mind that Jet Car Stunts was getting a fairly good deal of press coverage as well, which didn't hurt. Trainyard also did this, but again it's hard to single out "the one factor" that broke these games as there was always a set of a few different circumstances in their favor. Anyway, as time passes I suspect that lite apps (even if they are completely unique content) are generally a waste of time to develop, as they are now..
As a developer, I'll provide a lite version of Cannon Land, shortl after the game is released. Since it is our first experience in the AppStore, we are doing it by the book. As a player, I NEVER download lite versions. I usually skip the game, or hurry and download the version to check it out. Of course, if the price is high, I may even consider downloading the demo version. Also, the file size for the lite version MUST be small... Take Gameloft for example... 400mb for NOVA2 demo? I'll never download that! That's a size for a PS3 demo
oh shoot I was wondering what happened to you guys! I remember you posted some shots of this game ages ago and I was really looking forward to it. Still am
The problem is the book is outdated, IMHO. Most of the stories you read online about what works and what doesn't regarding the App Store are mostly old stories or people repeating old stories they read...
From my limited experience, I'd say the better route is skip the lite version and just go thru a free app a day site when sales start to slip... and have some IAP setup when you do. You'll get a bigger amount of exposure and aren't competing against yourself.
Definitely don't do this. I've used FAAD twice. The first time I did as you suggest and got a mass of users, remained free and then added IAP. Result: Rating slated. Users hate this shit. It's classic bait and switch. The second time was the more common approach. Go free, then switch back to paid and my results were the same as others have reported. You basically don't get any uplift in sales after you switch back. The only reason to user FAAD in my opinion is to accrue a mass of users for an app then leverage that app later to promote another. My theory is that the only people making money from FAAD are FAAD.
We've used FAAD twice and its definitely helped. With N.Y.Zombies both times we went free we saw about a 2-3x revenue boost for the month after switching back to paid. Then again both times we managed to hit as high as the #2 free game. We also accrued enough overall downloads to boost word of mouth and just gain some exposure. To this day we still sell 200-300 copies a day after a year since release, and I'm pretty sure that its mostly because of the huge, million+ downloads we got while we were free. I think the main thing is you have to have success while going free... I don't think there is a "magic number" per se, but I definitely think you have to at least hit around 500,000-1 million downloads to really see an impact from your free campaign. Anyway, the way of the future imo is finding some kind of harmony between the paid and free charts... those who can bridge the gap between their free and paid games are going to be the ones who have the most success. Also I urge people to track the progress of other games via appannie and appfigures in order to figure out what makes the market tick... I spend quite a bit of time monitoring the app store, figuring out why games have gotten a boost in the charts, why they start tanking, etc... every once in a while I'll also chart the progress of other games that have just released lite versions to see if there is any sort of impact as well.
Very interesting stuff here. Our game is going to be based on some pretty unique concepts and gaming mechanics, so I think we are going to have a lite version just to give people a taste. We are thinking of the light version just having the first 5-10 levels to give people a feel for the game, ultimately I think just doing that would take very little additional work... Interesting insights on FAAD. I suppose that's why people are suggesting to use it after an app has run its course huh? Get a mass of new users to your old game, just in time to start promoting your new game. That seems to make sense! I think we'll try it a couple weeks into our initial release, and then again once our second game is released.
