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iOS Gaming Thread February 2013: Where some have halitosis so packs of gum matters

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With real racing 3 can't you just turn off wifi and set the clock ahead a day or whatever to get around the wait times? Saw someone do that over at TA. Probably will be be patched by the 28th.

I still haven't given RR2 a full go. Will have to fire it up again.
 

Shaneus

Member
A cynic would suggest that that was completely intentional behaviour.
I don't know why I didn't think of it before, but you're probably right. Explains why they have such detailed damage modelling in the game. Why else would you have to pay to repair things like headlights, windscreen and side mirrors?


Honestly, I really think they would've made more sales if they just gave us a core game with X cars and Y tracks and maybe had some DLC down the line. That way I could play the game uninhibited for as long as I wanted. Now, even if you drop some coin on it, unless you're buying access to cars themselves, then whatever you spend will be diminished eventually.

Hell, the first thing that got to me was when you buy the first car, it said you could spend one token to get the car now, or wait 1m45s to get it. So I left the game, got a pop-up saying the car was available but when I went back in, the counter was still sitting at 1m45s. I know if was part of a tutorial and the credit I spent was free, but why give me the choice and show me an example if I can only choose one option?

Like I said, feel a little sorry for Firemint right now, because while there may be a deep game somewhere in all this, I don't want to think about how much it'll cost me to access all of it.
 

Flunkie

Banned
In the TA comments, they say there's an easy hack you can do that just requires iFunbox and you don't have to be jailbroken, and it gives you unlimited coins and currency and whatever else you have to pay for. Keep the 1-star reviews rolling though.
 
Are you telling me you don't think that? :p

No, of course not! I think what EA are doing to iOS gaming is incredible. Personally, I can't wait for Madden 14.

"Sorry, you can't select a play right now, your coach has lost his playbook! Help him find it for 69p."

"Cool, you found your playbook! Oh! But your kits are all dirty. They'll be in the wash for 12 hours."

"Touchdown! Buy some new boots for your kicker to improve your chances of a conversion?"

"Well done, but oh! Your kits got all dirty during that play..."

In the TA comments, they say there's an easy hack you can do that just requires iFunbox and you don't have to be jailbroken, and it gives you unlimited coins and currency and whatever else you have to pay for. Keep the 1-star reviews rolling though.

I seem to recall there being something like this in Tiny Tower, it stores your total Bux in a text file or something and you can just type in any number you want.
 

jon bones

hot hot hanuman-on-man action
For anyone looking for a roguelike to play after that Dungelot update, Cardinal Quest just went free.

qqdVec03rShw7kRXGEdWig-temp-upload.iqijuvak.320x480-75.jpg

you're the man. this is excellent.

It is still a little buggy but basically works great on the platform. BG1 has its faults, but I still put it up there as just about the best thing you can play on an ipad.

thanks! i'm really enjoying it, suits the iPad really well. hopefully we see more IE ports in the future.
 

GWX

Member
I don't know if it was posted here already, but Real Racing 2 HD price has dropped to $0.99 as a daily deal!
 

mattiewheels

And then the LORD David Bowie saith to his Son, Jonny Depp: 'Go, and spread my image amongst the cosmos. For every living thing is in anguish and only the LIGHT shall give them reprieve.'
I just got an iphone 5....any suggestions for stuff I should get that wasn't possible on a 4? I've already got The Room and Theatryhythm so far, anything else notable that really benefits?
 
Out of interest, GAF, does anyone have any ideas how to better monetise something freemium?

As far as I can tell, there are four options. First two common and BAD, second two less common.

1) WAITING AND TIMERS
2) Premium content
3) Customisation options
4) Remove ads

For me, I don't really see a better way than option one to get people spending, and it's your app so you want people to buy it.

Premium content will potentially just ruin RR3, for example. If you can buy a car for $100 and it's going to destroy the rest of the field, it takes the fun out of it for everyone. You have no one to compete with, and everyone else can't compete. I'd put stuff like Temple Run's "revive now!" shit in the same category. Anything you can buy that gives an advantage in the game, ruins the game.

