hey TouchArcade Forums, I recently updated Deflecto and removed all advertisements and in-app purchases! https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/deflecto/id863351401?mt=8 thanks, Brian Williams zxy
how do I get my app icon to show up on the forums page? Hi, anybody know how to make my app's icon show up on the forum page listing? I see other apps do, mine is a generic TA icon....? I don't see anything about this when posting the thread. thanks, Brian zxy
promo code here you are: T4HRN7YRK3YK Code expires on Fri Aug 28 07:03:24 PDT 2015 and is redeemable only on the iTunes Store for United States. Requires an iTunes account, subject to prior acceptance of license and usage terms. To open an account you must be above the age of 13 and in United States. Compatible software and hardware, and internet access (fees may apply) required. Not for resale. Full terms apply; see www.apple.com/legal/itunes/ww/. For more information, see www.apple.com/support/. This app is provided to you by Brian Williams
There's only one picture on the AppStore. Can you please add a gameplay video here so I can see what I'm buying? Billy
hooray for Deflecto Great news, zxy! Game looks great, I look forward to hearing some more reactions. Everyone I show it to thinks it's really unique. Best of luck!
trailer and gameplay videos @LordShad0wz sure, here is the trailer, it shows quite a bit of gameplay: https://youtu.be/PwrABEvWdGw also, here are a couple of vines, more to come: https://vine.co/v/er6TOHuxF2X https://vine.co/v/eruEY96LTB5 adding these to my iTunes listing just fell through the cracks. I will add them with the first update
I was about to hit the purchase button but the picture stopped me in my tracks. Why am I paying $1.99 up front for a game that in your description says there is an IAP to remove ads and an IAP to unlock all levels? Please explain? You don't put ads into a game that you are charging for and you have to pay to unlock levels in a game that charges up front and on release day no less? Please help me to understand. I was about to buy the game. Billy
$ @LordShad0wz Thanks for voicing your concern. I think the ad system in Deflecto is very non-obtrusive. You only see ads on lost levels, and usually you can restart the level immediately. I realize everyone expects free games with ads or paid games with no ads, but there are games being released with hybrid models like this. My logic is that it will allow me to drop the price in the future and still monetize the app. Im not using timers or impulse-buy consumable iaps, and you dont need to unlock levels if you can beat them by playing. I realize Im risking an avalanche of one-star reviews with my approach. Ive been mulling over these decisions since I started making the app and oh, how the app store has changed since then. But Im hoping the game will be valuable and attractive to some despite the price. Brian zxy
Thanks for the response. However the main reason people pay for games is to not have ads. You cannot charge up front for a game and then ask someone, that has already paid you, to remove ads in a game they've already paid for. It's not right. You do know that ads use data? Data is not free. My data is expensive. So you want me to pay just to download and then pay to remove ads or have ads and use my data to view ads. You take care. You lost me as a customer. Good luck. Billy
Thanks to the dev for providing me a code to his game. Game play is fairly simple. Basically you swipe the screen to deflect those dropping asteroids preventing them from destroying your city. Play like a classic arcade game but being modernize for today's device. Game play will progressively get harder after each wave. Game run smooth so far. On the negative side, I do have to agree with So far I don't have much negative to say about the game itself. But I have to agree with lordshadowz's point. While I do understand the dev decides how he think the pricing model should be for their game. But I think it's a little overboard here imho. The reason I say so is because firstly there is an upfront purchase for the game which is suppose to mean premium. But there are ads within the game. While it's not really as intrusive as most other free games that have ads, I do find it annoying for a supposing premium title that one paid for to have ads within the app. Best of all there is an iap to remove ads. Which means you pay for a game with ads them pay again to remove ads? There is another iap for unlocking all levels in the game. That is at least acceptable as it's basically an option for people but I believe most people here would not want to pay for an app to still have to deal with ads. @dev I appreciate you gave me the chance to try out your game. I know I got the game free but I hope you can accept my honest opinion over the criticism on your pricing model. Hope you can rethink about it, it might bring you more success. I wish you all the best with your game
Dev: One more thing about the iap for ad removal. In your listing (App Store) it does state that there are iap's. But... You have chosen to not disclose what the iap's are for or how many. Normally, when a PAID app has iap's, they are for cheater ones. IE: unlock all levels early, grab extra goodies or in game currency early, that can normally still be acquired by playing the game....... So... When someone sees your app, that is what they will most likely be thinking. You will end up with a lot of frustrated players/purchasers who may end up asking Apple for a refund or leaving a negative review. I know I would definitely leave a negative review, just so that I could warn other potential buyers that they are about to get cheated. Good luck to you.
