App Store Dev Sick of Whining Morons Raises Price of Alchemize Game to Forty Bucks
5:03 am, October 10th, 2009, Craig Grannell
For one weekend only - buy Alchemize at 13 times its usual price! Barg!
On my blog a couple of weeks back, I wrote the article More proof the iPhone App Store destroys people’s understanding of good value, highlighting rampant idiotic reactions to Loren Brichter having the audacity to charge three whole dollars for a complete rewrite of his stunning Twitter app Tweetie. Patrick Jordan referred to Tweetie 2’s price-point as a “very,very,very Bad Call,” (his emphasis), suggesting it was “spitting in the face of existing Tweetie users”. My thinking: You’d pay more than three bucks for a crappy sandwich or a luke-warm beer in the pub. But, apparently, three bucks is too much of a ‘reward’ for the hard work a dedicated indie dev has put into a leading and brilliant product.
The dev of Alchemize has clearly had enough of this kind of attitude. On the TouchArcade forum, he reveals that his company has received an astonishing 3400 emails in one month moaning about the price of his three-dollar game. Although its Puyo Puyo-style mechanics won’t win too many awards for originality, Alchemize is a fairly good game, and one that would set you back considerably more on competing platforms. To that end, the dev’s now upped his app’s price to an eye-watering $39.99 in protest at people constantly complaining about paying a few bucks for a videogame.
It’s pretty clear that something needs to be done regarding App Store pricing and value perception, because the race to the bottom is hurting many developers. Apple’s recent ‘top grossing’ chart doesn’t really help. Personally, I like Eucalyptus dev Jamie Montgomerie’s suggestion that the App Store should split its chart in two, along the lines of British 8-bit videogames during the 1980s and early 1990s, offering separate ‘budget’ and ‘full price’ charts.
Alchemize is available on the App Store, and really isn’t worth 40 bucks; but it’s probably worth a shot at three, after the 12th.
Posted by Craig Grannell in News, Opinions, Top stories, iPhone Apps | Comment on this article
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This… is awesome.
..., on October 10th, 2009 at 5:18 am
Schiau Studios owns
Marth, on October 10th, 2009 at 6:04 am
I completely agree with the stance these developers are taking. I’m not much of a gamer, so haven’t bought many games, but I’ve thought the few games I’ve bought a bargain compared to the price of games for computers or video consoles. Most of the games are cheaper than a coffee, a magazine, a DVD rental, an icecream, and countless other cheap amusements that you would would be finished with long before you grow bored of most of the games. My partner recently bought the Nick Cave eBook application, which is about $30 here in Australia and sounds expensive, by App Store standards, but once you compare it to the expensive book prices here in Australia and remember that it also includes audio readings and some video readings, it’s still good value for fans.
Shandos Cleaver, on October 10th, 2009 at 6:14 am
Yeah, it’s like when gas doubles in price from $2 to $5. How could consumers who are used to a certain price point be so dumb as to get upset when there’s suddenly a departure that’s 2x or 3x the usual price?
Shane, on October 10th, 2009 at 7:55 am
Are these whiners the same ones who complain about the price of software and DVDs and just steal them off the internet? Wake up people!! $3 – $10 is not a bad price for an amazing app.
I say that if a company is getting complaints about its price, then hey should sell the game ala carte. Maybe a $1 per level or two.
Cyxodus, on October 10th, 2009 at 8:50 am
> “Are these whiners the same ones who complain about the price of software and DVDs and just steal them off the internet? Wake up people!! $3 – $10 is not a bad price for an amazing app.”
Your assumption that we are pirates because we won’t pay for an overpriced game is ignorant.
It’s not an amazing app. It’s buggy, has issues and there is no lite version to try it first. You assume that just because cult of mac mentions it, it’s “amazing”?
I mean, sure, an AMAZING game is worth $3-10. I bought peggle for $4.99 and it is just that. Alchemize is not. Just another shitty puzzle game in a already full category in the app store.