Customisation options are the "purest" option, I guess, you can take money, they get stuff, it doesn't affect gameplay, but at the same time I imagine you're crippling your income. There'll be few people buying this. Not enough to make up a shortfall from cutting timers. Removing ads is similar, it's probably my favourite option of the four but how many people would honestly bother when they've got the whole game in front of them for free?

So yeah, unless there are any other ideas, I don't see how we can move past timers in freemium content. Businesses are always going to want to maximise their profits, and that's how to do it.
 

Shaneus

Member
In the TA comments, they say there's an easy hack you can do that just requires iFunbox and you don't have to be jailbroken, and it gives you unlimited coins and currency and whatever else you have to pay for. Keep the 1-star reviews rolling though.
Care to post or PM? I can't get to TA from work :(
 

PFD

Member
Out of interest, GAF, does anyone have any ideas how to better monetise something freemium?

As far as I can tell, there are four options. First two common and BAD, second two less common.

1) WAITING AND TIMERS
2) Premium content
3) Customisation options
4) Remove ads

For me, I don't really see a better way than option one to get people spending, and it's your app so you want people to buy it.

Premium content will potentially just ruin RR3, for example. If you can buy a car for $100 and it's going to destroy the rest of the field, it takes the fun out of it for everyone. You have no one to compete with, and everyone else can't compete. I'd put stuff like Temple Run's "revive now!" shit in the same category. Anything you can buy that gives an advantage in the game, ruins the game.

Customisation options are the "purest" option, I guess, you can take money, they get stuff, it doesn't affect gameplay, but at the same time I imagine you're crippling your income. There'll be few people buying this. Not enough to make up a shortfall from cutting timers. Removing ads is similar, it's probably my favourite option of the four but how many people would honestly bother when they've got the whole game in front of them for free?

So yeah, unless there are any other ideas, I don't see how we can move past timers in freemium content. Businesses are always going to want to maximise their profits, and that's how to do it.

I'm ok with freemium as long as there are no timers/energy/waiting. As soon as I see that I skip the game.
 

Lee N

Membre
In the TA comments, they say there's an easy hack you can do that just requires iFunbox and you don't have to be jailbroken, and it gives you unlimited coins and currency and whatever else you have to pay for. Keep the 1-star reviews rolling though.

I'm pretty sure this classifies as piracy as you're essentially stealing the game by not paying for the things they're charging for.
 

Mario

Sidhe / PikPok
Out of interest, GAF, does anyone have any ideas how to better monetise something freemium?

As far as I can tell, there are four options. First two common and BAD, second two less common.

1) WAITING AND TIMERS
2) Premium content
3) Customisation options
4) Remove ads

For me, I don't really see a better way than option one to get people spending, and it's your app so you want people to buy it.

Premium content will potentially just ruin RR3, for example. If you can buy a car for $100 and it's going to destroy the rest of the field, it takes the fun out of it for everyone. You have no one to compete with, and everyone else can't compete. I'd put stuff like Temple Run's "revive now!" shit in the same category. Anything you can buy that gives an advantage in the game, ruins the game.

Customisation options are the "purest" option, I guess, you can take money, they get stuff, it doesn't affect gameplay, but at the same time I imagine you're crippling your income. There'll be few people buying this. Not enough to make up a shortfall from cutting timers. Removing ads is similar, it's probably my favourite option of the four but how many people would honestly bother when they've got the whole game in front of them for free?

So yeah, unless there are any other ideas, I don't see how we can move past timers in freemium content. Businesses are always going to want to maximise their profits, and that's how to do it.

You missed consumables like boosts which fall somewhere between game breaking and "pure" depending on how they are implemented and exactly how much of a help they provide.

And of course, it all depends on whether consumables and items can be grinded towards anyway. For example, we don't feel bad about putting boosts in Into the Dead because you can buy them with virtual currency you earn while playing. But it suddenly breaks everything if you require real money only purchases.

Then there are gambling like options e.g. buying booster packs of stuff, opening gift boxes/chests, or spinning prize wheels. If everybody gets some of these for free every day but you can buy more "spins" then that feels better.

On the ad sides, there are passive ads, incentivized ads (which earn you currency or an item), and rewards. Rewards are cool because the player actually can get some value back.

