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This should really be supplemented with demo/free versions so that people would have a chance to try things out before shelling out 10x the average AppStore pri

This should really be supplemented with demo/free versions so that people would have a chance to try things out before shelling out 10x the average AppStore price. When I am looking to download a new app, I can never tell from the description and screenshots if it's good or not, so the question is always - "What if it's crap". With an app that costs 0.99, the answer is simple - "Let's try it and see", so it's effectively a very cheap trial ... that just happens to come with a free full version. I would've readily paid more for latter, but I already got it and it was free, so what's not to like. This is why in-app upgrades would seem a natural way to convert people who like your app into paying customers. Let everyone kick the tires and let those who like it move on to a full version. tl;dr - Indeed start charging more, but through in-app upgrades.

eugenesia 13y ago
Yes that's true - in fact there are multiple strategies that can be employed when monetising an app, neatly summarised in this TechCrunch article: http://techcrunch.com/2012/08/26/how-free-apps-can-make-more-money-than-paid-apps/ http://techcrunch.com/2012/08/26/how-free-apps-can-make-more... The author seems bothered by the multitude of negative reviews and support requests generated by a cheap app. Not all of these are bad - in fact they are real-world user tests and are useful for debugging and improving the app. I propose having a free version for those who want to try out the app, with a caveat that users who need better support and more frequent upgrades should try out the paid app instead.
- flyinRyan 13y ago
  That's a nice proposal but the reality is, those who get the app for free will be more likely to request support than those who pay for it.
interpol_p 13y ago
Apparently games with demos sell worse — seeing half the sales of their non-demo counterparts. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-02-11-games-without-demos-sell-better-on-xbox-360 http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-02-11-games-without-d... (Though it only looks at xbox 360 games)
- enko 13y ago
  Those kind of statistics are useless. They lack any kind of control whatsoever. For example, it's very easy to imagine that a company that knows its game is not telling a compelling story might be tempted to make a demo to try to get people into it, whereas a company with confidence in its brand might not. Who knows, the demo might be doubling sales in those otherwise no-hoper games. You could just as easily rewrite the conclusion to be "companies who knows their game is crap often choose to make a demo". Without a more sophisticated statistical analysis, it's every bit as valid.
  - yelnatz 13y ago
    What would be a good control for this then?
    - enko 13y ago
      Dev budget? Marketing budget? Purchases by people who don't ever play demos? Purchases in areas the demo wasn't available? Analysis of whether studios always do demos, or only for certain games? Weighting by external review scores? Any number of things you could take into account.
  - interpol_p 13y ago
    I'm not going to comment on the quality of the article. It's certainly not exhaustive research and is only a small insight into some sales numbers. But it does make a kind of intuitive sense. Personally, if I play a game and see how its core game mechanics work then I am much less likely to purchase it. A lot of my game purchases are impulsive — I see something cool in the trailer and want to try it. Once I've tried it I lose interest. Demos give me the opportunity to lose interest without purchasing the game. When I know I really want to play a game all the way through I will always purchase it without trying the demo (if available). So in my limited gaming experience demos have never been a step to a sale.
    - gizmo686 13y ago
      I generally avoid buying games for the same reason. Few really advertise their core mechanics, and even the ones that do, I have no way to trust them on how well executed they are. For cheap games, I am willing to take the risk because even if the game is 'bad' I will still generally come out with a decent $/hr ratio. But the only times I get 'expansive' games are if I have seen a lot of people play it to the point where I have a good sense of how it works. Most games do not have a large enough network effect to get to that point.

eugenesia 13y ago

Yes that's true - in fact there are multiple strategies that can be employed when monetising an app, neatly summarised in this TechCrunch article: http://techcrunch.com/2012/08/26/how-free-apps-can-make-more-money-than-paid-apps/ http://techcrunch.com/2012/08/26/how-free-apps-can-make-more... The author seems bothered by the multitude of negative reviews and support requests generated by a cheap app. Not all of these are bad - in fact they are real-world user tests and are useful for debugging and improving the app. I propose having a free version for those who want to try out the app, with a caveat that users who need better support and more frequent upgrades should try out the paid app instead.

flyinRyan 13y ago
That's a nice proposal but the reality is, those who get the app for free will be more likely to request support than those who pay for it.

interpol_p 13y ago

Apparently games with demos sell worse — seeing half the sales of their non-demo counterparts. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-02-11-games-without-demos-sell-better-on-xbox-360 http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-02-11-games-without-d... (Though it only looks at xbox 360 games)

enko 13y ago
Those kind of statistics are useless. They lack any kind of control whatsoever. For example, it's very easy to imagine that a company that knows its game is not telling a compelling story might be tempted to make a demo to try to get people into it, whereas a company with confidence in its brand might not. Who knows, the demo might be doubling sales in those otherwise no-hoper games. You could just as easily rewrite the conclusion to be "companies who knows their game is crap often choose to make a demo". Without a more sophisticated statistical analysis, it's every bit as valid.
- yelnatz 13y ago
  What would be a good control for this then?
  - enko 13y ago
    Dev budget? Marketing budget? Purchases by people who don't ever play demos? Purchases in areas the demo wasn't available? Analysis of whether studios always do demos, or only for certain games? Weighting by external review scores? Any number of things you could take into account.
- interpol_p 13y ago
  I'm not going to comment on the quality of the article. It's certainly not exhaustive research and is only a small insight into some sales numbers. But it does make a kind of intuitive sense. Personally, if I play a game and see how its core game mechanics work then I am much less likely to purchase it. A lot of my game purchases are impulsive — I see something cool in the trailer and want to try it. Once I've tried it I lose interest. Demos give me the opportunity to lose interest without purchasing the game. When I know I really want to play a game all the way through I will always purchase it without trying the demo (if available). So in my limited gaming experience demos have never been a step to a sale.
  - gizmo686 13y ago
    I generally avoid buying games for the same reason. Few really advertise their core mechanics, and even the ones that do, I have no way to trust them on how well executed they are. For cheap games, I am willing to take the risk because even if the game is 'bad' I will still generally come out with a decent $/hr ratio. But the only times I get 'expansive' games are if I have seen a lot of people play it to the point where I have a good sense of how it works. Most games do not have a large enough network effect to get to that point.