the FAAD (& other similar services) are all bound to the same audience.. i personaly havent checked such sites in months.. the new novel thing is over with theese services.. and for sure the results differ.. if you already hava product that get the attention of a core user base, making a free promotion can increase this userbase alot of get more people interested.. if your game is dead on arrival.. chances are slim that you will regain anything from going free (and throw nice bugs into the direction of FAAD&co) you need a userbase to carry the message (its free hey buddy check it out) because if you rely only on the daily visitors of FAAD and others.. well they are there to get their faily free dose of "appish".. the general interest to buy something is very slim with that crowd.. as for a lite it depends.. in general i don't see a reason to offer a lite version at release.. especialy not for pocket change games (tier 1,2,3) ... when you get into the more serious price waters (i actualy got goosebumps by writing this.. 5$ serious money.. oh what happend to this platform..) a lite would be of interest, because if the prices get so high you could get a decent buger at mc donalds people start to think twice about a purchase.. and a good made demo.. err sorry apple.. lite version.. can actualy make the difference.. it also heavily dependand on the actual game... lite versions with puzzlegames can be difficult.. because the general attention span of ios user is low.. so if you offer them like 10 levels of puzzling, they might already be saturated with that.. "played enough"... i actualy think some sort of extra content lite is a good choice if you have something to tell, like a story.. tell the prologue.. show a unique way on the world.. on the very first pc game i worked on 11 years ago we had a very unique demo with unique levels and a unique setup as it showed the "behind the scene" ... and worked hand in hand into the final full version.. the hole theme was like a film set where you can actualy see whats going in well behind the scenes.. hehe.. the hole sceneray of an level was shown from the other side making it look like the the gameworld is fake, madeup with props and other things... it was a cool idea.. and i liked the work on the demo, because it was special.. this is a concept barely used nowerdays because of the additional work involved.. but i think this is still the best way to go since it adds something to your universe, expanding it.. instead of cutting something out of the full game people have to replay again in the full version..
well its not my idea.. who knows where it originated from.. but i think its shows dedication to your product to devliver something uniqe, even if you give it out for free..
Hi Headcase! Yeah, we are still around... We are working on our free time so the development is sluggish - but moving forward anyway Did you see our new screenshots and the trailer? They are pretty slick Tell me what you think! I haven't received enough critique! We are considering doing something like that... The idea is to sell (or give it for free) an e-book version of our story, with extra pages and a more deep story. I wrote the script for the game, and it sounds a lot like a children's books. Since the artist is painting the cutscene images with watercolor, we are trying to create a separate product for this. The problem with Cannon Land is that it has become a work of passion, so we are 50% worried about profit, and 50% trying to make an awesome work.
canon land looks great.. i like the art style.. it show alot of attention to details.. the gameplay reminds me alot of the cannon sections of the old donkey kong country game for snes.. not sure how the gameplay works out.. but good luck with it.. it looks cool.. if it plays the same aswell then it looks like a cool game.. and your guys passion shows.. as for the ebook.. sounds interesting.. if you guys are story driven then this can be something (released prior to the game) to get some head facing your direction..
Honestly promoting your app online and making lites can help you sell a few copies a day 5-10 . After really looking at the appstore closely only one type of game is guarenteed to sell. The games that are high production console type games. I know developers hate to hear it but luck and apple features is the only way. The market is too saturated to make any real noise unless your bringing console quality type games to the appstore.Just make the best game or app you possiblely can and pray that apple features it.
I just want to echo the thoughts that have already been mentioned now. I think if you go the lite route it definitely has to offer something extra to the user, and not just be a piece of the full. You should make it so that even the paid users want to download the lite as well.
Quick consumer point of view. I purchased three apps today on the strength of their lite versions: Beyond Ynth, Bug Panic and Cover Orange; not particularly new games. When an interesting new release hits the store I tend to jump on it and forget the lite version, but older games... the ones I missed... those are the ones I want to get to know before investing in. I'm also downloading the lite version for Great Little War Game which is newer, so had the dev already removed it as he suggested he might, it probably wouldn't have gotten any interest from me. It doesn't bother me whether or not lites have exclusive content, but what I do like is that some of the filesizes are much smaller than the full game. My connection is quite frankly terrible and I'd rather check the game out quickly before setting aside 30 minutes plus downloading the whole thing.
some good points you have I usually have about 5-10 lites sitting on my iPhone of things I had intended to check out, and never have touched. They often sit there for weeks, even months, not launched one time. Sometimes I just delete them altogether without ever launching them once. No joke, even with all the hubbub, I had freaking Angry Birds lite sitting on my iphone for maybe 6 MONTHS before I played (and somewhat enjoyed) the demo. The glaring truth is that there's just way too many apps now - way too much choice - good ones, really.. I don't really know what a lite is gonna do for you too much anymore, if your game doesn't look like something that people aren't gonna want to actually cough up a dollar for.
