But what if they could set a minimum of how much they would normally sell it for , such as $5 , so you could pay , $5 ( or however much they asked ) or more , to support them . That way the get at least what they think it's worth selling for.
Different markets. Different expectations. Different customer base (in size of the market and types of players). Only time will tell which release makes more money for them. And assuming the cost was not too high to port it, what the ROI is, as well. Many people just got the first three fallout games for free on PC. Before that they have sold for cheap prices. I (many others as well, I'm sure) would probably pay $10 - $30 per game on iOS. Square releases games on iOS for around $20. Anyone I know that has played their re released iOS games on a PC has played them for free on an emulator. Had Bastion sold for $.99 on any market outside of the AppStore? The AppStore isn't comparable to other markets in so many ways. Prices often included.
But if the minimum they want is $5 how is that any different from just pricing their game for $5? I do like bandcamp myself, but surely there is a reason why artists there have also split into the "pay what you want" vs "pay a fixed price" camps. Usual the pay what you want stuff is older albums or EPs to give you a sample of their music, and then their newest stuff is a fixed price. I think we're also forgetting that the biggest barrier to this kind of payment system is the marketplaces themselves. Apple and Google have no incentive to implement this much more complicated variable payment system over what they have right now. Indie PC developers have it a bit easier since they have the freedom to ask people to donate directly to their Paypal accounts, not so with Apple and Google that have to deal with credit card companies, banks, etc.
Because then you could pay more to support them , since you seem to want to , but the "cheaper" gamers could get it for normal price . Kind of like extra for a donation.
Why ? Many many indie devs are going out of business, its very difficult get some huge hit nowadays as the app store is saturated. I mean i want to help devs, many people wait for price drops/games to be free. Even after you buy a game for a dollar people are crying that theres only 50 levels and when will they get another 200 etc. I want devs to get maximum money so i always buy on release. So why is it ridiculous ? You seem to be thinking from your own point of view where you dont want to spend more money. I want the app store and iOS in general to keep getting better and better, indie devs are simply losing out on many games as they're so cheap and they dont make enough back. Look at how popular AAA titles are like X-Com or KOTOR, they're a high price point but have sold very very well
The App Store is massively over-saturated at the moment - so heartbreaking though it is, I don't think it's necessarily bad that developers are going out of business. The App Store needs to be trimmed down to a sensible size.
True BUT.. Devs of 'good' games should be rewarded, sure I won't cry if many of the freemium devs go out of business but if we don't reward devs of good games and buy them at launch then we'll only have an App Store full of candy crush and other freemium and on that day we all might as well throw our iPads in the trash and give up.
So what exactly is stopping devs from increasing their prices? This whole "I'd pay more for iOS games" may seem noble, but the system in place appears to work well as is. If you put games at an arbitrary price of $10, I will just wait for sales. The market is simply too saturated to drop that much money on a single game. now, If it is $3 I might get impatient and impulse buy it.
Honestly I think the type of gamers who come to sites like this and would pay more than they have to to support the developers are such a huge minority that it's a pointless task. The only thing worth doing is buy what you want to buy and sit back and see how it all settles.
on the freemium topic: I dont think freemium is bad, as long as its executed right. But oh boy its done wrong everywhere. People should take example from League of Legends, Dota2 and other F2P Games that DONT force the people to buy anything. I have IAPs in my games, just because i offer people choices they can buy if they WANT to buy. I would NEVER force something to be paid which would otherwise destroy the game for them. But yeah the current EA model of F2P is a cancer that needs to die away (EVERY FACEBOOK GAME)
For the core gamers who despite the freemium / IAP model (that doesn't include content that is), then yes of course. I'm sure most of us who game on these devices quite a bit wouldn't mind paying $5 or more for good quality titles that are free of timers, ads and paywall junk. Luckily there are still some releases but I find it almost impossible to sift through the rubbish in order to find them. The issue now with IAPs and free games is the industry has determined that this is more profitable. Just like MMOs now are abandoning the subscription model (i.e. $15 / month) and going towards pay2win crap. I'm not holding my breath, but I really hope this freemium model starts to go away soon. Doesn't look like it so far, though. The day it takes over completely is the day I stop gaming, plain and simple. Yes, I'm old.
I've start playing Pc games, megadrive, snes, saturn and a lot of other devices. Ten years after, i stop playing, because of the high prices. Now I'll never pay 60-80 for a game, it's really too high for me. During ten years, i've tried to play with friends, but prices were unreachables, i always felt bad, playing a game and finishing it three days later.. Since a year i bought an ipad, and now i like playing again! The main reason is the low prices, and the originality. Ios games are so differents than other platforms, and i can buy them without feeling being theft. I hope prices will never go higher, because playing is just a pleasure for me, not a passion. I can play a lot, somedays, but most of the time, i prefer walking, playing piano... I've never thought a game could worth 50. Even great games, it's too high. Ios games are awesome because they can be developped by one person, small companies, and they look like the games you could play during the 80's or the nineties, simples and originals.
