Dead Trigger free on Android due to very high piracy rate

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Brian Stirling

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2010
3,964
2
0
Saying that Android users are many times more likely to pirate stuff maybe true, in fact likely is true, but you will not get many here to admit to it. This argument goes on and on and will never change. Fact is, although Android has 2X the user base they account for only a fraction of the money purchases of apps that iOS does. Saying that none of your friends pirate is wonderful, but where then are all the pirated apps going?

A while back a game maker that was selling a game for $0.99 discovered that they had tens of thousands of users but only a few hundred had purchased the game. Seems as though the game was mentioned in a techy/hacker site and within hours thousands of Android users were downloading pirated versions of the game. How would you feel as a developer if you'd invested tens of thousands of dollars developing a game you wish to sell for less than half the price of a cup of coffee only to discover that thousands were using the game but didn't think they should be required to shell out a buck?


Brian
 
ponyo

ponyo

Lifer
Feb 14, 2002
19,688
2,811
126
Piracy may be a problem but the free market will take care of it on its own. Considering the crazy growth of the Android app market, I don't think it's critical problem yet.
 
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basslover1

Golden Member
Aug 4, 2004
1,921
0
76
QueBert said:
Yet you're ignoring that Android has twice the smart phone market yet accounts for only around 10% of app money where iOS accounts for almost 90%. This would either mean 1. Android owners are cheap or 2. iOS owners spend 9 times as much money. I never said the Android Market doesn't make money. I just said the majority of the people who use it want apps for free. 90/10 proves this im my eyes, now if you can explain the $$$ difference of 90 to 10% I'm all ears.
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Yet, you're ignoring the fact that you stated Android users refuse to pay for apps, which you clearly just contradicted your self. Because it would be 100% if that were true, right?. Secondly, where are you getting your numbers from? Latest numbers I see are a .23/1 ratio, IE for ever dollar spent on iOS, 23 cents are spent on Google Play, closer to 4/1, not the 9/1 you're spouting in favor of iOS.

And saying "top paid blah blah blah $1.99 or more" means nothing, what is that compared to? Compare the top 20 on each platform and unless somehow 10% can come close to equaling what 90% brings in dollar wise for apps. It's not even going to be close.
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I'm not comparing it to anything, because I'm discrediting your clearly false statement that Android owners refuse to pay for apps, which is clearly evident by looking at the top paid games and seeing that half of the top 20 are more than a buck.

Would you say the top 20 Web OS apps sold if they were $4.99 each is impressive? how about WP7.5? Probably not...
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Again, I never said it was impressive, I'm just calling out your BS.


I'm not arguing against iOS being more profitable for developers, or that there is piracy in Android (and iOS as well, whether you want to admit to it or not), but everything you've contributed to this thread has been based on nothing more than your opinion and clear dislike for Android and its users. And frankly, it's really damn annoying.
 
Nothinman

Nothinman

Elite Member
Sep 14, 2001
30,672
0
0
ponyo said:
Piracy may be a problem but the free market will take care of it on its own. Considering the crazy growth of the Android app market, I don't think it's critical problem yet.
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This. And way back when the PC market was still sorting itself out there was also rampant piracy, copying, etc. Remember "Don't Copy That Floppy"? Guess which platform won out in the long run? The more open PC market even though the alternatives were supposedly better in various ways. If Google is attempting to create the second generation PC with Android, it looks to me like they're well on their way.
 
gmaster456

gmaster456

Golden Member
Sep 7, 2011
1,877
0
71
I have no problems paying for apps on any of my Android or iOS devices. Especially if it's a good app. I usually don't buy games though, as most of my games are simply time wasters while I'm waiting for an appointment or something. That being said, I don't pirate either.
 
dainthomas

dainthomas

Lifer
Dec 7, 2004
14,917
3,898
136
QueBert said:
The problem is Android owners get angry when you bring up buying apps. Where iOS owners have no problem buying a solid app. Android owners go as far as installing Adfree because they can't be bothered with seeing ad's on a FREE app. So not only do they refuse to buy apps, but damn you to any developer who puts ad's in to try and make a little money.
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I'm happy to let iOS users front the money for app development. They're always more than eager to spend the money anyway. Then the developer creates an Android version with a couple ads and I get it for free. Doesn't bother me at all.

And I've never run adfree.
 
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Super56K

Golden Member
Feb 27, 2004
1,390
0
0
Something Google Play really needs (I'm surprised it didn't happen when it was renamed) is their own gift cards to use for buying apps/music/movies. Get those things in the checkout lanes of all major stores just like iTunes cards. It's got to count for something knowing it's actually a nuisance to purchase an app, especially for teens and children who don't have their own credit/debit cards.
 
AstroManLuca

AstroManLuca

Lifer
Jun 24, 2004
15,628
5
81
Super56K said:
Something Google Play really needs (I'm surprised it didn't happen when it was renamed) is their own gift cards to use for buying apps/music/movies. Get those things in the checkout lanes of all major stores just like iTunes cards. It's got to count for something knowing it's actually a nuisance to purchase an app, especially for teens and children who don't have their own credit/debit cards.
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I'd totally love that. I used to always ask for GameStop gift cards for christmas, but they don't carry many PC games anymore and I don't play console games much. So now they have Steam gift cards, which is nice, but I wouldn't mind Google Play cards. Probably go on a little app buying spree, buy paid versions of a bunch of apps I like but haven't gotten around to buying yet.

