App Monetisation - Opinions sought

Games
#1

I am about to launch my first major game, Cupcake Cascade, to Google Play (see http://www.guardsheep.com) and am currently looking to tweak the features of the Free vs Paid versions.

The game is a match-three style game with a few unique twists, one of which is that the game features a level editor that allows you to design your own levels, play them and submit them for potential inclusion in new releases of the game.

The options I have considered for the free version are as follows:

Option 1

  • Access to limited number of levels - 24 or 36 (full version has 100+)
  • No access to editor
  • AdMob Banner ads at top of screen

Option 2

  • Access to limited number of levels - 24 or 36 (full version has 100+)
  • Access to editor but can only edit and play on one level and cannot submit levels (full version has 48 user levels)
  • AdMob Banner ads at top of screen

Option 3

  • Access to limited number of levels - 24 or 36 (full version has 100+)
  • Full access to level editor
  • AdMob Banner ads at top of screen

Option 4

  • Access to all levels
  • Full access to level editor
  • AdMob Banner ads at top of screen - hope that ad revenue will offset any lost sales

I’d be interested in any opinions of the best balance of free vs paid features.

Thanks,

Ian Webster. 

#2

Hi there,

I would use Option 2, but would think about not using an Ad Banner.

A bit away from your specific options, there are many good articles about this topic. Especialy by Ramin Shokrizade at gamasutra.com. He wrote about 45 articles concerning monetizing F2P games and inGame currencies and economics in general. Check out his stuff at http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/author/RaminShokrizade/914048/

#3

Thanks for the feedback. I’m tying to use the game as a bootstrap, hoping that the income will be enough to allow me to become a Corona subscriber and thus able to access additional features such as in-app purchases and implement game currency in the future.

With the starter edition, I’m much more limited, hence the options above and I agree that option 2 to give the player a taste of the editor function is much more pleasing than blocking the feature entirely and I have been busy this evening implementing the appropriate changes!

Interested in your comments regarding the removal of the banner, I’ve designed it to be visible during the game (shifting game assets around appropriately) yet remain as non-distracting as possible. Your thoughts on why this would be a bad idea would be appreciated (I was looking to attempt to gain some monetisation from the “free” version without in-app purchases) 

Thanks again, Ian.

#4

fantastic articles- thanks for the link!

#5

I would tend to not use ads, either, especially in a scenario like option 4.   Unless they’re really nagging, I would probably never upgrade if you gave me all the features.  You get used to them after a while.  

Give them a few levels to get them hooked.   

We’re not talking about shareware that costs $29.99.   We’re talking about a dollar, that someone can spend with all of the effort of pushing a button on their smart phone.

#6

Another good gamasutra piece on monetization.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/191047/

My favorite reply:

Generally, we always try to create the best possible game, no matter the price, I encourage you to do the same thing. If your product is polished and fun enough, people will notice it. Word of mouth can be a very powerful thing, especially in this day and age.

#7

Hi there,

I would use Option 2, but would think about not using an Ad Banner.

A bit away from your specific options, there are many good articles about this topic. Especialy by Ramin Shokrizade at gamasutra.com. He wrote about 45 articles concerning monetizing F2P games and inGame currencies and economics in general. Check out his stuff at http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/author/RaminShokrizade/914048/

#8

Thanks for the feedback. I’m tying to use the game as a bootstrap, hoping that the income will be enough to allow me to become a Corona subscriber and thus able to access additional features such as in-app purchases and implement game currency in the future.

With the starter edition, I’m much more limited, hence the options above and I agree that option 2 to give the player a taste of the editor function is much more pleasing than blocking the feature entirely and I have been busy this evening implementing the appropriate changes!

Interested in your comments regarding the removal of the banner, I’ve designed it to be visible during the game (shifting game assets around appropriately) yet remain as non-distracting as possible. Your thoughts on why this would be a bad idea would be appreciated (I was looking to attempt to gain some monetisation from the “free” version without in-app purchases) 

Thanks again, Ian.

#9

fantastic articles- thanks for the link!

#10

I would tend to not use ads, either, especially in a scenario like option 4.   Unless they’re really nagging, I would probably never upgrade if you gave me all the features.  You get used to them after a while.  

Give them a few levels to get them hooked.   

We’re not talking about shareware that costs $29.99.   We’re talking about a dollar, that someone can spend with all of the effort of pushing a button on their smart phone.

#11

Another good gamasutra piece on monetization.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/191047/

My favorite reply:

Generally, we always try to create the best possible game, no matter the price, I encourage you to do the same thing. If your product is polished and fun enough, people will notice it. Word of mouth can be a very powerful thing, especially in this day and age.