Express vs Pro features are tearing is apart :(
rdcube
Member Posts: 361
I saw the tweet yesterday about 8.8 coming out and the email today but I hadn't had a chance to download and install anything until today; let me say, great enhancements!
On another note, I've been reading some of the post and it is sad how this community is tearing apart; I still remember how we all were 9 months ago when we were all given the option to compile to iphone...man, what a great feeling that was.
I think everybody, if not the majority will agree that the price tier structure is way off and/or unfair for what you get.
I think I know how we could all get along on another alternative on what should be express vs pro features.
Business is business and Gendai needs to make money, period.
Some people here had said that they rather pay a programmer/designer to build the game for them in objective-c with all the bells and whistles they want with no limitations instead of using gamesalad; being realistic, this could be very expensive, but doable even with gamesalad...
Hear me out:
In my opinion, I think express should have everything (including url, iads, own splash screen and any other new feature that may be added in the future that will likely be Pro only, like game center, in app purchase and leaderboard); that will indeed piss a lot of people off big time (I know I will), but it doesn't have to be that way, we all want to make money whether we create a kick ass game that will make us millionaires or not...there's business for everyone at the app store, someone will eventually find you.
Where I see the real value of paying $1999 on the Pro license, is if Gendai gives us the Xcode file and tech support. This way, any 'business', 'partner's and/or indie dev that know how to code and want to implement 'admobs', 'openfeint', further optimize their games, add arrays, etc, etc will be able to do so at their leisure.
Gamesalad is just a tool and the features it provides is just the ability to 'drag & drop' so we don't code (except think on how to implement logic).
Like most people have said, a game with iAds with or without will fail if the game sucks; however, Gendai should give express the option to implement if we want to, Apple is the final decision on whether it goes out or not...if it gets approve, a penny a day could add up to buy a coke u know ;^)
Given the ability to just get the code and further optimize once I have either created the skeleton and/or the full game in Gamesalad, I think it is worth $1999 and if they're there to help out as tech support, is probably way well worth more...like $2000.
With this in mind, Gendai could raises the price of express to back to $499 (same as when it was introduce and we all complained that it was too expensive
), as mentioned before, a lot of people will find a way to get that money because they'll know that even though in beta, it will allow them to build the games of their dreams.
For business or people that have a team and/or want to take full advantage of code, charge them the $1999, they will most likely afford it and will further enhance the business of Gendai Games.
Sorry for the long spill and if I repeated myself a lot (repetition makes it stick), just something that I started pondering about all day today...nobody will ever be happy when there are only two options...this could perhaps be a third option that could favor 'the rest of us'.
Just my two cents.
rdcube ;^)
On another note, I've been reading some of the post and it is sad how this community is tearing apart; I still remember how we all were 9 months ago when we were all given the option to compile to iphone...man, what a great feeling that was.
I think everybody, if not the majority will agree that the price tier structure is way off and/or unfair for what you get.
I think I know how we could all get along on another alternative on what should be express vs pro features.
Business is business and Gendai needs to make money, period.
Some people here had said that they rather pay a programmer/designer to build the game for them in objective-c with all the bells and whistles they want with no limitations instead of using gamesalad; being realistic, this could be very expensive, but doable even with gamesalad...
Hear me out:
In my opinion, I think express should have everything (including url, iads, own splash screen and any other new feature that may be added in the future that will likely be Pro only, like game center, in app purchase and leaderboard); that will indeed piss a lot of people off big time (I know I will), but it doesn't have to be that way, we all want to make money whether we create a kick ass game that will make us millionaires or not...there's business for everyone at the app store, someone will eventually find you.
Where I see the real value of paying $1999 on the Pro license, is if Gendai gives us the Xcode file and tech support. This way, any 'business', 'partner's and/or indie dev that know how to code and want to implement 'admobs', 'openfeint', further optimize their games, add arrays, etc, etc will be able to do so at their leisure.
Gamesalad is just a tool and the features it provides is just the ability to 'drag & drop' so we don't code (except think on how to implement logic).
Like most people have said, a game with iAds with or without will fail if the game sucks; however, Gendai should give express the option to implement if we want to, Apple is the final decision on whether it goes out or not...if it gets approve, a penny a day could add up to buy a coke u know ;^)
Given the ability to just get the code and further optimize once I have either created the skeleton and/or the full game in Gamesalad, I think it is worth $1999 and if they're there to help out as tech support, is probably way well worth more...like $2000.
With this in mind, Gendai could raises the price of express to back to $499 (same as when it was introduce and we all complained that it was too expensive
), as mentioned before, a lot of people will find a way to get that money because they'll know that even though in beta, it will allow them to build the games of their dreams.For business or people that have a team and/or want to take full advantage of code, charge them the $1999, they will most likely afford it and will further enhance the business of Gendai Games.
Sorry for the long spill and if I repeated myself a lot (repetition makes it stick), just something that I started pondering about all day today...nobody will ever be happy when there are only two options...this could perhaps be a third option that could favor 'the rest of us'.
Just my two cents.
rdcube ;^)
Comments
cheers!
GameSalad will continue to be a good hobbyist tool, for those who want to get their feet wet, and see what can be created. There are even a small few of GameSalader's that have made hits. But that's like winning the lottery, when you don't have a business plan and long term goals. "It could happen", but it won't.
I've been sandbagging scores of great ideas which GameSalad is just not capable of producing. I am not about to invest 1000's of hours of my time on apps that are missing crucial features.
Like others have said, the AppStore is a huge boondoggle, sort of like the warehouse at the end of "Raiders of the Lost Ark". Getting noticed in there is next to impossible, and I am way more concerned with branding my own apps than GameSalad's. Truth be told, I have purchased a few apps and been disappointed when seeing that they relied on the inefficient GameSalad engine, some of them crash and hang up. This is because inexperienced people think GameSalad will do it all for them. It won't. What do I do with those apps? I can't use them for what I paid for, so they are a waste and a reminder that one has to be careful of what one purchases. If the appStore listed GameSalad as the engine, I would not purchase until after trying a free version.
Doesn't mean it can't build a great app, on the contrary, it has in several cases. It's just too easy to release untested shovel-ware.
I have also been happy to see some of the creative apps that GSers have produced. good clean fun that are a good start at something professional, but unfortunately never get off the ground because they don't get noticed, or people don't pay for them until they see value in them. This is what free apps and iAds are for. These are the type of apps that need better marketing and a better plan to get noticed.
I (and probably others) will no doubt rethink paying for an Express license when that license is missing so many important features. Maybe I will decide that the GS Viewer is worth it, since it allows me to display a limited feature mock up to prospective clients.
It's turning out to be quite easy to prototype in GS and translate into XCode. Especially for those who are not so much interested in producing in the limited game genres GS supports. The "block-knocks", and "endless platforms" and "banal shooters"... there are not likely to be successful on the AppStore anyway as there are literally hundreds and thousands of each already.