Apple iPhone game developer protests by raising price from $2.99 to $39.99
Schiau Studios, for this weekend, has raised the price of their game Alchemize to a whopping $39.99 from $2.99. You might be thinking that’s probably not the best business move, but there’s a really good reason behind the huge price increase — to tell everyone to bugger off and stop complaining about application and game prices. We’re not sure how many people have bought the game at the higher price, but again, it’s meant as more of a protest than anything else. If you can’t afford to buy an iPhone, BlackBerry, or Android application for a couple bones, or incessantly bitch about the pricing, you really should stop complaining about it. Or get a job. Or a higher paying one.
[Via TouchArcade]
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People just like free stuff. I guess that’s part of it.
As a consumer I fully support the developer and their right to raise their price. The new generation is a generation of pansies and complainers who can’t read reviews. What about a cordial email to the developer for a feature request and like a lot of you turds have mentioned, there are plenty of apps so go download the free ones and complain about those. Half of you couldn’t even code to save your life.
- The majority of Apps are junk and not worth much. That’s part of the reason/problem why Apps are valued at 99 cents or less (meaning free).
- As a consumer (and I am one too even though we do develop games), I have learned just because something is featured in the ‘What’s Hot’ section doesn’t mean it’s worth it’s price. (We are still trying to figure out what exactly gets an App/game into this particular section because it’s clearly misleading).
- I also get miffed when I spend money on something that isn’t worth much. There are too many crappy apps that annoy the living daylight out of me when I feel that good money was simply wasted.
- Having read all of the comments, I do wonder what solutions could be found out of 3 main dilemmas:
1. Too many worthless apps/games have driven the price down in the App Store.
2. Developers struggle to have their great Apps be featured on the App Store.
3. Consumers (either frustrated or tainted with a sense of entitlement) feel cheated by having succumbed to poorly developed apps and thus now what them for free or nearly free.
I would argue that IF the App Store would mainly contain well developed, high quality apps that don’t crash, are visually well designed, educate, entertain or solve a problem, people would pay money for them. (And yes, I hear the cries … we are living in a world where free enterprise is allowed and supported, yet the way it’s currently handled in the App Store is obviously not working … so I do pose the argument)
So, just to see if you, the reader, have thoughts on what you think could be done differently, I am posing the questions. At the end of the day, we all have something to moan about. Perhaps something of value can come out of this too.
I agree withd the move. The cost of development is high and thus takes time to recoup the costs of creating an app. It’s a science and if developers can’t make the bucks they need on an app at a given price, we could lose a lot of good app and game companies to say, bankruptcy.
yep, Yonashawarma, you put it there!
The move the developer did could only hurt the product. The bigger issue is that Apple allows just about anyone to review a product and leave comments. The problem is users are not profisional reviwers so often driven by feelings rather than facts. There us always the good an bad in any App. Imagine any peace of software outside of the iPhone and iTunes is being reviewed by 100000 profisionals! Just won’t happen. Apple however is allowing this take place and by poor reviwers!
Maybe the developers should find a new way to make money. No one said this would be a get rich quick scheme. [legit] Iphone owners are already forced to pay $30 a month, of course they don’t want to pay a ton of money for some app, especially if there’s no guarantee it won’t be buggy, monitor your info, will still have any use or novelty after a week, or be anywhere close to worth the price. You sound like some whiny waiters who are always crying about their customers and tips
So basically iPhone owners are too poor to pay for .99 cent apps. LOL
> tell everyone to bugger off and stop
> complaining about application and
> game prices.
“We hate our customers!”
(A very, very bad business move. They won’t be around much longer with such a horrible attitutde.)
Why not make your game *BETTER* so people won’t complain about it.
Duh.
I can sympathize. Bubble Match sells for $.99 and I still have people asking me for promo codes. IT’S $.99!!! Unclinch your tight ass!
Although a FREE ad supported version coming soon.