Why do people think that iPhone owners owe these developers any of our money?
sonryhater, on October 10th, 2009 at 8:57 am
the trouble with all of this is that the App Store has rules that block some of these games. Such as an app that starts off as free must always be free, version updates must be free, etc. I believe there might even be a rule against changing from full buy to the sort of ‘buy it by the level’ idea.
however, I do agree that folks need to shut up the whining. Some folks out there aren’t rich and can’t afford to make brilliant 10 star apps all day long and make them free. Perhaps if some of these whiners actually tried to make an app they would appreciate the time and effort it takes. and if not, then wait it out. within a month all decent apps, especially games, have a copycat
Charli, on October 10th, 2009 at 9:05 am
Why does anything have to be done? It’s a free market which will normalize itself over time. Developers will have to grow a thick skin and learn to weather any storms of criticism over their decisions and
the community will eventually reach a consensus over the value of apps. It’s a relatively new system, give it time to work it out before you demand the bureaucrats come in and screw it up with too many rules and regulations.
Andrew Robulack, on October 10th, 2009 at 9:09 am
Nobody is forcing ANYONE to buy any apps, so stop complaining about price. Either buy it, or don’t. What a bunch of babies!
Ictus75, on October 10th, 2009 at 9:36 am
This is one of the consequences of the free-software movement. People can’t perceive the real value of software, because now they’re used to get almost everything for free!
If you as a developer devote your time to write an application, there’s always the threat of being copied by an open-source project and put out of business.
There are a lot of examples about this. OpenOffice/Google Docs (free) vs Ms Office (paid), Linux (free) vs Windows, WinMo/iPhone (paid) vs Android (free), and lots more. I think people are nowadays getting the idea that software is “free”, so in the future it would be more difficult to sell software products.
I’m not against FS, I think they have a very good cause, but in every revolution there are loosers. The paid-software-licensing model is coming to an end, developers will have to find new ways to monetize their work.
Bernardo Najlis, on October 10th, 2009 at 9:47 am
I find the value of the apps i have purchased on the iphone as stunning. I remember a few years ago on my sony ericson, a 64 colour tetris clone cost $5 and it didn’t have any special effects or music. I just love the pricing for full games like monkey island (with speech!!) and assassin’s creed.
saman Jebeli-Javan, on October 10th, 2009 at 9:59 am
I echo Cyxodus who writes, “I say that if a company is getting complaints about its price, then hey should sell the game ala carte. Maybe a $1 per level or two.”
We are so spoiled, it’s pathetic. If the software isn’t worth the upgrade price, then just don’t upgrade it. It’s just that simple. No one is compelled to upgrade. That’s the free market at work.
But if you want the upgrade you can get it for the price of a Joe from Starbucks, which you will down in under 20 minutes.
I’m glad they raised this price. They likely won’t sell much doing it, but we’ll see.
This truly is an unfortunate race for the bottom for developers, but it’s a devaluation reality that has hit nearly every industry. Photographers, designers, creative developers of all types are being devalued meanwhile the distribution channels for content are raking it in.
Rightbrained, on October 10th, 2009 at 10:33 am
what I like about the app store is there are loads of free and lite apps, if you like them you can buy the full app at a reasonable price, much cheaper than most mobile phone games….
I don’t think any sane person would pay $39.99 it must be just a publicity stunt to draw attention to the game….I bet the price will drop back to the original price.
Poppa, on October 10th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Read the fine print under the price folks. It’s a “protest price” that only lasts a matter of days. a.k.a., publicity stunt
Cowicide, on October 10th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
Wow, this is one hell of a business model they have. Ironically, they should be happy that people took the time out of their lives to send an email. In reality, they could have simply walked away and left these “indie developers” looking at their empty pockets.
Rather than throw a little tantrum (that will only serve to alienate their clientele further), they could have written an thoughtful and meaningful post about the process of making an app and all the hard work that went into the game.
Looking at quality games (like Alive-4-Ever, Tap Tap Revenge, and a handful of the older Gameloft games—arguably priced lower and offer a far better gaming experience), I think people may have some merit in their bellyaching. It’s a shame the developers chose to run the way of the child rather than salvage something positive out of all this.
