Grassroots consumer advocates exposing scam artists selling games for more than 99¢

[natedogg213]

Originally Posted by Gabrien

I was initially taken aback that he couldn't figure that out as well. I think my mistake was working from the presumption that his integrity required no questioning. Having gone back to the beginning of this thread though and read through the first 40 or so pages, I think I am beginning to understand what's going on here: it appears to be a "boys' club" where Hodapp, IMNS, and co, as well as their various asskissers and lackeys single out targets for their amusement. Apparently I am their latest one. Only an assumption on my part of course, but an educated one none the less. I'm sure they'll continue to play dumb, feign amazement, and accuse me of paranoia, conspiracy theories, and so on. I'm done with participating in this ridiculous and even cruel farce. Only thing I suggest, for the benefit of those reading this thread who are truly unbiased: go read it from the start and make up your own minds.

Ding ding ding. I guess i could be considered one of their previous "targets" so I can confirm that u hit the nail right on the head. You are dealing with people (hodapp, IMNS) who moderate and contribute to the website so you aren't going to get unbiased opinion or really anything of substance for that matter. Their livelihood is apparently at stake. Although, hodapp serves his purpose by consolidating and ass kissing the wednesday night releases (and should be commended for his attempts at wit) and IMNS...well, I am sure he is just swell.

[Vovin]

Originally Posted by Gabrien

@IMNS

All that your argument amounts to is that because it's tough for developers to make a living on the app store it's ok for them to be unscrupulous, manipulate the system, and withhold value and convenience from the consumer.

My argument is that even though I fully acknowledge that it is tough for developers to make a living on the app store, I still maintain that being manipulative and dishonest is not ok. Particularly as, there are plenty of developers who do not stoop to such lows when releasing their product, and those are the ones that I choose to support and ecourage.

In case a metaphor helps, I think this practice equates with a taxi driver purposely taking you around the long way to squeeze out a few extra bucks.

What a slap in the devs faces.
Cheapskates and morality simply don't fit together and these accusations are just ridiculous.

[Vovin]

Originally Posted by natedogg213

Ding ding ding. I guess i could be considered one of their previous "targets" so I can confirm that u hit the nail right on the head. You are dealing with people (hodapp, IMNS) who moderate and contribute to the website so you aren't going to get unbiased opinion or really anything of substance for that matter. Their livelihood is apparently at stake. Although, hodapp serves his purpose by consolidating and ass kissing the wednesday night releases (and should be commended for his attempts at wit) and IMNS...well, I am sure he is just swell.

Back for more insults?
Is the poor "former victim" in need of some hugs?

[ImNoSuperMan]

I guess no one read my wall of text. I never said gabrien's wish of universal apps was wrong. Only thing I explained was its not that simple to 'sell' a universal app. It's not financially a viable option. Please waste 5 min and read that post before accusing me that I hadn't figured out that they could have easily made this a universal app, or that I am singling out someone for my own amusement.

What gabrien is doing is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen here (sorry natedogg, you aren't the most clueless person on the forums anymore). Calling devs manipulative, dishonest and unscrupulous just coz they are splitting the app into two lower prices versions instead of a costlier universal version? Jeez, what the hell is wrong with you?

Also, I'm not surprised gab that you read through 400 posts and still have no frigging idea what happened in this thread. Clueless again.

[gunxsword]

Originally Posted by Gunxsword

What INSM is doing is one of the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen here (sorry helmania, you aren't the most ridiculous person on the forums). Forum moderators are manipulative, dishonest and unscrupulous just coz they are arbitrarily changing the name of the thread because of a point that a forum member made? Jeez, what the hell is wrong with you?

[Vovin]

Originally Posted by ImNoSuperMan

I guess no one read my wall of text. I never said gabrien's wish of universal apps was wrong. Only thing I explained was its not that simple to 'sell' a universal app. It's not financially a viable option. Please waste 5 min and read that post before accusing me that I hadn't figured out that they could have easily made this a universal app, or that I am singling out someone for my own amusement.

