Indie devs struggle to find the perfect iPhone price

I've yet to pay a penny for any of my iPhone apps.

I haven't delt with the iPhone app store, but from what I've heard. The problem is that Apple has such a simple sorting algortihm to find new games. They don't make any effort to show new high rated games over old high rated games.

canabalt at 2.99 is fucking reee diculous. love the game. play for free on pc. dont need to pay 3 bucks on my ipod. kthxbai.

As a newly self-appointed analyst, I hereby declare that the perfect iPhone price for games is 99 cents.

Now I'm off to rake in my analyst money.

He's actually coming in to talk to my class about indie developing next week, and to hire one of us as an intern into his company. This should be an interesting topic to bring up, since they just released the game yesterday. I can't wait to meet him!

Capybara games could have easily priced Critter Crunch for $9.99 on the PSN. That game easily had enough content to fill that price but Indie studios that arent as well known have go as low as possible to get their game out to as many people as possible. It's a good way to promote their brand and work but it also risks the chance of less money and people expecting a cheap price point for every game.

I think people are willing to pay a higher price on the PSP store for minis because well gamers know that a good game should cost a good amount of money. This is unlike "gamers" on the iPhone who really don't give a shit if they spend a dollar on game just for kicks.

I usually stay around the $0.99 range for most paid games/apps I download. It just feels like a good price given all the free games that are out there. The app market has kind of created this weird environment where paying over $1.00 seems high. It's great for buyers but not as great for developers.

I still think it's weird though, I'll drop $3-4 dollars on a coffee without thinking about it but I spend quite a while debating spending the same amount on a game that'll give me hours of playtime...

It really comes down to the game for me. I would have no problem paying ten dollars for a game that will give me a fun, immersive and reasonably long experience. The way I figure it, a game that is roughly as big as a DS game (priced between twenty and thirty dollars on average) seems reasonable at ten dollars because you're cutting out the middle-man and the packaging. The problem is, there are a lot of games that just don't have that same level of depth and are sold at a much lower price. That seems to be pushing down the price of the larger games. Now that the larger games are between three and seven dollars, most smaller games' prices are being pushed down. Canabalt is a fun game but it does not offer the kind of depth that warrants a price point matching that of much larger and more fulfilling games. What Canabalt does it does well, but it's a pick up and play time-killer--not an RPG. If a much larger game is going for three dollars, it would not seem a wise investment to put down the same price for such a smaller and more simple game.

Telling consumers that a buyers market is bad isnt going to win allot of sympathy. I as a tech knowledgable individual understand development costs and investors etc, but as a consumer that really isnt any of my dam concern. My only concern is price. When peggle went 99 cents for limited time I jumped on it and thats money they would have never gotten from me at full price. The most ive spent was i think 4.99 for secrets of monkey island because I know the quality of that game.

It amazes me how people can pay 60 dollars for a piece of crap game like Assassin's Creed 1 (the parkour was cool, everything else sucked) and then cry when a good AND innovative game (like say, VVVVVV) is more than 99 cents or costs anything at all.

I've got a few expensive app store apps (Rolando 2, Assassin's Creed, Sandstorm) but think AC and Sandstorm were a right rip off (Rolando is far from a rip off!). Regret buying them as the gameplay is pretty awful in both. They remain unplayed. Maybe if they were 99p then I'd not feel so bad about wasting money. Its a difficult one really, there are some amazing apps out there for a few more £s than 99p which are really worth it, and some that are unbelievable for 99p. To wrap up: wheat and chaff

Canabalt is wayyy too expensive for the simple game it is. Its a flash game that can easily be converted, and can be played for free on PC. I will not buy it until it goes down to at least a buck. Modern combat, and Nova are slightly more expensive games, but are totally worth it for the content. They have multiplayer and full campaigns to play for. Theyre 2 or 3 dollars more than the simple point and click canabalt... Hook champ is another game thats about 3 bucks thats totally worth it and better than canabalt IMO.

As someone who was a late adopter of the iPhone (OCT09), I've noticed most games go on sale at the 99 cent pricepoint sooner-or-later and I'm so knee-deep in iPhone game apps already that I don't see myself paying more than a buck for most games. I leave myself open to games just under $5 but with sales always coming, I like to wait it out.

Side note: I purchased Hook Champ when it was selling for $1 and I love that game so much, I bought the in-game DLC even though I don't feel it's worth it. I don't know if I would have done the same if I had paid the regular price of $3.

