I wrote this thread up on TouchArcade, but I wanted to get more of a dev’s perspective, so I’m posting it here too. How do you feel about releasing a free version of a game first? It seemed to work for Paper Toss, and thats currently how the console games market operates with demoes. Obviously, you’ve have to market it well, and have the paid version follow rather quickly to keep the interest, but generally speaking we feel this could be a pretty cool way of releasing apps and gaining support for a brand. Thanks, and happy hump day 
I don’t see any reason to release a free version without a payed version being available. That just seems like a good way to lose sales.
Well how did Paper Toss work? The only reason we are considering trying this is to build awareness for our games. People haven’t complained on Xbox LIVE Arcade about getting to try out demos first. Devs created the system of “Lite” versions of apps with less content. Why can’t devs do it again this new way?
You can do anything you want. If it works, great.
My comment was that I don’t think it makes sense to advertise a product that isn’t for sale yet. Let’s say someone plays your free version and likes it. They go look for the full version. If it’s not in the app store at that moment, you’ve probably lost a sale. Sure, some people will come back later and buy the full version but I suspect only a small percentage.
I understand why you’re asking the question. You want your game to sell like paper toss so you want to do the same things that paper toss did. I’m just suggesting that not have a full version ready probably wasn’t what made paper toss sell. It is a well done product and the free version helped to build awareness. I don’t think that awareness would have suffered from having the full version available. In fact, they probably lost initial sales.
I don’t think withholding your paid version is the ticket to app store riches. Feel free to prove me wrong.
Kenlem has a valid point.
Releasing a free version before the final release would work only if you already have built a big hype.
i think it is a good idea only if you don’t have a good game and you whant see the feedback and suggestions of the Users .
the rest I agree with Kenlem .
As a general rule in marketing, you don’t advertise something before it’s available. Yes, there are exceptions but creating a desire that can’t be fulfilled just pisses people off.
If you’re using Paper Toss as a model for how to create a game that sells, I suggest you focus on other attributes besides releasing a free version before the paid version. There is nothing to suggest that having a free version available before the paid increased sales in anyway.
Well paper toss was meant to be an example, but while were on the subject, it wasn’t released as a “free version” per se. It was a stand alone product by itself. Only afterwards did they release a paid version. I’m not suggesting sell " Awesome Game Lite" with out an “Awesome Game Full” to back it up, so if it came out that way my fault. Customers are now accustomed to seeing a lite version and expecting a paid version too. What I’m suggesting is maybe offering smaller preview versions of games first, and then after it’s gained interest release a deluxe version based on that game, but without the whole lite and full branding. It’s been said that Lite versions often hurt sales, so I think trying out alternative methods of creating demos are worth a look.
Personally, I have bought exactly zero games when I tried the demo version of it. Even when I liked the demo, something else usually captured my attention before I got around to buying the full version.
I think its also that alot of Lite versions include either too little or too much. My wife ONLY downloads free apps, and if there’s not enough to keep her attention, its deleted in minutes:roll: On the other hand, shes been playing this free Mahjong game for months! It comes with like 100 levels or something, and she said she had no need to pay for the full version. Sometimes Lite version are hit or miss…
Yeah it really depends on your product, of course.
Obviously, there’s no benefit to having a Free available -before- your full, unless you happen to own a fabulous piece of IP that self-generates hype. (Something like “Doom” or “The Sims” is a strong enough IP to do this with… unfortunately, most of us don’t have rights to such cashcows :))
Now that our company has done its time with a smaller products and now we’re working on increasingly expensive titles, we’re also working out the pros and cons of free vs. full.
Another inherit problem is the limitations on just how you can tell the user about what they’re missing. Ghosted objects/buttons etc that bring up a nag for the full aren’t allowed (I believe as far as apple is concerned, a free app should be able to stand on its own entirely).
So its not just a matter of getting rid of a few thousand Lite’s a day, its conveying all the things that they’re missing in the full version, without nagging and without Apple rejecting.
I don’t know about you, but when I see a nag screen my eyes look for the button to skip and hit it as fast as humanly possible.
At any rate, one thing is certain, if the user can’t click a button inside your app that takes them directly to the appstore purchase page, you’ve most likely lost a sale. Expecting a user to have the patience to remember the name, quit out, go to appstore, search, find, buy… It’s a big ask of users who often have attention spans consisting of a matter of seconds, let alone minutes.
I’m considering skipping a lite version altogether, I have friends and family who don’t buy anything and have enough fun playing the lite releases. I personally can’t see the point in offering a freebie for something that costs less than a cup of coffee on a luxury device. Also, due to the nature of our game, a lite version would take away almost a month of development time we could have put into the full version.
Creating the need to buy full version based upon Lite version would be a good exercise.
Carefully selecting what you put and you don’t put in your Lite version can make you realize some flaws you’d have to rework, or some qualities you could put to the marketing frontline.
This only translates to lost sales. Apps are very cheap for iPhone. The best approach is try to market your game with press releases, web banner ads, websites, and make it available to reviewers. Secondly, take some nice screenshots and post them -no UI screens either unless there is a major feature present. Do some YouTube videos. But do not put it in the potential customers hands unless they have purchased it. And for the love of Pete, do not price it at 99¢. Minimum price should be around $1.99. That way you have somewhere to go if you want to promote a special. It’s business. Many of us work hard on our games, and you certainly don’t want to just give it away.
I just wanted to follow-up on this comment I made a while ago. New data is showing that piracy is rampant throughout the iPhone game realm. And now the call for lite versions of games is louder than ever. This is still not the solution and still remains a mistake. A person ripping off a game would rather grab a full version than download a lite version, especially if it is just as easy. Wouldn’t you? The “try it before you buy” mainly applied to $20+ (USD) games. The price barrier for ownership is very, very low now.
The solution is better anti-piracy methods. “UNLESS” you want a game and company identity virally marketed… hmm… think about that for a second.
I’ve heard that too, but I’m taking it with a grain of salt. The last news I heard that seemed reliable says that jailbroken devices are the minority. And if your device isn’t jailbroken, it’s impossible to pirate. Therefore, the actual piracy rate is no more than the jailbreaking rate. (25%? I can’t remember.)
–Eric