Free App of the Day strategy

[Jrecee]

Waiting on android exporter to finish beta testing, then yes. Also planning for Ouya. PC/Mac, possible.

I've been making sprites on or off for 12 years. Frankly I should be better by this point. Mostly I just analyze or edit sprites from the platform I'm trying to emulate to understand what gives them that look.

Iap can bring in money. It depends on the kind of game. Also, expect a hilariously uninformed backlash if you add iap to your game:

http://toucharcade.com/2012/10/22/in-ap ... xt-update/

Those guys literally just added iap because people were asking for it, changed nothing about the game for people who didnt want iap, and yet the comments are filled with morons going on about how they'll never support this developer again and iap is the devil.

But for iap to be effective, you still have to build a large initial user base. Basically your game must already be wildly successful, and being free doesn't guarantee that at all.

[o.pwuaioc]

Waiting on android exporter to finish beta testing, then yes. Also planning for Ouya. PC/Mac, possible.

I was sold once you said Ouya. That'll be perfect to have one for my phone and one for my Ouya.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

I'll definitely pick it up for Ouya. (I keep forgetting I spent $140 on one already)

[Anapan]

There's almost as much confusion about what phone games are good as when that 80's ET crash thing happened. These games are only as lucrative as how many people know about them (sadly, enjoying them as quality artistic creations isn't that relevant to the profits - sell them cheaper and get bulk profits). Even the trusted portable gaming hubs (which ones are those again?) are doing top-15-of-the-week threads so they don't miss any. I'm sure there's some underhanded bribes going to any site which features a single game, but for those who can't afford that the only wildely spread advertising that's possible is said system. If there's a smash hit, and it gives itself away for a short time *somebody* who knows people and talks a lot will say it's good to anyone who'll listen. Enough people blog or twat it and it'll show up on google enough that more people know it exists. That process can take years...
So, Free App works!
Nearly all my friends and co-workers who have Iphones or Androids have Canabalt on it. It was years ago he put it up on all those flash-of-the-day sites, but despite the fact that there's so many 'copter games out his app is pretty well known. A slight twist - making it a platformer with well timed obstacles, but the atmosphere, spritework, techno song, and slick presentation made it shine.

Jreece - Glad to hear there might be an Android release. Been itching to give it a try but I avoid apple products. I'll definitely buy it, tho I'd never know it existed outside this forum.

[RCBH928]

personally I am against IAP,

when I play a game i want the full experience. When there is a freemium app, I avoid as the plague because I know I will reach a point where I will have to pay to be able to complete the game, making the game not free in the first place.

Also it gets on my nerves on stuff like Halo where my friend has the level packs but I dont so we cant play together on them, we either get the full experience or not.

none the less, I am ok with purchasing un-necessary items. Purchasing of stuff like cheats and customized character is totally your choice, and you do not have to get it to complete the game.

I will accept however that a game that will tell you that u can play first 5 levels then you have to pay to unlock the rest. Its like demo.

I never played a game where I thought, oh I will buy this now because I am so engaged into it. When I see IAP I say...damn this developer and quit playing.

[Jrecee]

personally I am against IAP,

when I play a game i want the full experience. When there is a freemium app, I avoid as the plague because I know I will reach a point where I will have to pay to be able to complete the game, making the game not free in the first place.

Also it gets on my nerves on stuff like Halo where my friend has the level packs but I dont so we cant play together on them, we either get the full experience or not.

none the less, I am ok with purchasing un-necessary items. Purchasing of stuff like cheats and customized character is totally your choice, and you do not have to get it to complete the game.

I will accept however that a game that will tell you that u can play first 5 levels then you have to pay to unlock the rest. Its like demo.

I never played a game where I thought, oh I will buy this now because I am so engaged into it. When I see IAP I say...damn this developer and quit playing.

I agree with you mostly, and I think most people feel the same way about iap. It is all in how it is handled. It is a grey area though, so saying "I won't buy any game with iap" goes against the very situation you just described, where certain iap will not negatively effect your experience.