I released a couple of Android games a long time ago. At the time, IAP didn’t exist and it was a common practice to have a free ad-supported version of the game, and a paid version of the game with no ads. These were two separate products in the store.
I’ve noticed recently that some of the games I’ve played use IAP now to remove the ads instead. I find this solution appealing since it’s less maintenance (only dealing with a single published product) and I believe it’s cleaner for the user since they then don’t have to be directed to the play store to buy and install a separate game and then go remove the old (which also removes any preferences).
In researching a product to provide IAP I’ve been reading through various support forums and I notice that it can sometimes be problematic, both in implementation and in operation. Directing the user to a “premium” version of the game is simpler and more foolproof.
I guess I’m just fishing for opinions. Is using IAP to get the “pro” version the way to go now? Does it limit the user base? What are the trade-offs?