What is better? One Time Purchase or In-App Purchases?

[skeletonlord]

I prefer to purchase a game one time, but if there are in app purchases, it doesn't b

[neo_]

I guess it's one perspective against the other. So can't exactly say which one all the audience would prefer but personally I like the option of In-App purchase. Taking the latest example would be 'Mega Run', you can always earn the needful by playing again and again or directly through IAP.

[TheFrost]

Originally Posted by Laurenellis

I have always been the pay upfront kind of gamer. There is more risk if you don't like the game, but if you do, you can play it forever.

I agree 100% with this. You pay for it, if you like it you have the full game, if not just delete it... with freemium begins investment

[thewickedbadger]

Originally Posted by TheFrost

I agree 100% with this. You pay for it, if you like it you have the full game, if not just delete it... with freemium begins investment

I agree with you both.

[awp69]

Add me to another vote for one time purchase. While I've admittedly gotten games with IAP and even paid for IAPs, I still hate them with a passion.

I'd MUCH rather pay once and be done with it. I have no problems at all with one-time unlocks and, while still not preferable, IAPs that are shortcuts to gameplay.

But to me IAPs in the games that are making the big bucks off of them (mostly the social and/or kingdom building type games) are an endless stream of IAPs and I shy far away from those games. I just can't stand the idea of getting a game and not knowing how much it's REALLY going to end up costing me.

It's ashame that the casual crowd that gets most iOS games don't see what's really happening. Developers are earning more and more through IAPs. People think "oh, it's free" and download it and then get sucked in.

The more and more developers see that freemium games are making more money. The more and more they're going to follow suit.

And that sucks for core gamers who would rather pay a set price just as in the console industry and be done with it. Sure there may be an IAP for an expansion pack or major new modes, etc. But I'd rather pay more upfront and know that I can finish a game knowing how much it's going to cost me.

[squarewings]

When the whole 'in app purchase' thing started up I can remember being dead set against it, nowadays I actually find myself really enjoying the chance to play a lot of things that I wouldn't normally try because they have become a free app due to IAP.

There are alternatives *cough* Theme Park *cough* that are solely built around IAP and seem to penalize heavily those that don't want to purchase these.

[awp69]

Originally Posted by squarewings

When the whole 'in app purchase' thing started up I can remember being dead set against it, nowadays I actually find myself really enjoying the chance to play a lot of things that I wouldn't normally try because they have become a free app due to IAP.

That used to be the purpose of "lite" versions. I don't mind games that are free with an IAP unlock for the full game. It's just those that nickel-and-dime you for everything and you never know when you're going to have to buy an IAP. Hence, you don't know how much a game is really going to cost you.

[GlenMcKnight]

(Full Disclosure: I am a game developer)
Obviously we all want to get more for less. Who wants to pay for something when you can get something free. But there is something that consistently gets lost in this story.

How much are these games worth?

I think everyone on here has gotten used to the .99 cents model of games. How many games do you even consider over .99 cents? What everyone is saying here is true. The vast majority of developers can't be profitable selling you a game for .99 and you don't want to pay more than that for a game. That you is the global average. I know TA readers are not the average and will spend more than .99 a game. But as it keeps getting pointed out the vast majority of iPhone and iPad owners will not invest more than .99 cents.

Are in-app purchases fair?

As a developer with console gaming background, I hissed and boo'ed Zynga and the social game boom with a fervent passion. They were reducing everything I loved about games down to click-farming. It was about forcing people to click, and then asking them for money. And then it spread, to iPhones, and now consoles where you can buy a Jersey in FIFA for .99 cents.

How much does a developer need?

But lets say I am making a game for iOS. If I am doing it entirely by myself and I am trying to make anything competitive, it would probably take at least a year to do it. And I will just make up the number 30,000 as the number I would like to be making a year. Sure that might be high to you, but you might also recognize it's not a HUGE salary. So for me to spend a year making an iOS game for all of you, to survive I would have to sell about 45,000 copies of the game. Remember apple takes 30% and I probably would need to spend money on promotions, web hosting for a site, etc. And all those users would likely have to buy my game without knowing anything about it.

Consider the freemium model:

Anyone can try my game for free with no-commitment. I could simply offer a one time purchase for .99 that unlocks the whole game, but we would be back in the same boat. But if you just tweak the plan to allow people to pay as little or as much as they want, then you can essentially sell a fraction of the users, and make as much or more than you would have before. Also every one of those users can continue to be customers.

But it's evil!!!!

Do you go to starbucks more than once in your life? Are you a netflix subscriber? Do you buy beer? Do you buy the cheap PBR or the fancy Fat Tire beer? Do you fill your car with gas. Do you buy your pets food to eat. These are things we consume and pay for again and again. They give us enjoyment and pleasure in our daily lives, and we accept these costs. The problem with most of the in-app purchasing you see these days is its lazy, poorly executed, and often not a good deal for the player.

In-App Purchases are really only as vile as the seller. We see shady businesses all the time in the real world. As they are new we are seeing really sad shallow versions of the model popping up, but with time it will improve. The games will get better, the reasons to pay will become more worthwhile, and the crap will slide to the sides.

So until users are willing to pay 50-70$ for a iOS game, one time purchases will slowly become the past. Because as much as developers like myself would love to make great games and not worry about money, its half of the equation. Its the half that lets the other half work.

Glen.