I'm sure I'm forgetting many other techniques.
 
Why can't all these freemium style 'hardcore games' just have a $20-30 tier that makes the game a normal game without all the timers and w/e?

I'd gladly pay $30 for real racing with all the stuff. I mean that's what I paid for Gran turismo portable.


I assume someone tried that before and it failed?
 

Lee N

Membre
Then moving your clock forward to avoid cool down timers is piracy also?
The game isn't available in my region yet so I'm not familiar with every detail of their business model and therefor I can't comment on this. But using a third party application to give yourself unlimited resources of something they're otherwise charging real money for surely constitutes as piracy? That's one step removed from using a keygen to unlock a demo version of a piece of software...
 
Really surprised how well FIFA 13 runs on the iPad mini. Very, very smooth frame rate...improved over 12. Still hate the controls but its good enough to hold me over till the next First Touch Soccer.
 
I miss the days when I could just buy a game and play it whenever I wanted to.

Edit:

There has to be a non sleazy way to monetize iOS games. Maybe offer two versions of the games, one full priced and one freemium.


Why can't all these freemium style 'hardcore games' just have a $20-30 tier that makes the game a normal game without all the timers and w/e?

I'd gladly pay $30 for real racing with all the stuff. I mean that's what I paid for Gran turismo portable.


I assume someone tried that before and it failed?

I think the answer to this question and the reason my similar idea wouldn't work is that they know they can get more money from people if they nickel and dime them instead of charging them upfront.
 
I think the answer to this question and the reason my similar idea wouldn't work is that they know they can get more money from people if they nickel and dime them instead of charging them upfront.

More than that, it is consistent income, rather then getting most if not all your money up front.

In any software development, but especially with gaming, cash flow is the killer every time.
 

Heel

Member
I don't get it. If you give them, say $10 for currency in the game, will it give you a Real Racing 2 experience? If so, would you have been content paying $10 for Real Racing 3? Help me understand.
 

Megasoum

Banned
I don't know if it was posted here already, but Real Racing 2 HD price has dropped to $0.99 as a daily deal!

Sweet! Thanks for the heads up. I don't even have an ipad yet and I already bought 2 ipad games today haha (RR2 and The Room).
 
Why can't all these freemium style 'hardcore games' just have a $20-30 tier that makes the game a normal game without all the timers and w/e?

I'd gladly pay $30 for real racing with all the stuff. I mean that's what I paid for Gran turismo portable.


I assume someone tried that before and it failed?
F2p works by 98% of the people paying near nothing and then exploiting the 2% for tons of money. The point is to make a system where potentially the player can spend infinitely. It is pretty much as bad as it gets.
 
Hey guys, just wondering if there are any "Advance Wars" type games on the iPhone? Seems like it would be the perfect platform!

Heh that hasn't been asked since way back on the previous page!

Mecho wars and uniwar are your closest bet without the "story"

Other decent games that are different in style but similar overall are wesnoth, ravenmark and highborn.
 

Flunkie

Banned
I'm pretty sure this classifies as piracy as you're essentially stealing the game by not paying for the things they're charging for.
Yeah it probably falls under that category. Even though its apparently easy that's too much work for me. I'd rather save the time not playing the stupid thing at all.
 

ToxicAdam

Member
The game isn't available in my region yet so I'm not familiar with every detail of their business model and therefor I can't comment on this. But using a third party application to give yourself unlimited resources of something they're otherwise charging real money for surely constitutes as piracy? That's one step removed from using a keygen to unlock a demo version of a piece of software...


I just meant in general. If a freemium game has cool downs for specific actions, and you circumvent that by setting your clock ahead, is that piracy? You are essentially not spending pretend money to keep playing their game. That's the main reason why devs put cooldowns in their game, to get you to spend money.
 

Ranger X

Member
Out of interest, GAF, does anyone have any ideas how to better monetise something freemium?

As far as I can tell, there are four options. First two common and BAD, second two less common.

1) WAITING AND TIMERS
2) Premium content
3) Customisation options
4) Remove ads

For me, I don't really see a better way than option one to get people spending, and it's your app so you want people to buy it.

