I'm working on my next game and I'm looking to find out what people would rather spend their hard earned $$$ on in a 'free to play' game (with in app purchases, of course).
Anything that doesnt affect gameplay are fantastic. Ad removers are awesome. Doublers or even triplers make the balance feel more premium compared to the grind that freemiums bring are also great IAPs that id easily get if the game is pretty good. In-game currency is pretty much acceptable, as long as the currency is available to be earned in the game. Basically something to give the player an early power spike. Having opt-in ads which give bonuses in return are ok, but i prefer having an option to buy an ad remover which also just gives those bonuses without the ads. Additional content are good IAPs too, similar to how episodics are handled. Skins are always awesome. These are the ones i consider to be acceptable even if they are IAP-only. They dont affect the gameplay, but they can make the game a bit more enjoyable by having more cosmetic options. Powerups are kinda tricky for me. They are acceptable if they dont affect any leaderboards scores or at least have their own separate leaderboards. Buying IAP powerups to give an edge in something that can potentially be competitive is a huge no-no. For strict singleplayer completion though, even invulnerability powerups are definitely acceptable.
I find myself watching ads for in-game $$. Especially games that allow you to do so for their premium currency, like gems. That said, to me, additional maps/modes/... sounds like a more traditional model in where it expands the game in the usual way. I purchased a card game (Ascension... free now, but $5 about 6 years ago), and paid $1 for promo packs, and $3 to $5 for full expansions per. They did such a good job with that game that it was a day 1 buy, as opposed to waiting for it to go on sale that I wanted them to have more of my $$ now than later. Many decried how "lame" it was how Monument Valley charged an extra $2 for extra maps, but these days, this appears to be the road to sustainable pricing. Whether or not users go for it is another thing entirely (iOS customers are a fickle bunch :\)
So if you could purchase powerups with in game currency either earned though the free gameplay OR by watching ads/IAP would that be ok? Or would be that too unfair because the IAP route would be the fast-track to higher scores? I do like the idea of skins also, because they don't give a competitive advantage, but I've always been a little hesitant when IAPs are arbitrary like that. I guess if the opportunity was there to earn the skins via gameplay also that would be good.
I find also that different genres work better with different models. Ad rewards might work in games fast, short games but not in a strategy game where you face long sessions.
Content and nothing else. Cosmetic iAPs are fine too but all the other options marry game design with monetization in ways that I cannot support.
To add some frame of reference... My next game will be an endless arcade/puzzle game with leaderboards and achievements, So it likely lends itself to certain IAPs better than others. One option I was thinking was to have a single IAP that removes ads AND adds an 'extreme difficulty' mode. There will be some form of in game currency also earned as you play, this could be spent on power ups etc, but the in game currency likely won't cost the user anything. Here's a thought, what if you could purchase lives to continue at game over, is that considered an unfair IAP? It doesn't adjust the gameplay per se and they would be limited.
I think it would be fine if it was limited, as long as it's through a currency attainable in-game. As for your single-IAP to remove ads and add extreme mode, THAT SOUNDS FANTASTIC.
The downside to a single IAP from a developer standpoint is that if you don't back it up with some other form of IAP (skins, power-ups etc.) the monetization stops after that initial purchase is made.
So what is everyone's thoughts on the monetization in Pac-Man 256? It does look like there are many paths to earning coins, but it also seems you can shortcut to higher scores by paying for credits. I'll be checking it out after work myself, but I wanted to see what others thought of it.
I don't mind if you can pay to get past difficult parts. In fact, some games, I welcome it. Throwing $$ at the problem, as long as it's not excessively required (I acknowledge it's hard to do if you need proper playtesting or can't afford it) can be quite handy, and keep gamers from getting frustrated and quitting. As for with high scores, I typically never cared about leaderboards anyways, but some folks may.
Thanks! Thanks for the feedback, all. Much appreciated and will mold the development of my next effort.
Non consumables, of any kind. If I'm to pay for something with limited use, it feels less worth the cash. But if it makes life easier, or make more fun in the long run, like different skins, unlock able characters, or extra inventory space, I would gladly give up my monies.
For me personally only non consumables and purely extra content, I generally won't spend money in or even download a F2P even if it offers that though because the mechanics are generally geared towards making money with consumables and/or timers. Which is fine but not something I'm personally into and people need to make money, I just wish more people made games.
I honestly think any IAP is perfectly fine, as long as they are optional and the game can be enjoyed without them. IAP should be meant for those that either have the desire to pay for shortcuts or for those that want extras that simply enhance gameplay. It's the timers and such that can really ruin gameplay.
so far, the only IAP that i actually spent TONS of money on. is fallout shelter. ridiculously cheap. not to mention the current 50% discount with 75% bonus on the most expensive pack. i spent almost $100 on it. meanwhile. the other game offered me $100 for 18000 gems (10 boxes opening) while i $100 on fallout shelter got me almost 400 lunchbox. screw other games. hooray fallout shelter seriously though. only IAP i bought are usually way cheap and i didnt feel like i spent any money (even though i spent alot in the end), while all the "general" IAP's that cost "moderate" (according to greedy devs) money are ignored. or lead to game deletion. if im not going to buy IAP in a game because of the price or the content. i rather delete the game right away
I can only speak for myself but I have to say that having tried many "free" games in the past, I now totally avoid them and won't even give one a chance. If I see a game I like the look of and the price is "free" then I totally ignore it. If that sounds harsh I'm sorry but I'm being honest, I just won't ever touch a free game. Like my mate says they are "free to download" but you "pay to play". I also dislike timers and being told when I can play so it's easier for me to just avoid anything that's marked as free. I will buy priced games though and I really have no problems with paying $5-20 for a game.