What gabrien is doing is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen here (sorry natedogg, you aren't the most clueless person on the forums anymore). Calling devs manipulative, dishonest and unscrupulous just coz they are splitting the app into two lower prices versions instead of a costlier universal version? Jeez, what the hell is wrong with you?

Also, I'm not surprised gab that you read through 400 posts and still have no frigging idea what happened in this thread. Clueless again.

I wonder why no-one blamed Apple yet - for charging a few hundred bucks for a shitty, slow, small device while you can get a fast high-class PC or notebook for the same amount? Wait... forgot fanboyism.

But just don't listen to these people.
Being so cheap, they are the dishonest and greedy ones.
I guess they're getting all the apps "in various cheaper ways" anyway.

[natedogg213]

Originally Posted by Vovin

Back for more insults?
Is the poor "former victim" in need of some hugs?

Didn't you say you were leaving these forums for good or something to that extent? Yeah, you were getting ganged up on because your argument that "devs pricing should never be questioned" blew up right in your face. You folded like a cheap suit. great to have you back!

[Lazer]

As a wannabe dev who has just had to go through decisions regarding universal apps and pricing and whatnot, I thought I'd add a couple of cents. In my, admittedly limited experience, the move from SD to HD artwork increases the cost of development geometrically instead of linearly. When we were deciding on whether to go SD or HD, we had to look at the fact that SD technically works on all iDevices, but is not optimized for the latest generations of iPhone/iPod Touch or iPads. Put another way, if you go HD, you also have to do SD. From a business perspective this felt, to me at least, like they were two different products. One with a significantly higher cost.

Now, that being said, there is also the consideration of just how many consumers will benefit from a universal version. There is a huge information gap here since I don't know of anywhere that has tried to peg just how many households have both iPads and iPhones/iPod Touches that are used by the same people. For me, my line of thinking was that people with both iPads and iPhones probably are a minority of iDevice owners. If making an app universal only benefits a handful of people, then it doesn't make a lot of business sense to go out of your way to do that. If you conclude that the majority of consumers have either an iPhone/iPod Touch or an iPad then it makes sense to split what is essentially two distinct products into two distinct products. I know that from a player's perspective the design and mechanics of a game usually is what distinguishes it. But from a dev perspective (and from a cost perspective) it's everything else that makes the versions distinct.

For TEoR we've decided to only make an SD version for now, and should we make enough from the SD version we will update it to universal HD (perhaps with a price increase at that time not sure yet). I still feel that iPhone/iPod Touch and iPads are two distinct markets and that universality only benefits a handful of people. But with the number of iDevice users out there, Apple's handfuls seem a little larger than most companies so universality is definitely something to consider when developing an App. If I had Gameloft's brand cache and resources I would make more expensive universal titles. Since I don't, I'll make the best decision I can with the horrible information I have that will get my product to as many satisfied customers as possible. I think that's the thought process of most small devs, and I truly do not believe that charging two different prices for two different products is an incorrect decision to make.

[C.Hannum]

Originally Posted by Lazer

There is a huge information gap here since I don't know of anywhere that has tried to peg just how many households have both iPads and iPhones/iPod Touches that are used by the same people.

Basically, assume that every single iOS household with children will fall into this category. For example, you've got me, my wife, and our two kids, all using iOS devices at this point and everything tied to one Apple ID. Your logic only applies if you assume everybody has their own personal Apple ID, which would apply to exactly zero of the iOS using people in my peers since we're all grown adults with college educations, children, and allegedly disposable income. Everybody has a family Apple ID that everyone in their household uses.

I don't know if the numbers make sense to only do a universal, but the numbers can't makes sense to do an iPod/touch version and an iPad only version. By all means, keep splitting the difference if you think having a $1/$2 iPhone/touch version next to the $3-$5 universal is in your interest, but if you are going to do the HD iPad supporting version then I would strongly suggest it makes more economic sense to do it as a universal than an iPad only.

[MidianGTX]

Surely the bottom line here is there is no one correct answer and it's up to developers to come up with their own business plans. Sometimes you'll like it, other times you won't. If you don't, feel free to voice your opinion politely then shut the hell up and get on with your life.