hi all,
I recently uploaded a new free game - IdunkU
I just wanted people to know that free games are usually made by indie programmers and designers who worked hard on their games
and count on their users to click on their sponsers banners now and then so the free gaming can live well and prosper.
fyi - each click gets the developer ~0.01$.
so the question i am asking you is: are you clicking those ad banners in games? if not, why?
market.android.com/details?id=tomer.idunku
No I don't click.
If you are a good enough developer you work for a proper gaming company and they pay your wages.
On the other hand, if you can code a gameloft like game on your own I would happily pay 8 dollars to buy the game.
It all depends on game quality. Let's be honest, free games are usually ****e.
I rarely if ever see the ads as I only enable data to go on CrapBook or check my email.
i have never known anything about it
thanks alot
This is more of a general question regarding android...if i am moving from device to device like the nook tablet and other android or android based tablets/phones, where would be the best place to purchase an app amazom or google market?
I am thinking in terms of availability on locked down devices and such....
I would personally say google just beause it's much larger and amazon is much stricter than google as far as what apps are avalible in their market.
Drewmungus said:
I would personally say google just beause it's much larger and amazon is much stricter than google as far as what apps are avalible in their market.
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Click to collapse
All true, however, ironically Amazon marketplace may have fewer issues displaying all applications in the marketplace for your downloading privilege. The Google marketplace has metadata associated with each app that allows publishers to indicate what devices/specs are required to run applications. While this is great most of the time, issues like the dpi setting (see GApps topic) may require you to fiddle with settings to fake the market into thinking you have a supported device to "open" the market.
Amazon does not (at this time) have such metadata which is a double-edged sword. On the one hand you may be able to download an app that doesn't work on your device but, on the other hand, it means you may have fewer problems accessing the apps you've already purchased. Amazon does have a few exclusives (like Plants vs. Zombies) at the moment as well. Getting Amazon marketplace up and running on the NT has been easier thus far (though give it time and I bet Google Marketplace will be working without root soon).
My take? Why choose? I have several "free apps of the day" from the Amazon Apps that I've dl'ed and plan on using on the NT. I have several others I've outright purchased from the Google Marketplace that I would like to use as well. Prices on the Google Marketplace can be more competitive in some cases as well.
Ultimately, it's not a simple choice.
Amazon does that. They blocked other ereaders if you have a Kindle fire. I do have both, the free app of the day is sweet. Google does rule the roost so to speak.
Amazon market and Google market are both very good, you should consider signing up for both.
I also like Amazon's free app of the day. I'm not saying Amazon is better. Most of the apps I paid for are from Google market. If I had to pick just just one, my choice would be the Google market.
I do have both and have purchased from both because amazon has some killer sales sometimes. I was going to purchase an app and was just contemplating what app store to buy from.....sounds like a horse a piece though.
I should probably have clarified my previous post - if you are looking for purchasing apps, my first choice is Google Market. I generally try an app out as a "free app of the day" on Amazon, and if I *really* like it, I'll buy it on Google's Market. Of the 20 or so free apps I've dl'ed off of Amazon, I've kept maybe 1/3 on my device. Several of those will be uninstalled.
I guess my feeling has been that Amazon tends to screw the app developers (do a Google search and you'll see many stories of this) so I like to throw my money at them on Google Market. I keep both because I like the ability to preview an app without the ads. I've actually avoided purchasing "Plants vs. Zombies", however, because I know I would like to buy it on the Google Market when it eventually gets there.
While I don't exactly feel Amazon is "here today and gone tomorrow", they are the new kid on the block, relatively speaking. Google Market is my market of choice for actual purchases. I sure like having both markets on my device, though.
OK so I was looking for an E-Reader for my Girlfriend for Christmas and came across the Kindle Touch. It's an E-ink touch screen that I thought was neat so I proceed to checkout and see that there's and option for Special Offers(ads) that's $99 and one without special offers for $139. They make the system run ads as the screensaver as far as I know
So question for you guys is would you honestly spend extra cash getting an adfree device or would you settle for the extra cash in your pockets?? I meant In general, for example would you have payed a bit more for an ad free Evo 3D or an ad supported 3D for a couple less dollars, and or any other device like T.Vs etc?
Ill probably get flamed saying I should get a tablet blah blah but she has a Transformer but doesn't like the glare on the screen in Summer so E-ink was my only option.
The main reason for this small poll is that given the rise in AirPush ads in our status bars and the rise of ads in free apps that used to get blocked by Ad Free now do nothing. Just a question I was pondering not looking for buying advice haha
I would say go for the cheap one. Then root it and hack all the ad stuff outta there
Win Win.
If all you are looking for is an E-Book reader, then I think the Kindle is a great option...its what I use. The one that I use is the ad supported version and the ads are very unobtrusive. They only show on the screen saver and a small 3/4" bar on the bottom in the menu screens, nothing when you are actually reading your books.