I think the game looks pretty rad. And from where we stand in the Forums if you're actually willing to give us codes to open the game and all we have to pay is a couple more dollars to get rid of the ads I'd say it's a win for us. It is clearly missing info on the game post about the in-app purchase to remove the ads after the user makes that initial purchase. Which I have seen this technique before. Chromaticon added ads after they gave it away for one day. It was a spicy move. But the game was so good and I got a free copy that I happily paid for the ad removal. If the game is awesome it will do well. The nickel and diming isn't going to pay for much. But if the game does well then maybe you can remove one of the purchases or add something like a feature to the second ad-removal purchase. Good luck. I see this post is a couple weeks old but I would love a code if you're still offering.
A little addictive Enjoying Deflecto and not concerned in the least by the ads. Fresh design and unique play. Looking forward to more from this developer.
Great feedback, thanks! Thanks for all the feedback on Deflecto so far. I have provided promo codes in private messages to those who requested them. If anyone else wants one I'll ask for some more. You guys mentioned the IAPs aren't described well enough. It is in the description, albeit at the bottom: "This app contains advertisements and two in-app purchases: One to unlock all levels and one to remove all advertisements." Could I describe it any differently? Would it help if it was at the top, above the fold? I know I can't mention exact prices, but couldn't I mention the pricing tier? Seems like that might be confusing to most users... The ad removal iap was supposed to be $.99 and the unlock levels iap $1.99, but unfortunately it's backwards right now. This will be fixed by August 16th. My logic on the pricing model is a premium experience for $2.99 or a $1.99 entry point with ads. I'm definitely not trying to trick anyone, but maybe there's a clearer way to approach this. Ideally and eventually, Deflecto could be free with ads and iap, I'm just not quite ready for that step yet. Maybe I'm being a naive noob But I knew I couldn't go free and add ads later since many paid users would already be ad-free. Being my first app, this is a kind of monetization experiment. I'm trying it all to see what works best and how. Making any money at this is all about being able to keep making games. Hopefully it won't become a how-to on receiving bad reviews! I'm glad you guys are enjoying it so far. Thanks for playing! Brian zxy
Brian, I apologize I didn't notice that disclaimer at the bottom of the main description before. I would still love a code though. And thank you for being so thick skinned. I know some users aren't very nice about the hard work developers put into products. It's a take take take industry. We forget that games like this exist because of passionate game developers like yourself. All the best, Ryan
Thanks, Ryan! I guess I wouldn't expect every user to read all the way to the bottom of the description so it's a good point. If it risks looking like a trick, maybe it should be at the beginning. I'd rather be painfully upfront than shady any day.
Hello again. I was pointing out in the App Store where the potential buyer can select to view what the iap's are for. A lot of people don't read the description at all. They look at the pics and possibly a video if there is one. I apologize if I offended you. I was giving constructive criticism and trying to help. I genuinely want new dev's to do well. You explained it perfectly by mentioning an 'entry point.' I would suggest that the description states that it is the entry level price, with an iap for the premium...... or additional content. (Something like that, and if you haven't already mentioned it that way) And, yes, I would suggest it towards the top of your description. Especially if you are not going to use the itune selection that describes what the iap's are for before purchase. Monetization is an ongoing debate here at TA and other forums as well. At TA, people are quite friendly about it compared to other forums. I can understand, as long as the explanation is there, having the entry level and then the premium price. But.... The majority, in every forum I have ever been a part of, is that having ads in a paid app is not appropriate, even if the app is only a dollar. Some people suggest having 2 versions of the game. A free limited one, ads and all, and a premium one. But I wouldn't. That's just more cost to the developer. It is very generous of you to be giving out free codes to people. But they do run out. Then it's a paid app, with iap's. If a game is good enough (and I believe yours is) having a free app with iap's for ad removal and premium, sometimes works well. A lot of players like to support indie developers. I don't have all the answers. I'm not a developer. But... One of my jobs used to be ( and once in a while I still freelance) was figuring out how to improve or figure out what was going wrong, with businesses, products, apps, etc... based on psychology and human nature. In general... People don't like to purchase things that do not seem complete. If people believe, that in a paid app, the iap for premium is actually for additional content instead of making the product they PAID for more complete, they are more willing to buy it. In a PAID app, ads make the game the game seem not complete, or that they paid for a 'free to play.' That's when they start to feel cheated, although that is not the intent. I purchase the ad removal iap's quite often in free apps. Anytime I am going to keep playing the game. And; by the way... I never thought you were trying to cheat anyone. I just think you are trying to figure things out. Edit: have you thought about maybe having video ads that the player can watch by choice? Maybe they can earn a shield swipe whenever they watch an ad, and you get the monetization? Just a thought.....