Like many, I've noticed that most games will go on sale and if I happen to catch that price, cool. But I usually spend up to $4.99 on something without putting too much thought into it, and $10-20 on a really cool or useful music (beatmaker, 4Track or productivity app (a drawing app like Layers, or organizing apps like Things).

My limit is usually £1.79 on impulse and going upto £3/4 after thinking about it.

My personal rule is that if it looks interesting, and has effort put into it, buy it.

Don't follow my advice. It leads to pain.

I've got burnt enough times already on the App Store by purchasing apps / games that cost $4.99 or more that I refuse to spend any more than $0.99 anymore. Unless there is a trial version

And given the quality of other games I purchased at $0.99, it's hard to justify spending any more than that for Canabalt. I'm sure it was a pretty easy port for them off of the free flash based one - why would I pay more than $0.99 for that

I've never had a problem buying games on the App Store up to $2.99, if it's more than that I really have to think about it.

I had no problem paying 2.99 for canabalt for instance, it's great to have on the go.

I've bought Critter Crunch for 5,99€ if that answers your question.

Having been with the App Store since day 1 (man, that 2.0 release day was a DISASTER), I've found that 2.99 is the point when I'll purchase most titles. It has to be a special game for me to go over that.

I have to know a game is good either by playing a demo or reading a trusted review before I'll spend a penny on it. Even then I'd have a hard time going over $3 for a game. I think $5 would be the absolute max I'd pay -- how much time can I really spend with a game on my phone anyway?

I bought Canabalt solely based on a Joystiq recommendation regardless of the price. If I'm surfing the app store, I probably won't buy a $2.99 game based on reviews found there, but if I read about it on a site that I trust, I'd be more inclined. I think if the devs want to charge more, they should be more pro-active about getting their apps covered on sites like this...and they should make sure their apps don't suck.

I'm sorry, I thought we as a community had made it obvious with our purchases. Our bad.

It's $0.99

That people are constantly harping on the "ridiculous" price of Canabalt here, at Touch Arcade, and other iPhone related game sites says a lot about the quality of the game. People are thinking about it, wanting it, but Semi Secret Software has held firm on the $2.99 price and it is driving some people CRAZY. If consumers really didn't feel it was worth their time and consideration, they wouldn't spend MONTHS agonizing over a dollar or two. They'd just forget about it and move on. If you don't think Canabalt is worth a dollar, it's not like there aren't 500 other .99 worthwhile games on the App Store. But that's how some people roll, I guess. Personally, I hope Canabalt stays at $2.99 forever, because it is funny as hell watching the gyrations of the I Won't Buy That For a Dollar contingent. They've been tormented for months all for the price of a hamburger.

And it's Haggling 101 to talk down the value of a product that you really want just to get the best price. "$100?! For THAT rug? You have got to be kidding me? That old thing can't be worth more than $20! Look, there's a stain on the corner. Oh, you'll take $50? Done."

There is a very vocal contingent of consumers who either insist on paying nothing for a game or no more than a dollar. Now, I'm as interested as the next guy in value and I regularly use sites like AppShopper to track price drops, but I also have paid and will pay $9.99 or $2.99 or whatever. The iPhone is loaded with astonishingly innovative, fun, and worthwhile games at all price points. And I think the model they have right now is near perfect. Lite versions to try, .99 versions for entry, and higher prices for higher quality games. Gamers are the winners overall. And most small or indie devs are also benefiting from this model. However, big development companies who are used to charging $20-40 for their games on the DS, are pissed about the low price point. Which is fine. They can either adapt or sell their wares elsewhere.

I mean I WOULD pay $60 for a game on the iPhone. Provided it was a $60 value. Value is key. Basically, I buy all of my Xbox 360 games well past launch because I don't think most of them are worth $60. But, every year there are three or four titles that are absolutely well worth the $60 price and I happily pay it. I suspect Bioshock 2 or Mass Effect 2 or Halo: Reach will be worth $60.

In the final analysis though, I think the App Store is about the best way to truly and most effectively support small or independent game developers. Therefore, I feel no qualms whatsoever about dropping a couple bucks extra.

The other thing is it just comes down to a certain state of mind. There are some people who will pay buskers a dollar or two to support independent artists and others who never have and never will. It's just about who you are and how you see the world.

I refuse to pay for ANYTHING on my phone. Sorry.

so digital distribution DOESN'T solve all the industry's problems?

a sign of things to come....

$1 is the perfect price for indie games. That's why I bought Canibalt.