And as for sonryhater’s comments? He’s spot on! It’s nice to see a user with a level head and some insight.
If a developer can’t handle the swings of the App Store, hey, there’s the road. Alchemize won’t be missed all that much I imagine. And as for their little publicity stunt, I’m making a mental note NOT to buy from this developer (perhaps I’ll change my tune if an “apology” price is issued). Think I’m bluffing? I haven’t purchased a Sony product since they screwed me over a warranty some 4 years ago… (Good thing too as I would never have found Macs!) If you want my hard earned money, treat me like a human being, not a piggy bank. Douchechill.
WS, on October 10th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
How did this dev deceived you WS??????
DO YOU HEAR YOURSELF??????
….SO SHUT THE HELL UPPPPPP cause I am also tired with all your excuses…. SHUT UP ALREADY.
Marth, on October 10th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Marth, quit buying apps and save your money for medication.
Cowicide, on October 10th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Marth may be on medication or in that time of month….
But I 100% agree with the devs and Cult of Mac on this one.
Not all things should be free… what if you go to work and your boss says you will have to work free for no on cause people DNT wanna pay anymore???
+1 vote from my part in this move
kenny, on October 10th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Funny and smart move by the Alchemize folks– makes the point clearly.
But, this assertion makes no sense to me:
“It’s pretty clear that something needs to be done regarding App Store pricing and value perception, because the race to the bottom is hurting many developers.”
It’s not clear at all! If developers want to code for the iPhone and have really great app ideas, good for them, but it’s up to them to understand that it’s a big App Store out there, and thir apps need to be REALLY GREAT if they want to get noticed and make any money at all.
Even with the App Store approval process, the barrier of entry for a software developer has lowered dramatically– there are tens of millions of points-of-sale in which people have complete confidence. That doesn’t mean that every coder deserves a piece of the pie just for playing.
salsa, on October 10th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
@poppa
umm, you think? Great observation there! RTFA next time.
flunkycarter, on October 10th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
I have to remind “free(dom) software” as linux or opensource (but free) sotfware as Apache all concern “commodized” stuff. So common and fundamental software than so many people and industrials needs it than they can all ally to create a great software.
so, it’s normal you can see “free” here. mutualisation.
but NOT for all specific needs.
some are so verticalised only a few needs it. some others are made by one or two people and they money to buy carrots.
there are diversity in software, developpers and business models and it’s a good thing.
you should love all free software, all opensource software, all commercial software and be happy in a world allowing people to share and live from their works as they want.
oomu, on October 11th, 2009 at 9:45 am
How it makes me sick to listen to the whiny bastards who are always complaining about $2 games that are too expensive. I can’t imagine what type of jobs they have or homes they come from. A small bag of potato chips cost $1. Mickey D’s medium fries cost $1.79. Some candy bars cost $1. You can eat all of them in under an hour. Yet these whiners complain about they can’t get enough gameplay or the game is free on some flash site or the game played better on a 20-year-old console when the game cost $30. I cannot possibly fathom in this day and age if they’re living in the U.S. that something under $5 is too expensive unless they’re living in the street. But then what the hell are they doing with an iPhone or iPod Touch if they’re that hard up.
WTF is the matter with these people. They disparage independent developers that are trying to maybe create some games even if they don’t have a lot of talent. I doubt if these whiners ever attempted to design or build their own games but they’re damn heavy with their lame criticisms like they were some sort of gaming gods or something.
I could understand if they gave some constructive criticism about how to improve the game or whatever, but just saying the game sucks is rather vague. They’re always complaining about the games ripping off other games like nobody has ever tried to copy another game before.
I sure do feel bad for sensitive developers because some of the verbal abuse they have to take from such idiotic game/app buyers are just unbelievable. I can’t imagine that most developers just starting out could necessarily develop a great game with no bugs or highly optimized gameplay. I guess they could put it up for free, but even so a fair amount of work must go into it. iPhone app developers are really underappreciated as a whole since I’m always hearing some idiotic bitchers saying about how 99% of App Store apps are crappy and useless. That is just too hard to believe based on someone downloading a few apps out of a total of 85,000.
