Your thoughts on iAPs within Paid games?

TheGabfather

Hi Team! Just thought I'd ask around here for research for one of our upcoming games.

We've always stuck to two types of monetization strategies:
- Paid app (full game) or
- Free app (Apple iAds)

Now we're thinking of trying out something we've never done before - Paid (full game) with option to unlock Additional Bonus Levels (say, $0.99 to maybe $1.99 depending on length) or characters.

I'm pretty sure there already exist Paid apps with additional purchase options already in the App Store, but I want to get your take on it as a possible consumer.

So -- if you paid for the game already, would you expect to get everything, or would you be ok with this different pay now and pay some more later approach?

If there will be negative feedback regarding this strategy (ie. you prefer to pay once and get everything) then a solution would be to increase the starting price to already include the "price" of the additional content -- but that in itself might have drawbacks for the developers like not enough people would be willing to shell out more than $0.99 for a game, etc.

Sometimes, it's tempting to be greedy but scary to overshoot things.

Your thoughts?

Edit: This might be silly, but if you paid for the Full game and you're presented with the option to purchase additional bonus chapters/levels, regardless if you decide to purchase or not -- would you be pissed at the extra MBs in storage consumed from your device? Especially if you won't purchase.

Team6Labs

I have iap in my paid games and it doesn't make a big difference. I think people will just get upset that they paid for a game and then they have to pay again for more content. But its an option

TheGabfather

@poisenden Would you still be upset if it's a game with a story that spans say all 6-8 chapters and you get all that if you pay the initial price -- but you can pay more later on to get bonus story lines (like a prologue or epilogue chapter) that really has no effect on the original story?

Like DLC for your Assassin's Creed but i'm curious if it'll be different for mobile titles.

TheGabfather

Some new thoughts to add into this, hope you guys won't mind.

This might be silly, but if you paid for the Full game and you're presented with the option to purchase additional bonus chapters/levels, regardless if you decide to purchase or not -- would you be pissed at the extra MBs in storage consumed from your device? Especially if you won't purchase.

dwibre

IAP is good for unlocking additional content. Many good games do it, Check out The Walking dead and wind up knight to name 2. Wind up knight is a good example I think the first chapter was free then an additional $1.99 to unload each chapter 5 chapter each with 12 levels. The interesting thing they did though was at the first pay wall they offered compleate unlock for 2.99 so of course I unlocked all the chapters. Same happened in The Walking Dead.

Have you though about for few levels free?

While I know this forum can be useful you probably want to go ask the same question on gaming sites like Touch Arcade forum as they are the end users.

IAP that is not acceptable if you pay for a game then you are asked for money for gems etc...

Hope this helped

TheGabfather

@dwibre Definitely! Any insight is appreciated

Free for a few levels did come up at some point for one of our past games, but we weren't too sure when/where to set up the limit -- we want to give the player just enough to pique his interest and make him purchase. Show him too few features and risk seeming like a boring and lacking game. Show him too much (or so he might think) and risk giving the impression that "that's all there is to it." This definitely needs more looking into on our part Thanks for bringing it up again though.

Ah! I'm not big on forums that's why with the exception of GS I'm deliberately invisible. I don't feel like lurking Touch Arcade but I know someone from my team who used to frequent it -- I'll go ahead and ask her to inquire there as well.

dwibre

Kl yeah I guess it come down to the type of game. I like platform games if im enjoying the game I will pay to unlock levels. If the game suck I dont bother unlocking the extra content. Whats your game genre? Platform, Word game, maze etc..

TheGabfather

It's still in the initial brainstorming stage (we're literally still doodling and plotting on the whiteboards) but right now we're thinking of a short RPG platformer. We already have the draft of the story and some concept sketches but nothing concrete with gameplay yet, so the genre might still change.

I'm pretty sure the guy who brought it up in the meeting was playing @ashtmj's Heavy Sword ) Which reminds me, I bought the full version of that game but I've heard about a Lite version. Perhaps I should get that version as well and see how they did it for ending the trial phase.

Team6Labs

I dont think anyone really cares that much about the space the game takes up. Sure, go ahead and try it. You dont have anything to lose because they already paid for the game.

BrunoGames

Hi, in my opinion, i wouldn't like to pay for a full game (that download every levels), and have to pay extra to unlock later on, that same levels already downloading.
I accept more the concept of pay for a game (ex:10 levels), but that i can start and end a story...and then later on could pay for more 10 levels to download, that will create another path for that game, having or not relation with the 1st full game story.

But as "poisenden" said, you have to try it, different persons, different tastes...

BrunoGames

Just remember, another example... if you say characters map, then i accept better the concept... imagine a racing game... you have 5 tracks (full game), 4 racing cars to unlock and play... after completing the game, i may like it, to keep it, and be willing to buy iap, different characters (car/trucks, buses, skate), just get fun with the game....

Chakku

@TheGabfather
Your plan sounds about right?

Chakku

BoomshackBarry

I think the whole things comes down to quality - there's no question that people will pay again if what's on offer is perceived to be good enough. If I bought a paid game, bearing in mind that it's a relatively cheap purchase anyway, and I really enjoyed playing it then I'd happily pay more money to unlock more of the game, as long as I felt like what I'd originally paid for was good value and that I'd got my money's worth out of it.

And I don't think the file size is an issue at all, unless your game will be taking up GBs. I've never considered a game's file size unless its so huge that it takes up a massive chunk of my storage.

dwibre

If you are looking at RPG Platformers check out swordigo although not made with GS (I think it was unity) its a great example of the genre.

TheGabfather

@BrunoGames Thanks, I appreciate the input

@Chakku *kneels* I know it's right as in it will work (one way or another) but I'm wondering if it's smart as well..

@BoomshackBarry I totally agree! Which is why we're dead-set on making sure the game will be as polished as possible in terms of fun and quality factor (but really, this should be considered with every game we/you make). Also, yeah that was a pretty silly question about excess file sizes, but I just had to throw it out there

@dwibre Just checked it out now -- definitely looks like a good game. Will give it a shot. It's not made with GS, but with a little faux 3D techniques, I'm sure there are elements in that game that we can pull-off with good ol' 2D Gamesalad as of the moment we're also working on another platformer title that has a slightly skewed perspective (sort of 3D-ish) and it's coming along fine, but looking at Swordigo's preview screenshots, I think we can also implement the perspective they used when the character swipes his sword sideways. Thanks for suggesting!

BoomshackBarry

Also, yeah that was a pretty silly question about excess file sizes, but I just had to throw it out there

There's no such thing as a silly question, just silly answers...no that's not right...there's no such thing as a silly question, only silly people...no that's not it either...

dwibre

@TheGabfather more interesting is the RPG element of Swordigo lots of the levels you have to go back and play again once you are further into the game with bigger swords etc. Lots of IAP options in these types of games too for different weapons, tap to save if you die (much like temple run) etc.. Speed boosts, camouflage I could go on lol

Doguz

Have you considered separate apps per/chapter. With the intro chapter free then all others 'coming soon' and being paid apps. It would solve the whole downloading of unused megabytes issue. I don't think GS can download extra content via IAP.

TheGabfather

@Doguz Sounds viable, but it might pose certain restrictions (actually, it definitely will) such as carrying over in-game currency, inventory, etc. from past chapters to the next.

It's a shame DLCs can't be downloaded one at a time per purchase, onto the same app and save file. Fingers crossed for this becoming a reality for GS down the road!

The_Gamesalad_Guru

The new model is free to play and users now expect it. Going forward anyone making a game should take this into consideration. Design your game with supplemental IAP stuff and ads.