My $.02 Great thread. There are a few things to realize when it comes to app marketing: 1: Free “full” app via promotion site, then update into IAP unlocks Don’t ever do this; your users will crucify you for it (and they have every right to). This classic bait-and-switch is, in general, an ethical violation. Imagine if you won free tickets to an event, but, upon arriving, were told you had to pay $400 for parking. That’s likely akin to what your players feel. IAP can work, but it works best as vestigial content – aesthetic improvements, tedium-removers, rewards for impatient players. Think farmville or Zombiefarm and you've got the right idea. The numbers overwhelmingly support this. IAP is embraced when players feel like it is their CHOICE to purchase it. When IAP is forced upon players, it is rejected outright. The very high-profile IAP unlock experiment of Sacred Odyssey / Starfront Collision didn’t go over very well (to the point of those full, unlocked versions of the titles being offered at .99cents this weekend, one of the fastest release-to-sale conversions I’ve seen out of Gameloft), which is a testament to the power of voluntary IAP, as opposed to content limitations. And that's with two very strong titles. [Heck, Starfront Collision has the best touch-interface to ever grace an RTS] Someone brought up including alternate content in the lite: This is always a good idea. This not only gives your paid users the most bang-for-their-buck (not re-playing anything, getting the feeling of an entirely “exclusive” experience), but it also gives satisfied paid users a reason to go ahead and download your lite…where they can not only boost your numbers there, but up-rate your game. Someone mentioned Jet Car Stunts, and it’s a great example. Another strong example is Silverfish. I was already a paid user and I went out and got the lite (and found myself rating it), simply due to the separate experience. Then, of course, we have Trainyard Express. The theme here is that you can offer a taste of your game to curious shoppers, while still giving the full value of your premium title exclusively to your premium users (and even leveraging them to promote your lite, as explained). Of course, to really drive home the argument, I’ll cite Angry Birds – their free version provides levels not available in the full game. A perfect incentive for the completionist to pick it up, and perhaps leave a rating : ) Lites should be spicy – you are trying to tempt people into getting the full game. Contrary to what some people have said on the forums, lites DO have a very important place in the App Store, but only for certain games. Ask yourself these questions: 1: If a user likes my lite, can he take his information (scores / etc) with him to the full version? This isn’t a do-or-die issue, but if the transition is seamless, all the better! Tell the user if this is the case. 2: What is the main selling-point of my game? Does my lite have it? For instance, Mushihimesama Bug Panic added a co-op level to the lite. Brilliant idea – it gives users a taste of what is, arguably, the real value of the title now. They didn’t give ALL the co-op levels, so users who enjoy the experience still have reason to get the full version (not to mention they get the actual game campaign itself). 3: Is the “lite” or “free” indicator in my lite game app icon too large? Those mega-expensive industry reports that companies compile are usually good for doorstops, but every now and then you get an interesting bit of data or a study that makes you think differently. The verdict is in: huge “LITE” or “FREE” logos on top of the icon actually reinforce themes of low quality in the user’s subconscious. My personal favorite (in conjunction with creating an entirely new “lite” app), is to go with an entirely different icon. I’m looking at you, Silverfish (and Trainyard Express, although the icon has only been changed marginally). 4: What do I want my user to see? Don't feel that you need to give your user the very first part of a game (usually the most boring part, consisting of about 50-70% tutorial) in the lite. If the most "fun" part of your game is a max-level character fighting a boss, throw high level boss fight with awesome gear in there. Give them a taste of the main course - don't force them to set the table. The separate icon / content of a lite goes a long way into reinforcing that the user is actually purchasing a separate, great experience (which is vastly preferable to purchasing "more of the same"). The debate over pricing models and strategy rages on every platform. What works here won't work on, say, Android, where market composition almost requires the full game to be free unless it has the muscle of a premium publisher or brand behind it. Be happy : )
I figure I can't be the only one, but I would never purchase a game through a lite IAP upgrade if there was a full version available. So if I do enjoy a lite version enough to want to purchase the game, I'll just go buy the regular version even if it means I have to replay levels.
That's very interesting, thanks. tbh I personally rarely bother with lites at all, unless its something really expensive, just so I don't have to replay anything