Premium content will potentially just ruin RR3, for example. If you can buy a car for $100 and it's going to destroy the rest of the field, it takes the fun out of it for everyone. You have no one to compete with, and everyone else can't compete. I'd put stuff like Temple Run's "revive now!" shit in the same category. Anything you can buy that gives an advantage in the game, ruins the game.

Customisation options are the "purest" option, I guess, you can take money, they get stuff, it doesn't affect gameplay, but at the same time I imagine you're crippling your income. There'll be few people buying this. Not enough to make up a shortfall from cutting timers. Removing ads is similar, it's probably my favourite option of the four but how many people would honestly bother when they've got the whole game in front of them for free?

So yeah, unless there are any other ideas, I don't see how we can move past timers in freemium content. Businesses are always going to want to maximise their profits, and that's how to do it.


I don't know why designers are so unimaginative with that. Especially when it comes with single player games, where you can't shit the game of anybody. Here are example of sain stuff we could see on a freemium or as IAPS on a cheap game:


1- Pay to unlock anything you want when you want it. You make this as incremental as you want. This is when people want to speed/cheat/skip parts. I mean, why not pay for that? And people wanting to play and "succeed" the game they just play it normally.

2- Customisation for as much stuff as possible. (I know, we knew about that one)

3- Cheats, extras, etc.

4- Add game objectives to your game (like in an FPS, think about how Goldeneye and Perfect Dark had more objectives if you were playing at a higher difficulty)

5- Extra levels, extra stuff (this is basically DLC, just don't call it that way, profit.)

6- New soundtrack (althought people prolly don't give much shit about sound on phone gaming)


Another thing I would see in gaming would also be to add "gambling" in games. Let's say you pay 5$ for the game instead of 0$ but if you score a certain position or better in a leaderboard, you get a 8$ coupon for the next games of that publisher. I mean, I am just throwing this like that to make a point but I am sure there's ALOT of tempting gambling opportunity to have in videogames.
 

SteveWD40

Member
Is QuestLord any good? Are there any other first person grid-based dungeon crawlers on iOS besides The Quest and Undercroft?

Questlord is good yes, but play on the iPhone as it looks awfull on iPad (massive pixels). It's very old school though. The Quest is decent as is Undercroft but both are also unforgiving / don't hand hold much.

I would still love Etarian Odeyssey on iPad.
 

Tunesmith

formerly "chigiri"
Some RR3 thoughts,

The "TSM" multiplayer I think could be one of the game's saving graces, the way the game collects your race data and matches you against other players of a similar skill/car level in races. Launching early in limited territories in order to collect data prior to the wide launch is clever from that point of view.

A few tidbits:
1) If you see a flag photo, that is the semi-unbalanced CPU AI.
2) If you see a username, that is a run from a real player time using Game Center (not limited to your friends).
3) If you see a proper name like John S. or Sarah J. then that is a run from a real player time using Facebook integration (not limited to your friends).

By the time the game releases proper, we should at least have a large pool of player runs to race against.

maaybe even adjusted IAPs.. hoohoohoh
 
There has been a sneaky behind the scenes update to RR3 this morning, all service times are only 1/3 what they used to be and damage repairs are now instant, but still cost R$ to do both.
 

colinp

Banned
There has been a sneaky behind the scenes update to RR3 this morning, all service times are only 1/3 what they used to be and damage repairs are now instant, but still cost R$ to do both.

We can't stop complaining now! If we continue they might get rid of the shitty IAPs proper.
 

Shaneus

Member
Honestly don't know why they wouldn't go down something like the Ridge Racer Vita model.

Here's a game for $5. There's about seven or eight courses, maybe ten cars.

For an extra $5, we'll double the content and add in async multiplayer with your friends.

And for a final $5 (with the possibility of expansion, obviously) you can access a random track generator, a final ten cars, five courses and some other mode which is pretty cool.



IT'S NOT THAT FUCKING HARD. I'm glad they caved, though. But still, it paints such a better light when you sell a game as a full game with optional DLC rather than making time the currency or having whatever money's spent on it a perishable thing that can't be retained and re-used.
 
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