude. But respect only works BOTH ways. Have you read the postings BEFORE Rubicon answered? Some people are only able to dish out but can take nothing. But what goes around, comes around. And when a dev finally gives you a deserved telling-off, you guys start to pout. Respect, on the other hand, needs to be earned. I have a completely other job than Rubicon - but if somebody tries to step on my toes, I can only hope that the person can take the answer. I really wonder that most devs stayed calm so far. If somebody would come up to you and tell you that your product you've worked on hard for a year is not even worth 3 bucks, I'd really like to see you reaction. We should now rename "touchArcade" to "touchyArcade".
Any dev that says they know about this is most likely lying. If Apple has indeed been showing this thing off, it'll probably be just to the bigger developers with something to lose if they break the ironclad NDA they'll have to sign.
