Yeah, they now officially suck. That was what I was REALLY waiting for...I don't like freemium...it ruins a game's quality... Oh well ngmoco... so no R2 DLC either, I guess
I have to admit that I find it strange that their freemium games work so well for them as I am not seeing them in the Top Grossing chart and they should have been there if they really raked in the money, shouldn't they? I thought that DLCs counted for the purposes of this chart.
I think your right, freemium doesn't work. I don't see anything from not good moco anywhere on the top apps list or what's hot and top grossing list. Probably won't be much longer till they realize this and drop the whole freemium bull$hit, or they stop making games for the idevices because nobody buys them anymore. I won't give money to greedy devs like ngmoco.
Let's review what has happened: Publisher X releases premium titles at premium pricing. Model fails: high piracy and low sales makes premium pricing a losing strategy. Publisher X adjusts strategy to survive: performs a trial of giving the core game for free and optional paid additions to those who like the game. Trial successful: products generate better revenue. Publisher X applies proven-to-work strategy to all future products. Vocal minority criticizes publisher X for not sticking with a failing strategy. The majority of the app store crowd expects everything for one dollar or less. Ten dollar price-point does not work for much anything other than games with a decade of brand marketing behind them. As for those who feel angry at the situation, complaining to a company trying to survive is missing the point. This strategy is the result of the market not sustaining the traditional business model. Everyone who pirated games or refused to pay the asking price is partially responsible. If you want to make a difference, buy $10 games and tell your friends to buy them too. Prove there is a sustainable core gamer market. Show publishers that you want high-quality games and that you are willing to pay the asking price for them. This is the only way you'll see publishers competing in that product category. Complaining and holding back your dollar will only get you more free casual games.
Well I think one of the biggest enemies here is actually piracy. Piracy is what's wrong the world. It's no less of a crime then putting a game/CD in your pocket and walking out the door without paying, but since it's so convenient and easy, nobody feels that guilt. That's why games can't sell. PIRACY.
Ditto, Rolando is one of those games that just doesn't work inthe "freemium". There are just some types of games that freemium works for but Rolando, GTA, Assissan's Creed and others where you need the full game to enjoy the expereience freemium doesn't work.
Meh, i sad that rolando 3 is not coming anymore but the free thing isn't that bad, really i like it because i get the game for free, don't pay for the pay to play more things and with the money i saved buy another game i can play while i wait for my dog food/energy to recharge.
I have absolutely no problem throwing down 10 bucks for an iPhone game, if I deem it worthy. I tell my friends about my favorite games, and I encourage them to buy them. I paid full price for Rolando 1 & 2. I loved both of them and still play them. But I did my part. Don't ask me to pity the company that made them because they decided it would be be more profitable to move to a nickel & dime model that I hate. They don't like software piracy? Join the club. But here's a news flash - if you are a software company, your software is going to be pirated. Maybe ngmoco thinks they've come up a way to eliminate piracy (no pun intended) and I have nothing against those who like the "freemium" model. But if this is the ONLY model they are going to offer, then as a previously loyal customer, I have every right to reject it. If they cancel a game I was looking forward to, I have a right to be angry. If a company does something I don't like, I have a right as their customer to tell them I don't like it. Don't complain about my right to complain.
Of course not. If more people had done as you have, the situation would be different. But the reality is not enough people were like you for that business model to be sustainable, and that isn't fixed with complaints. You can't expect a company to sustain a losing business model only to keep customers happy. It's in the company's interests now to concentrate their efforts to make customers happy with the new model. There are certainly a lot of possibilities for experimenting there. If you are unhappy with the freemium model, your options are pretty much: Spend your disposable income by only buying $10 games on the App Store from publishers who still believe in that business model and hope enough people do the same. This would encourage publishers to re-evaluate competing with similar products. Support the company's new business model via micro-payments, and give them customer feedback. For example, propose that they make available a single larger payment that negates the need for micro-payments. Buy a PSP Go and get your high-production-value downloadable games at a matching price point - thus sending a signal to Apple. Apple might then, for example, change their policies to promote only games with higher price points. Accept that the App Store market doesn't support high production values and settle with free and $0.99 games.
I'm not sure if this is a troll or you just really have no idea what you're talking about, but for what it's worth, Eliminate Pro was near the top of the top grossing lists for quite some time. The reason you're not seeing TouchPets on there is because they've got a bunch of different versions of the game that money is spread out on. This idea is working them, just like it's working for Epic Pet Wars, all the Facebook games, Puzzle Pirates, and countless other examples.
I agree about the piracy (not me) I honestly have no clue as to how much $ I've spent at the app store, I know it's alot though because I have to hear about it everyday from my wife, she thinks I have a problem. Most of my apps are the premium paid apps. But the freemium method ends up costing alot more money or you spend no money and not enjoy the game. I think they need to look into other strategies and figure out how to stop the piracy instead of screwing those who are not responsible for the piracy
I could understand with single player games kind of but when it comesto multiplayer games you can't really compete with people who have more $ to blow to give them the upperhand.
