Why I Hate The App Store Gamer
I love my iPhone. I like playing games on the iPhone (well, at least the few ones that I have). I like making games. One would assume I’d have given up on XNA GS for good and stayed with the iPhone. Well, there’s one problem with making games for the iPhone.
The customers.
For some reason I have yet to understand, the gamers on the App Store don’t just appreciate, but expect an endless amount of updates that implement their ideas. We’re talking games that are $1 or $2. They pay practically nothing for a game (some even really good games) and then feel entitled to more content for free.
Well screw you.
Here’s a review for Zombieville USA that I stumbled upon while looking for new games to try out that illustrates what my complaint:
That’s right. On a $2 game that has had not one, but two free updates already, this customer feels like the developer is “giving [them] the shaft” because the developer has decided to move on and work on a new game. The customer is also upset that the developer didn’t take the ideas of the users’ ideas and implement them (ideas like new weapons, enemies, and adding bosses into the levels, all things that are more than just minor tweaks).
This drives me insane. Remember The Sims? $50. If you wanted that night club update? Another $20-$30. Want some holiday junk for you house? Another $20-$30. How did we go from every update costing more than $20 to users feeling they should get infinite free updates on something they paid only $2 for?
That is why I have such a hard time going back to the App Store. I don’t really feel like developers are appreciated like they should be. These gamers are getting some really quality pieces of entertainment for less than a coffee at Starbucks and yet they’re so ready to call developers names and accuse them of hating their customers just because they want to move on and make a new game.
It’s just a sad, sad environment and I really hope that it doesn’t start happening on XBLCG. I love making customers happy, but at a certain point they do need to realize that developers move on. Whether it’s because they need more income or they’re just tired of working on a game they may have worked on for months and months, customers should let developers move on and make the next awesome game instead of trying to chain them to updating the existing ones.
</rant>
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Don’t worry, this summer iphone games can charge to unlock each level in the game, thus fixing your “$2 game, not enough awesome” problem by simply making the game more than $2.
You can’t charge for things in free iphone software, will we see $0.01 games that charge per level then? (or is the minimum price for such things $0.99?)
Though, I’m tempted to do iphone development if no other reason than because even for less than $5, people really do buy software. I get the impression that in comparison very few xbox users buy things from xbox live.
Don’t worry, this summer iphone games can charge to unlock each level in the game, thus fixing your “$2 game, not enough awesome” problem by simply making the game more than $2.
You can’t charge for things in free iphone software, will we see $0.01 games that charge per level then? (or is the minimum price for such things $0.99?)
Though, I’m tempted to do iphone development if no other reason than because even for less than $5, people really do buy software. I get the impression that in comparison very few xbox users buy things from xbox live.
Well, for me I don’t want games to be more than $1 or $2. I like being able to buy a few games a week and not feel like I’m blowing a lot of money. I just want gamers to realize that it’s just $1 or $2 and you don’t need a lot of content to make that worth the money. I think those little experiences are exactly what that platform is great for.
And yeah, $0.99 is the minimum unless you want to just give it away for free.
Good luck if you move over. I tried with two games (one of which with an ad-supported free version) and an app and didn’t make any more money than Bloc did on XBLCG. I’m sticking with XBLCG if only because XNA GS is a much better way to make games than the iPhone SDK, in my opinion.
Well, for me I don’t want games to be more than $1 or $2. I like being able to buy a few games a week and not feel like I’m blowing a lot of money. I just want gamers to realize that it’s just $1 or $2 and you don’t need a lot of content to make that worth the money. I think those little experiences are exactly what that platform is great for.
And yeah, $0.99 is the minimum unless you want to just give it away for free.
Good luck if you move over. I tried with two games (one of which with an ad-supported free version) and an app and didn’t make any more money than Bloc did on XBLCG. I’m sticking with XBLCG if only because XNA GS is a much better way to make games than the iPhone SDK, in my opinion.
I’m with you on this one, Nick. Unfortunately, these kind of expectations will continue until developers stand up for themselves a little bit.
Personally, I don’t even pay attention to the App Store reviews anymore. There’s so very few genuine opinions out there it seems. Just a lot of mindless complaints and advertisements for competing apps.
I’m with you on this one, Nick. Unfortunately, these kind of expectations will continue until developers stand up for themselves a little bit.
Personally, I don’t even pay attention to the App Store reviews anymore. There’s so very few genuine opinions out there it seems. Just a lot of mindless complaints and advertisements for competing apps.
Thats just sad. Do people honestly not realize the time and effort it takes just to make a simple game for a platform like that? The world has become one of instant gratification. You want it, your way, right now, end of story, and its a sad affair. Well, it will be good to have you sticking with XBLCG Nick!
PS: cant access the Edit Profile page to change the password. says “You do not have sufficient permissions to access this page.”
I can empathize with you Nick. I wish it weren’t like that but in the long run, I think customer attitudes are customer attitudes no matter where you find them or in what industry. It’s more of a human nature thing than a app store vs elsewhere issue. I believe you will find the same wide variety of attitudes and expectations in customers whether xblcg or iphone app store. For all that the writer of that post knows, the volume of a $2 app is such that the dev is raking in the dough & can afford the cost to create updates. It most likely doesn’t even occur to him that the dev is just scraping by. That kind of mentality will probably occur in xblgc at some point because that’s how human nature works, it is somewhat selfish. I wish it weren’t so but you probably ought to prepare yourself.
Hey Nick, I certtainly hope this doesn’t start happening in the XBLCG. I have resisted updating my game to add content whatever and have come up with enough changes to issue a new game, Drum Kit 2! : )
hmm, a shameless plug to end the comment trail.
I shall go for better.
I am with you, as a musician I have learned that it is better to do a thing for yourself, than for others; because only then will you truly have a chance to engage with the project.
My 2p
hmm, a shameless plug to end the comment trail.
I shall go for better.
I am with you, as a musician I have learned that it is better to do a thing for yourself, than for others; because only then will you truly have a chance to engage with the project.
My 2p