Paid to Freemium
Here's my story so far:
I released Innkeeper HD last week with no knowledge of marketing whatsoever. I only started contacting review websites and journalists to request for reviews at the same day I released it (big mistake!). I got 1 review around Friday (from AppAdvice) that gave it 3 stars. The reviewer was unable to figure out how to scroll up the screen to view the higher floors (there was a tutorial that teaches the player how to do it by swiping up which the reviewer might have missed). On her review blurb, it pretty much states that the game was fun but unplayable due to that bug. I discussed it with her to clarify the issue. As you can see if you check her review now, she has updated it but I think the damage has been done.
Anyway, after receiving my first review I was hopeful that I would get more this week but that has been my only review so far. The game does not have the best production values due to it being made by a one man team but it has great gameplay and was well received on flash game portal websites (the game was originally a free flash game ported to the ipad). It even won weekly (1st) and monthly (3rd) contest on kongregate.
I do understand why reviewers did not check it out in favor of the more high profile games but I was kinda hoping an indie game with good merits would get a bit more love than this
The game has sinked down after this Thursday's big releases and I don't think it will recover unless a miracle happens.
Right now I think I have two options:
1. Put an update that would change the game from Paid to Freemium (the fourth, fifth and sixth floors would have to be bought via IAP of $0.99 each)
- is this an acceptable practice? i'm just worried at its effect on the customers that already bought the paid app.
2. Put a separate freemium version with the exact same features as #1 but as a separate release coexisting with the paid app
- will apple allow this?
I think both options are viable. Not sure which one is better and I'm not sure if either of them is allowed. What do you guys think?
I released Innkeeper HD last week with no knowledge of marketing whatsoever. I only started contacting review websites and journalists to request for reviews at the same day I released it (big mistake!). I got 1 review around Friday (from AppAdvice) that gave it 3 stars. The reviewer was unable to figure out how to scroll up the screen to view the higher floors (there was a tutorial that teaches the player how to do it by swiping up which the reviewer might have missed). On her review blurb, it pretty much states that the game was fun but unplayable due to that bug. I discussed it with her to clarify the issue. As you can see if you check her review now, she has updated it but I think the damage has been done.
Anyway, after receiving my first review I was hopeful that I would get more this week but that has been my only review so far. The game does not have the best production values due to it being made by a one man team but it has great gameplay and was well received on flash game portal websites (the game was originally a free flash game ported to the ipad). It even won weekly (1st) and monthly (3rd) contest on kongregate.
I do understand why reviewers did not check it out in favor of the more high profile games but I was kinda hoping an indie game with good merits would get a bit more love than this

Right now I think I have two options:
1. Put an update that would change the game from Paid to Freemium (the fourth, fifth and sixth floors would have to be bought via IAP of $0.99 each)
- is this an acceptable practice? i'm just worried at its effect on the customers that already bought the paid app.
2. Put a separate freemium version with the exact same features as #1 but as a separate release coexisting with the paid app
- will apple allow this?
I think both options are viable. Not sure which one is better and I'm not sure if either of them is allowed. What do you guys think?