Comments on: Developers Want Apple to Apply Mathematics to App Store Prices http://www.appcraver.com/app-store-prices/ news and reviews for iphone apps Fri, 20 Nov 2009 01:18:05 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Doug Hogg http://www.appcraver.com/app-store-prices/comment-page-1/#comment-6279 Doug Hogg Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:54:53 +0000 http://www.appcraver.com/?p=8634#comment-6279 Well here it is more than six months later and this is still a problem. Because all apps in the iTunes store are ranked according to number of downloads regardless of price, there is a rush to the bottom tier of pricing to get a high ranking. Imagine if all cars, BMWs, Hundais, etc. were ranked only on the number sold and lumped into a store where you couldn't test drive them but had to choose based on which had the highest rank. It is time for ranking to be broken out into separate tiers: top 25 in the over $10, top 25 in the $5 to $10, etc. Then people can compare oranges with oranges. Developers would still be able to lower their price if they couldn't get ranking in the current tier, but there would be more possibility for a $9.99 game to show up in a their own ranking list against other $9.99 games. The iTunes App store is a unique creation--an ecosystem all its own-- and now it is time for it to evolve before many developers are forced out of the market. True, some people will find niche markets and do alright, and that is a good strategy, but for the market to really be healthy, especially in the game area, people have to be able to get exposure for their $10 games without lower the price to $0.99. Doug Hogg Toy Kite Software Well here it is more than six months later and this is still a problem. Because all apps in the iTunes store are ranked according to number of downloads regardless of price, there is a rush to the bottom tier of pricing to get a high ranking.

Imagine if all cars, BMWs, Hundais, etc. were ranked only on the number sold and lumped into a store where you couldn’t test drive them but had to choose based on which had the highest rank.

It is time for ranking to be broken out into separate tiers: top 25 in the over $10, top 25 in the $5 to $10, etc. Then people can compare oranges with oranges. Developers would still be able to lower their price if they couldn’t get ranking in the current tier, but there would be more possibility for a $9.99 game to show up in a their own ranking list against other $9.99 games.

The iTunes App store is a unique creation–an ecosystem all its own– and now it is time for it to evolve before many developers are forced out of the market.

True, some people will find niche markets and do alright, and that is a good strategy, but for the market to really be healthy, especially in the game area, people have to be able to get exposure for their $10 games without lower the price to $0.99.

Doug Hogg
Toy Kite Software

]]> By: iPhone App-aratus » Blog Archive » Not Everything in the App Store that Glitters is Real Gold http://www.appcraver.com/app-store-prices/comment-page-1/#comment-3792 iPhone App-aratus » Blog Archive » Not Everything in the App Store that Glitters is Real Gold Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:36:40 +0000 http://www.appcraver.com/?p=8634#comment-3792 [...] Newsweek article comes at a time when some successful iPhone developers are starting to voice their concerns about the difficulty of making a living crafting apps for the iPhone, as we reported the other [...] [...] Newsweek article comes at a time when some successful iPhone developers are starting to voice their concerns about the difficulty of making a living crafting apps for the iPhone, as we reported the other [...]

]]> By: Ray Villalobos http://www.appcraver.com/app-store-prices/comment-page-1/#comment-2782 Ray Villalobos Sun, 14 Dec 2008 02:19:52 +0000 http://www.appcraver.com/?p=8634#comment-2782 I think that the marketplace should set the price of the apps and I think the store has been successful at doing that. I like that competition has kept prices down. The developer/designer price is ridiculous. I'm sorry, but I doubt anyone's paying their designers $200/hour. If they don't like it and if it's not worth it, just don't build the apps. I do agree though, that there should be a model for testing the apps. I've purchased many apps that weren't really that great and then seen better apps that were either free or cheaper. Being that I already purchase software like Creative Suite, Lightroom, and a lot of other great software, I would pay whatever I thought the app was worth, but I'm very skeptic about buying apps without testing them. I love the online model that allows you to test things before buying. Shouldn't be too hard to program an app that expires after a certain timeframe until someone purchases it. I think that the marketplace should set the price of the apps and I think the store has been successful at doing that. I like that competition has kept prices down. The developer/designer price is ridiculous. I’m sorry, but I doubt anyone’s paying their designers $200/hour. If they don’t like it and if it’s not worth it, just don’t build the apps.

I do agree though, that there should be a model for testing the apps. I’ve purchased many apps that weren’t really that great and then seen better apps that were either free or cheaper.

Being that I already purchase software like Creative Suite, Lightroom, and a lot of other great software, I would pay whatever I thought the app was worth, but I’m very skeptic about buying apps without testing them. I love the online model that allows you to test things before buying. Shouldn’t be too hard to program an app that expires after a certain timeframe until someone purchases it.

]]> By: Bill http://www.appcraver.com/app-store-prices/comment-page-1/#comment-2773 Bill Sat, 13 Dec 2008 15:35:54 +0000 http://www.appcraver.com/?p=8634#comment-2773 I think people are afraid of wasting their money, 4.99-9.99 may be a fair price, but there's no way for the people to know, we can't test out the apps for a limited amount of time, and the only way we can get any idea of how it works is if the company makes a lite version. I don't see people going for the 4.99-9.99 apps until there's a way for the public to test the apps before purchasing...... I think people are afraid of wasting their money, 4.99-9.99 may be a fair price, but there’s no way for the people to know, we can’t test out the apps for a limited amount of time, and the only way we can get any idea of how it works is if the company makes a lite version. I don’t see people going for the 4.99-9.99 apps until there’s a way for the public to test the apps before purchasing……

]]> By: hkiphone http://www.appcraver.com/app-store-prices/comment-page-1/#comment-2771 hkiphone Sat, 13 Dec 2008 13:32:38 +0000 http://www.appcraver.com/?p=8634#comment-2771 Even $20 would be a fair price for a fully developed game that really does deserve the accolade. I would pay that much for a faithful replica of Red Alert 2 or Quake 3, which I'm sure is possible. I've also paid $10 for many games and also SmartTime app, so I am ok with paying money for decent software. Of course, $1 apps are fun for a short while, but I hope that long-term development isn't stiffled by this. Even $20 would be a fair price for a fully developed game that really does deserve the accolade. I would pay that much for a faithful replica of Red Alert 2 or Quake 3, which I’m sure is possible. I’ve also paid $10 for many games and also SmartTime app, so I am ok with paying money for decent software. Of course, $1 apps are fun for a short while, but I hope that long-term development isn’t stiffled by this.

]]> By: Eric http://www.appcraver.com/app-store-prices/comment-page-1/#comment-2764 Eric Sat, 13 Dec 2008 03:42:10 +0000 http://www.appcraver.com/?p=8634#comment-2764 Absolutely agree. To take it a step further, I would love to see iPhone software have more than one method of distribution (iTunes). That would do wonders for the iPhone market. Absolutely agree. To take it a step further, I would love to see iPhone software have more than one method of distribution (iTunes). That would do wonders for the iPhone market.

]]> By: Galley http://www.appcraver.com/app-store-prices/comment-page-1/#comment-2763 Galley Sat, 13 Dec 2008 03:41:49 +0000 http://www.appcraver.com/?p=8634#comment-2763 $4.99 - $9.99 is a fair price. Selling great games for 99 cents is ridiculous, even at a high volume. $4.99 – $9.99 is a fair price. Selling great games for 99 cents is ridiculous, even at a high volume.

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