In life, you win some and you lose some. There are games/apps that may be less than what you paid for but there are probably many worth more than what you paid for. It most balances out so I don’t understand all the animosity toward developers.
iphonerulez, on October 11th, 2009 at 11:30 am
The real problem is the Top Ten list. In general there is no benefit to being at number 10, rather than number 50 if, at number 10, you sell less than 200% more than at number 50 and your app is 3 times as expensive.
That is, you will make the same revenue from the $2.99 app at 50, as the $0.99 app at 10 ( if that doesnt apply to 50, it applies to position 25, or whatever chart position sells 1/3 of being at 10)
. And normally businesses dont care about that kind of all-priced-together chart. Does Cartier care about its position in all (mostly cheap) watch sales?
APple already have the solution to this. They already have tiered based pricing ( tier 0 being free). Devs see this. Have a chart for all tiers and dont default to the bottom priced tier on the App Store. If people get used to paying $1.99-$2.99 then they will pay it as they pay $0.99 now. People who can afford an iPhone, can afford any app on the iPhone at less than $5. The whining is because of the undercutting.
Eugene, on October 11th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
The market will determine a fair price for a product. If folks don’t think a lame app is worth $3, they don’t have to buy it. Devs just can’t sit back and create an app, dump in the app store with 80k other apps and expect it will sell like hotcakes. Creating the app is one thing, marketing it is another. It’s a complete business and needs to be treated as suck.
Doctor Bob, on October 11th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
I don’t think the app market is determining a ‘fair’ price at all but is instead caught up in the irrationality of ‘free’. Check out Dan Ariely’s experiments on the value of free. We almost always understand that a superior product is rationally more valuable & worth paying more for, unless the alternative is free, whereby we overwhelmingly choose the free product despite it’s inferiority. If a market norm of free has been created, we cannot trust the market to create a ‘fair’ price for quality apps.
His experiments in ‘price anchoring’ are appropriate for the app store as well, the initial ‘anchor’ price that we experience for a product/in a marketspace will influence our expectations for further purchases in that marketspace. In the App Store in anchor is usually $0-0.99.
Those are realities, and I don’t necessarily have too much sympathy for developers who did a back of the envelope calculation of ($3.99×250,000)x0.7=fuckloadsofmoney then quit their jobs/took out second mortgages without thinking about if there was really a market for their product.
But there is nothing ‘fair’ about the $0-0.99 price point, and if it stays there the App Store gold rush is going to crash spectacularly.
Pete, on October 12th, 2009 at 5:02 am
I was conversing with a colleague about the iphone. His wife wants one, but he wants to make sure they’re not going down an expensive two year rabbithole. At the end of our conversation, he sends me an email that says, “What about apps? People say android is better because the apps are free, the the iphone costs more because you have to buy apps.”
I didn’t even know what to say to that. would you say that if you bought a desktop computer or a laptop?
Then again, I am a person who will make a donation to a freeware app or put money in a tip jar if I get utility out of a web site. Even when I was dirt poor.
Karen, on October 12th, 2009 at 11:57 am
I am continually amazed at how mean I am when it comes to buying stuff in the App Store. Apparently spending $0.99 is a big decision in that context! Free is much more preferable. I realize this is stupid and short sighted and I endeavor to modify my behavior by forcing myself to pay for apps but I’ll bet I’m not alone in this attitude.
I suspect the large number of superb free apps in the early days of the App Store led to this but I’m not sure how that accounts for the current whinging about app prices because the vast majority of iPhone users wont remember those happy times.
Bozo, on October 12th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Sonryhater,
Alchemize is almost worth $40. It’s probably the best game in the app – and if you think it’s nothing special, then you obviously haven’t played it.
moxley, on November 18th, 2009 at 12:39 pm