The screen on them is awsome for reading outdoors...so if you do any of that, its pretty much the only option in my opinion.
I know you can root some of the other readers and install an OS...but I have my phone and a tablet for all that stuff and prefer to just use the Kindle for its actual intended purpose...I know, that just sounds wierd, but true non the less.
As the title says, are in-app purchases as effective as I'd like to think they are?
As we're all fully aware, there are a lot of people around the internet who will do whatever they can to get a game or app that they shouldn't be able to.
Obviously developers have to make money when they choose to because otherwise they could be making a loss and not want to continue to develop any more. What is their best option to make money?
1) They could have a price on their app/game but once paid for, no more money will need to be spent in the app/game.
2) They could use the popular method of creating a free version and a paid version.
3) Have the app/game free of charge but have in-app purchases to make some money from it.
There are of course downsides to each of the options above but in my mind, the best option is 3) because it's not as easy to be able to get around the paying system. The only way around, that I can currently think of, would be by using cheat systems such as GameCih.
Whereas with the other 2 options, it's fairly easy to be able to bypass the required payment.
A perfect example of in-app purchases working is with Shadowgun Deadzone.
If the app had not been free, chances are I wouldn't have been interested in it because I couldn't test it before buying.
As the game is free, I tested the game out and because I thoroughly enjoy the game, I've since bought in game gold numerous times and will continue to do so.
I know that not everyone will have the same mentality as me but it proves, in my case, that in-app purchases work.
What are your thoughts on in-app purchases or what do you feel are the benefits of simply putting a price on the app/game?
From my experience, In App Billing is really good.
In my truck parking game, 3D Truck Parking, there are about 4 level packs for free and 1 that you have to buy with IAB. I must say that I got a lot of purchases daily!
IAB is better, you don't have to maintain two different versions, its easy to set up. Also users can't cancel an order they make through IAB & its linked to their accounts. On a normal paid app you can copy the apk and cancel the order, making it easy to steal.
When i started to work with android app i did two version free and paid. Now i'm sure that it's wrong. One free application with in-app payments is the best choise.
Question
Hi Guys!
I'm writing my academic thesis about the market of the app stores and I would like to interview some developers about the monetization, revenue models etc... If you could answer some questions please contact me at [email protected] It would be a great help! Thank you very much!
Freemium and IAB
Hi,
I believe Freemium is a good model for many apps, specially games.
And IAB is the best option to support the Freemium model, to my experience.
I tried other options such as free app with paid apk acting as an unlock key, which is a quite popular model on the Play Store, but not as powerful and flexible as IAB.
So I would really recommend IAB, specially latest version 3 which is easier to use.
Make sure you use the helper class provided by Google, but be careful, there are a few bugs in it...Look for fixes in stackoverflow !
Good luck!
Eric
I can certainly say I wish I had implemented in app purchasing instead of a free and paid version of the same app. As mentioned before, the ease of not having to maintain two versions, as well as the advantage of free app entry is a big plus. Definitely the way to go if the app is designed in a way that makes sense for that style.
In-apps are gr8, the only problem is that the app must be developed rly good (if not excelent i.e. nice in-game economy) to encurage ppl to use them. Freemium FTW!
I would love to move to IAB but I already have a paid/free app combo in the store. That would just be another app to maintain
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app
Just to say, Google Play bans ALL apps with in-app purchase here.
Besides, I can't but any apps in GP.
What a shame, Google.
F2P is here to stay
When you look at the top grossing list on both Google Play and iTunes you will see that, in fact, free-to-play titles make more money than paid titles. Of course, market for premium titles will still exist, especially for high-quality utility apps but in games F2P is dominating and, I think, this trend will continue.
As you experienced yourself, this model is super-convenient for players, you can test a game and, if interested, pay for additional items, etc. The only one thing which is tricky is keeping balance, ie. not making a game pay-to-win.
Last but not least, it's so much more exciting from a dev perspective to have 1 million of players enjoying your title than 10k Making money of them is yet another matter.
As a user I still like the idea of purchasing an app once and using it for as long as I like, but maybe I'm getting old...
I don't like the pay2play model, for example in real racing 3 you can only race a couple of rounds and then your car needs maintenance. This maintenance takes just long enough to hate it, but with in game coins you can make it happen instantly, which you can buy with real money.
The same goes for buying new cars: you don't make a lot of money racing so buying a new car takes ages (if you don't pay for quick maintenance that is) but you can again buy credits with real money to make it faster.
This probably makes for a continious money flow for the developers, but it annoys me; I would much rather just pay once and then play forever, and after that maybe pay some more for some dlc or something, but i don't like paying just to keep playing...
I don't mind what model developer choose. But I'm really disappointed by the lack of proper filters in Google Play. Free and Payed is not enough! It's cheating that demo or IAB applications are listed together with really free applications. There should be at least third category, which would gather demo, IAB etc apps - apps that aren't fully free. I would also love to have "open source" category.