PS I tried out Dead Trigger. Good graphics, shitty controls. Who ever thought a twin-stick first person shooter could be done on a phone? It's ridiculous, 100x worse than first person shooters on a console.
 
Nothinman

Nothinman

Elite Member
Sep 14, 2001
30,672
0
0
Super56K said:
Something Google Play really needs (I'm surprised it didn't happen when it was renamed) is their own gift cards to use for buying apps/music/movies. Get those things in the checkout lanes of all major stores just like iTunes cards. It's got to count for something knowing it's actually a nuisance to purchase an app, especially for teens and children who don't have their own credit/debit cards.
Click to expand...

This is probably the biggest thing it needs right now, all of the technical stuff is secondary.
 
buckshot24

buckshot24

Diamond Member
Nov 3, 2009
9,916
85
91
AstroManLuca said:
PS I tried out Dead Trigger. Good graphics, shitty controls. Who ever thought a twin-stick first person shooter could be done on a phone? It's ridiculous, 100x worse than first person shooters on a console.
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I was actually surprised how well I could do what I wanted with the control scheme. I played it on the nexus 7 however I haven't tried it yet on my Epic Touch.
 
vshah

vshah

Lifer
Sep 20, 2003
19,003
24
81
i couldn't figure out how to aim and fire at the same time...so it was point at what you want to shoot, press the trigger, uhoh, target moved, aim again, press trigger again.

unless i'm missing something....
 
buckshot24

buckshot24

Diamond Member
Nov 3, 2009
9,916
85
91
vshah said:
i couldn't figure out how to aim and fire at the same time...so it was point at what you want to shoot, press the trigger, uhoh, target moved, aim again, press trigger again.

unless i'm missing something....
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Yeah, there is that. I guess they could put the trigger on the left but then you wouldn't be able to move and shoot. Not sure which is worse.
 
S

soulcougher73

Lifer
Nov 29, 2006
15,834
4,368
136
Free market. If your app sucks and people are not willing to pay for it. Oh well. Develop somethign people are willing to pay for :)
 
Dumac

Dumac

Diamond Member
Dec 31, 2005
9,391
1
0
Oh no, you made you game free so now more people will be inclinded to make in-game purchases. Whoop-dee-doo.

Obviously their real revenue was coming from selling dumb crap in their half-assed game that they just used this as a publicity stunt to get more attention.
 
J

jpiniero

Lifer
Oct 1, 2010
16,693
7,171
136
soulcougher73 said:
Free market. If your app sucks and people are not willing to pay for it. Oh well. Develop somethign people are willing to pay for :)
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You'd be surprised really. People will pirate if you let them. Give them a little prodding, and you might get some to pay. Take PC Gaming for instance. It's more or less dead without Steam.

Keeping on topic, it's their own fault for spending the development resources on Android without understanding how high the piracy rate is.
 
buckshot24

buckshot24

Diamond Member
Nov 3, 2009
9,916
85
91
PC gaming is becoming more and more synonymous with Steam. If Steam isn't dead then PC gaming isn't dead.
 
ControlD

ControlD

Diamond Member
Apr 25, 2005
5,440
44
91
In other news this game has now gone free to play on iOS as well. Smelled liked a publicity stunt from the start, looks more like it now.
 
Dumac

Dumac

Diamond Member
Dec 31, 2005
9,391
1
0
DaveStall said:
In other news this game has now gone free to play on iOS as well. Smelled liked a publicity stunt from the start, looks more like it now.
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They probably got more revenue on Android when they made their app free and then sold all their premium crap in the game.

And then pushed that same model to iOS.
 
Nothinman

Nothinman

Elite Member
Sep 14, 2001
30,672
0
0
Dumac said:
They probably got more revenue on Android when they made their app free and then sold all their premium crap in the game.

And then pushed that same model to iOS.
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1 week was enough time for them to make that determination and push the price change on iOS too? Seems too small of a sample size to provide any meaningful data and does anyone know how long it takes to change an app's price in the iOS App Store? I know that the approval process for updates takes weeks or longer, so if price changes require similar or really any approval then it would seem to me that they submitted both price changes simultaneously and just decided to spin it against Android for publicity.
 
C

ChAoTiCpInOy

Diamond Member
Jun 24, 2006
6,442
1
81
Nothinman said:
if price changes require similar or really any approval then it would seem to me that they submitted both price changes simultaneously and just decided to spin it against Android for publicity.
Click to expand...

You can set prices easily in the App Store and it'll change depending on when you wanted the price to change, instantly or months in advanced.
 
Nothinman

Nothinman

Elite Member
Sep 14, 2001
30,672
0
0
ChAoTiCpInOy said:
You can set prices easily in the App Store and it'll change depending on when you wanted the price to change, instantly or months in advanced.
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Good to know. However, I still don't think a week is long enough for them to decide going totally free with IAP would be worth it so I still think the whole piracy thing was a promotional ploy. Either that or individual app sales just aren't worth it on either platform, which might just be the case for most apps.
 
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