4 ms·

Isn't this IAP model better for both users and makers?

4ad 4y ago
Which IAP model?
stephc_int13 4y ago
I think the free-to-play model has been destructive for many apps and games. The rush to the bottom with $1 price tier, introduced by Apple, was also destructive in itself. The App Store is a huge market, fortunes have been built, but I know many indie developers who have been reluctant to adopt the F2P model. As a user, I don't like it either.
sgk284 4y ago
Definitely not better for users. You used to buy an app and get everything it has to offer. You wouldn't have to worry about getting a useless app and having to pay another $1,000 to get it functional. And you'd know that any reviews of the app are inclusive of functionality you'll have access to. With IAP, it's really difficult to know what you're getting and how much it will cost you in the end. And reviews may be discussing a completely different app experience. Plus the constant feeling that you're being nickel and dimed.
Someone1234 4y ago
IAPs don't share over Apple Family, purchased-apps do. So I'm going to say no.
- dangoor 4y ago
  IAPs _can_ share for the family: https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/4/22154178/apple-family-sharing-allows-subscriptions-in-app-purchases https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/4/22154178/apple-family-sha... It's the developer's choice, just like family sharing for the original purchase. This was a good move, since so many apps went from paid to free demo +IAP to unlock. I think a lot of devs who previously allowed family sharing for paid apps have turned family sharing on for IAP.
  - MBCook 4y ago
    To be fair that wasn’t the case until maybe 2 years ago. So it was a real problem.
scarface74 4y ago
Let’s not pretend that the App Store is full of Indy “makers”. It came out in the Epic trial that 85% of App Store revenue came from slimy pay to win games and loot boxes.
- rootusrootus 4y ago
  I'd like to know what fraction today comes from Roblox alone.
MBCook 4y ago
In theory. So I have no issue with subscribing to many apps I love to fund development, or maybe paying an extra “tip” through IAP. Or just IAP for more content. But IAP and subscriptions enabled a few models I hate. Free game (either with ads, IAP, or both) have flooded the App Store and destroyed the market for quality games. Even the better made ones (like Candy Crush) are still designed to wring money out of people. On the subscription front there are so many scam apps. Buy a calculator app, and pay $5/week for it because they trick people into it. I’d be happy with no consumable IAPs in games. Or just no IAPs in games at all. And Apple should probably review high subscription prices to find scams. Realistically is there any reason for weekly subscriptions? Maybe just monthly/yearly only.
- musicale 4y ago
  > Even the better made ones (like Candy Crush) are still designed to wring money out of people Arcade games may have been designed to deprive players of their quarters/tokens, but they have nothing on modern optimized monetization schemes, including many which bring mobile games much closer to slot machines, in the hope that gambling addict "whale" players will spend the sort of money that they might lose at a casino rather than a Chuck E. Cheese. So many games that I might otherwise enjoy playing in are simply not fun for me because of the intrusive monetization schemes. F2P games add this annoying metagame of "fight against the obnoxious monetization traps" which I usually don't enjoy. Bad monetization schemes set up an ugly conflict between developers and players that degrades the gaming experience.
yamtaddle 4y ago
It might be if they had better filters. IAP being used to effectively turn a demo into a full, paid version is one thing. Or IAP for some limited number of expansions in a game. IAP being used for "consumables" or to nickel-and-dime every feature is something else. But it's hard to distinguish between the two uses when browsing the store—and that's a big part of the reason I hardly game at all on iOS, browsing their games to sort wheat from chaff is too much of a chore and their games section in particular is a horrible mess because IAP exists and their filtering options suck. Problem goes away if the apps are simply paid or free, no IAP. Or if they'd create more categories for various uses of IAP, and let you filter by them.

4ad 4y ago

Which IAP model?

I think the free-to-play model has been destructive for many apps and games. The rush to the bottom with $1 price tier, introduced by Apple, was also destructive in itself. The App Store is a huge market, fortunes have been built, but I know many indie developers who have been reluctant to adopt the F2P model. As a user, I don't like it either.

sgk284 4y ago

Definitely not better for users. You used to buy an app and get everything it has to offer. You wouldn't have to worry about getting a useless app and having to pay another $1,000 to get it functional. And you'd know that any reviews of the app are inclusive of functionality you'll have access to. With IAP, it's really difficult to know what you're getting and how much it will cost you in the end. And reviews may be discussing a completely different app experience. Plus the constant feeling that you're being nickel and dimed.

Someone1234 4y ago

IAPs don't share over Apple Family, purchased-apps do. So I'm going to say no.

dangoor 4y ago
IAPs _can_ share for the family: https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/4/22154178/apple-family-sharing-allows-subscriptions-in-app-purchases https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/4/22154178/apple-family-sha... It's the developer's choice, just like family sharing for the original purchase. This was a good move, since so many apps went from paid to free demo +IAP to unlock. I think a lot of devs who previously allowed family sharing for paid apps have turned family sharing on for IAP.
- MBCook 4y ago
  To be fair that wasn’t the case until maybe 2 years ago. So it was a real problem.

scarface74 4y ago

Let’s not pretend that the App Store is full of Indy “makers”. It came out in the Epic trial that 85% of App Store revenue came from slimy pay to win games and loot boxes.

rootusrootus 4y ago
I'd like to know what fraction today comes from Roblox alone.

MBCook 4y ago

In theory. So I have no issue with subscribing to many apps I love to fund development, or maybe paying an extra “tip” through IAP. Or just IAP for more content. But IAP and subscriptions enabled a few models I hate. Free game (either with ads, IAP, or both) have flooded the App Store and destroyed the market for quality games. Even the better made ones (like Candy Crush) are still designed to wring money out of people. On the subscription front there are so many scam apps. Buy a calculator app, and pay $5/week for it because they trick people into it. I’d be happy with no consumable IAPs in games. Or just no IAPs in games at all. And Apple should probably review high subscription prices to find scams. Realistically is there any reason for weekly subscriptions? Maybe just monthly/yearly only.

musicale 4y ago
> Even the better made ones (like Candy Crush) are still designed to wring money out of people Arcade games may have been designed to deprive players of their quarters/tokens, but they have nothing on modern optimized monetization schemes, including many which bring mobile games much closer to slot machines, in the hope that gambling addict "whale" players will spend the sort of money that they might lose at a casino rather than a Chuck E. Cheese. So many games that I might otherwise enjoy playing in are simply not fun for me because of the intrusive monetization schemes. F2P games add this annoying metagame of "fight against the obnoxious monetization traps" which I usually don't enjoy. Bad monetization schemes set up an ugly conflict between developers and players that degrades the gaming experience.

yamtaddle 4y ago

It might be if they had better filters. IAP being used to effectively turn a demo into a full, paid version is one thing. Or IAP for some limited number of expansions in a game. IAP being used for "consumables" or to nickel-and-dime every feature is something else. But it's hard to distinguish between the two uses when browsing the store—and that's a big part of the reason I hardly game at all on iOS, browsing their games to sort wheat from chaff is too much of a chore and their games section in particular is a horrible mess because IAP exists and their filtering options suck. Problem goes away if the apps are simply paid or free, no IAP. Or if they'd create more categories for various uses of IAP, and let you filter by them.