Google's IAB is simple to implement in the app/game, but it has a huge disadvantage: if no server verification was implemented, then it is very easy to automatically hack IAB, there are many hacking tools available. Server verification is not an easy to implement. At least, a dedicated server is needed + experience in server programming.
IAP is good, but takes work
I have deployed apps with both IAP as well as the free/paid model.
IAP allows a single app with combined ratings and DL count (and free apps get more casual attention)
IAP takes more work - code, testing, and setup in portal
Paid apps on different app stores are easy. IAP solutions from each app store are not compatible with each other.
I plan to use IAP as the primary model on my next app (as well as ads), with no paid version. We'll see how that goes. I decided to try subscriptions, which is a tougher sell.
For a first app, however, the free/paid model may be much easier for many devs. Just hit a switch to show the no-ad layout (or whatever other features the paid version has) and dump the separate apk up on Google Play.
BTW I blog on ad networks and Android app stores at http://www.projectjourneyman.com. I created a report with charts showing my experience with a paid app as well as a free app w/IAP on Amazon and Google Play (plus paid app on Nook). Getting it signs you up to my email newsletter, but you can unsubscribe right away if you want
As a user I agree with an earlier poster that a once off fee for a full featured product is the most satisfying.
The biggest problem is IAP is that it needs to be very well implemented and generally this is not the case. More often than not it becomes a pay to win scenario which is just silly.
Too many games entice you to make a payment and then you feel you've been robbed as there was little value in the purchase.
I understand it is a good business model to get money from your hard work as a developer but personally I find it almost unethical. It becomes a little like gambling where games are addictive and require you to keep feeding in money to continue playing. This is not dissimilar to the pokie machines (aka slot machines) which are a very political issue here in Australia. I can imagine this pricing model in mobile games also becoming a political issue for similar reason if it is not self regulated by developers.
Also, hacking IAP apps is often pretty easy to do to avoid payment so this model is not immune to piracy.
Developers who depend on freemium might find their market drying up when their customers finally realize it's really a scam.
Im sorry for putting it this way but it's more honest to say so.
Freemiums are making money right now because of new smartphone owners who dont know any better.
But just like kids growing up, they will realize its better to buy outright a game than to keep throwing money into a game to get in game items just to play it well. It becomes pretty expensive later on.
The gold rush isnt going to last.
Here's my 2p's worth as a consumer, not a developer. The Freemium model is OK if its implemented correctly. Hill Climb Racing and Jetpack Joyride are two examples of what I believe to be decent titles. They're both so well made I have ended up spending real money on them both, not because I had to in order to progress or complete them (I'm looking at you Glu Games) but because I enjoyed the titles so much I wanted to play faster and support the developers. As for Real Racing 3, well I've got all the cars fully upgraded and I've never given EA a f***ing penny, nor will I.
There are limits.
I personally love the free / paid app model and almost all the tools and system apps I now use or have used were free versions I found invaluable and subsequently paid for. Hell, I've even bought 'Donate' versions that are exactly the same (Orux Maps) purely because the apps are that good.
Ultimately if people want to steal your work they'll find a way. Theft isn't going anywhere. But neither is the desire to reward decent work that is genuinely good value. I guess the way to get paid is to strive to create something of value.
bong4316 said:
Developers who depend on freemium might find their market drying up when their customers finally realize it's really a scam.
Im sorry for putting it this way but it's more honest to say so.
Freemiums are making money right now because of new smartphone owners who dont know any better.
But just like kids growing up, they will realize its better to buy outright a game than to keep throwing money into a game to get in game items just to play it well. It becomes pretty expensive later on.
The gold rush isnt going to last.
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I do not agree, not all games use aggressive freemium model to milk the money from the users. In-app purchases are often used to buy additional unnecessary content (for example, extra levels) or to remove ads (because all free games are supported by ads). So the game just gives users a choice: either live with ads, or convert game into ads-free version.
nishyt said:
IAB is better, you don't have to maintain two different versions, its easy to set up. Also users can't cancel an order they make through IAB & its linked to their accounts. On a normal paid app you can copy the apk and cancel the order, making it easy to steal.
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Click to collapse
totally agree! IAP is much better!
My children got tablets for Christmas and we have installed some games for them, (free games) yet these constantly have pop ups for other games or watch a short video, and they are very intrusive. I do not see why they need to be included in a childrens game.
I can accept them in my phone or tablet, and am happy to support developer or will pay for the game via word of mouth if deemed to be good, but I want a way to block the ads from my children non rooted devices, is it possible?
t3rm3y said:
My children got tablets for Christmas and we have installed some games for them, (free games) yet these constantly have pop ups for other games or watch a short video, and they are very intrusive. I do not see why they need to be included in a childrens game.
I can accept them in my phone or tablet, and am happy to support developer or will pay for the game via word of mouth if deemed to be good, but I want a way to block the ads from my children non rooted devices, is it possible?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try this app https://stopad.io/help/android/how-to-install