I’m in a pickle of not being able to find what I need to know via Google. I am starting a crowd funding campaign for my Unity based game and would like to offer free copies of my iOS and Android game to certain backers. I know Apple limits the promo codes to 50 I do believe? Is there another way to easily deliver copies of a game directly to backers without using the App Store? Also does the same apply to Android users? I was thinking of the Ad Hoc builds for iOS, but not sure if it’s a simple process for the person getting the game. I don’t want to make it some crazy thing they have to do to install the game or anything. As for Android I believe just emailing them an .apk file should give them the game correct?
Apple offers no alternative way and you may get in trouble by offering promo codes as Kickstarter rewards, Apple may see this as selling the codes and that’s enough for them to cancel your account (if they are feeling generous and don’t decide to pursue breach of contract, terms are outlined when you request the promo codes.)
The Ad Hoc builds for iOS work on a certificate that expires after a couple of months or so, also it too is a breach of rules to sell this access (to do this you need to add the user’s device to your dev devices list and that also enables them to install iOS betas.)
With Android you can distribute DRM free APKs, but the user will have to turn off some security settings (allowing to install apps from third party sources.) It’s not ideal since you force your users into a security hole.
I personally would avoid offering free mobile versions due to the complexities. Maybe set stretch goals like: if we make this much money, the game will be free for a week after launch.
(Note, Google Play does not allow you to increase the price on free apps, once you free you are stuck free forever, although you can always remove the app and add a second paid version.)
Ah VERY helpful information. So looks like offering free mobile versions is out! That’s okay, I am considering creating standalone builds, burning to DVD discs, putting an installer in there to install the game for them. Getting some nice cover art printed on these DVDs as well. Sucks I can’t give them the mobile version, but I can go free for a few days on it within the app store. I like that idea for sure.
Some google search (I couldn’t recall exactly, but knew I had read about it somewhere)
http://sixtostart.com/onetoread/2012/distributing-3000-copies-of-an-ios-game/
There’s numerous options in these links, but I don’t think what you planned (givng away app for free that others have to pay for) works out.
At least that’s how I understood your question.
Then again I’m not sure how you define “without usng the app store” 
Ah, I posted anyways, maybe its of help for anyone else 
What if there was a limited 50 prizes for the certain backers? I’ve seen that before.
@Acumen - Wow thank you for the links. The first link was pretty informative. I am not sure if the bulk purchasing option would work for distribution out to people who aren’t my employees (have to look into that one more). I was trying to figure out the best way to give a backer who supported the campaign access to the game without paying for it (because they already financially contributed to it).
@dtg108 - Definitely want to limit the highest tier rewards. There are some good and creative ideas out there for giving these backers access to the game without “double dipping” from them. I don’t want a person who donated $10 bucks or so to have to purchase a copy of the game. I think my idea of mailing DVD versions of the game might work well.
Some folks have suggested that highest tier backers actually get the game’s source project files or something. I am not sure if the ramifications of that are okay or not?
You get 50 promo codes, but that number is reset each time an update is approved.
I have heard of a developer using the Volume Purchase Program for crowd-funded app backers. But I would contact Apple before going ahead to see if they allow it. Note that the program is only available in 10 countries.
Another option is to buy App Store / iTunes gift cards and gift the app to your backers. Although you will need at least one card from each country you have backers (any unused credit could be used for offering the app as a prize in competitions, or held back for future projects), and you will have to set up an account in each country.
Be careful of this as well. Mailing out any kind of package overseas can quickly become expensive. So your $10 pledge just cost you the 30% Kickstarter Fee, the DVD (fancy printing, labels, etc) and… $5 mailing? You just gave away a copy of your game for nothing.
Make your app free with an iAP to unlock it. Then make a code to deactivate the iAP for your backers. You could probably integrate this code into a free iAP to keep track and limit its total use. I haven’t thought about it much to know if it will work, but theoretically it should.
+1 ForgeVault, that (or some variation thereof) is a great idea.
You could also just get the backers to nominate their gamecentre account (for example). Your server checks account if it matches it unlocks features.
If you kickstart and offer mobile as an option for ios, and have a lot of patience, you can use the gift this app feature for them. It might take a couple of days but you can honor the agreement. This assumes you’re willing to pay 30% of the price of your app in order to gift it.
You can have the app “free” but then you need to have in game purchases to actually play, then have a code input spot that also unlocks the game? I would personally go:
- Game is free with free version
- For more levels or whatever you pay 99 cents in app purchase.
- Alternatively you can put in a code that is checked on a server also unlocking that part.
The only problem though is you can only gift an app to a US account.
Sounds like there are still going to be some issues with the “gifting an app” approach. I think the IAP unlock for backers is the most robust idea. Now on a bit of a tangent, but related. I have noticed some game projects giving their highest tier backers ($500+) the actual game’s source files. Now considering that the source is basically your game on the market and one that you will be updating regularly…I’m wondering if this creates any odd legal issues or issues for the original content creator (such as myself)?
I’d strip some parts out , and tell your backers they need to significantly add content before re-releasing anything
Yeah that’s what I was thinking. I’d absolutely have to remove NGUI, since I cannot redistribute that. Have to go back to GUI textures for the UI. I like the idea of putting some clause in there that mandates a change to look of the artwork. Good info, thank you for the reply.
Actually that would be the only thing that would get me to donate over 100$ .
I think NGUI has a redistributional edition .
Plus the game would have to be something I really like .
Good luck with Kickstarter, I already got burned by a team that ended up running out of money, so i’m a bit more reluctant , but your here giving out code all the time so i might help you out .
Keep in mind if want you send your users an .apk without the Google Play store, AT&T users won’t be able to download it.
At least thats how it was last summer. I was learning how to make Android Apps and I couldn’t transfer them to my friends’ AT&T phones without plugging them into my computer with Eclipse open and then running the app on the external device.
The IAP is not an option either. There was a very high profile Twitter client for Mac that got in trouble due to this same reason, they wanted to reward their old users with some special feature activating by use of a code and Apple took them down. They had to remove that functionality (or activate it for everyone unconditionally.)
Basically the app must work the same for everyone and have no hidden features.
Anything you can think of that would go around Apple getting their share of the transaction (even if the transaction was zero) is something they will frown uppon.
So far, I think the most viable way would be gifting. There are international issues but I don’t think Kickstarter is global. Not sure where they can take users donations from. You can always just set the disclaimer that you will only do the free version to US iTunes Accounts. Or you can also always just create various iTunes accounts to do the gifting.
With android you can do what you want, Google also has anti-second-party IAP rules but I think they may have no issue with code redemptions.
You can always say you will give the code as it was at launch and no support. IF you want to do this. I would not do it, but that’s up to you. You are not actually selling support packages or agreeing to help anyone, so you are not legally obligated to provide that support. However: keep in mind that these people may treat your source as open, and redistribute it. They also may still bug you with support even if you tell them you don’t have the time to provide it. You may not mind at first but at one point you may find yourself working full time at helping a couple of guys getting the code work for them.
And should they redistribute it, you can expect whoever else gets their hand on the code to eventually also poke you, I heard of some people that have contributed to the open source community get support request 10 years after the fact, and although most people understand if you never reply, others make one hell of a fuss if you don’t support your work for all eternity.
This is not a real problem. It’s like saying you can’t install anything on Windows, because you need Administrator rights and click on a checkbox.
The newest version of Android even has antivirus integrated for third party apps: