Upgrading from free to paid version via an in-app purchase?

Unity Engine
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1

Hi everyone,

I’m new to selling applications on the Android store and wondered what the best way to deal with a simple upgrade would be, my scenario follows:

  • Initial app is free but some content is restricted
  • An in-app purchase should replace the existing installed app with a fully functional paid for version

What would be the best way to approach this?

I’m conscious of wanting to keep this as an in-app purchase due to what analytics say regarding engagement.

Thanks in advance to those of you with some insight.

2

It completely depends on your game and what niche it fills etc etc etc…

Can you give some info on your game?

3

I don’t understand why that is relevant. Think of it in terms of the full version containing a greater number of scenes.

4

You say “should replace the existing installed app”. How would an in app purchase allow the player to install an entirely different version? Do you just mean “unlock content” that is only available if the in app purchase is done?

With your 1 and 2 list, are those two separate options or a sequential order?

There are only 2 ways to do this:

  1. Create a “Free” game and have it so you can pay to permantly unlock more content.
  2. Create a free game (almost like a demo) and a paid game version. If they like the free one and want more content, they go and buy the full paid game.

The reason why I said it completely depends on your game and it’s niche etc, is because it does. Do you want to get lost in the hundreds of thousands of other apps? Do one wrong move and you will.

5

Going by data, having two separate apps is a very bad idea. I was after a simple method to withhold scene based access or display content in accordance with whether the user has paid or not.

Short of using a separate library to manage the API, I was hoping for a simple solution. It doesn’t look like there is one though.

6

I think you just said it yourself then what the best way is if you want to make the initial app free and just add extra unlockable content: make certain scenes/content/whatever only accessible after unlocked by in app purchase.

You will have to include the entire build in the free version unless you use asset bundles or something like that.

7

I think including the entire build is going to be easier, this will be my first mobile app so I want to make sure I understand the impact of every choice I make.