@dknell very well said, agree 100% 
[import]uid: 8145 topic_id: 475 reply_id: 6953[/import]
The reason to have theoretical points of view is not to invest time and money into projects that will not return anything for that time and money.
I think thereās a two-fold argument against using web popups for currency in games. One - rejection from the appstore, two - less user-friendly cash spending = less cash spending.
Apple offers a distribution platform, more than anything, and for that distribution platform they claim their 30%. If their distribution services were not available, no money would be made, so obviously this is a win for everyone. Amazon already has a distribution platform: Amazon.com. Allowing their customer base to use the iPad for their Amazon needs enhances the iPadās functionality.
Games that have virtual currency donāt really enhance the functionality of the iPhone. Kindle is not the same to Apple as a social game. A social game is potential income, Kindle is potential new customers and enhanced user experience, among other things. And kindle doesnāt really get a distribution platform from Apple for free, because Amazon already has one. They are in a much better position for negotiation than game developers are.
That is definitely just my opinion, but in my head this gives the idea for out-of-app purchases a 50% chance of failure due to rejection.
And there really is a difference between web sites redirecting to another web site for payments, and a gaming application opening the browser for thatā¦
I think itās obvious that raising the bar to get virtual currency makes less people want to try to buy the virtual currency. A web popupā¦ raises that bar :).
Actually, thereās yet another possible alternative to using IAP that probably has a better chance of sliding with Apple. Make a separate application (in objective C) that uses IAP, and use that for currency. I think if weāre going to bypass in-app purchases for our game, this is how weāre going to do it, because of the reduced risk of rejection from apple.
The risk remains, however, because apple prohibits apps that are only for spending money. However, there are more negotiation options there, IMO.
This is all very undesirable. IAP is much preferred to all these workarounds. [import]uid: 8145 topic_id: 475 reply_id: 6948[/import]
Very inspiring creative workarounds, for sure. A great attitude to have when facing problems
However, while good enough for a hobby project, this does not seem like a real business alternative. The cut income due to various issues with this approach seems to invalidate it (from a business perspective). Also, if I were apple, Iād pull the plug on this workaround for games with virtual currency: doing so just goes hand in hand with the rest of their policy and the concept they seem to have for the app store (not a free playground, rather a serious and high-tier marketplace and source for their income).
Magenda - spot on with the monopoly in terms of developer income. Android is just not nearly as interesting to developers who expect income from their games, not yet. And until it is, a cross-platform solution is not particularly interesting either. On the other hand, IAP is very interesting, right now, and right now is the time to use it.
Carlos, thanks for the notice, itās good to know this discussion is having an impact on Coronaās future. If they could also share their thoughts, that would be better, though [import]uid: 8145 topic_id: 475 reply_id: 6939[/import]
Thanks!
@amigoni, I would place myself under this category:
- Primarily iOS and Android as a bonus*
* I would sacrifice this bonus in a heartbeat for more iPhone awesomeness, thus gladly reposition myself to 1) iOS only [import]uid: 8194 topic_id: 475 reply_id: 6958[/import]
@dknell: I completely agree with you. And while Ansca engineers are monitoring this thread, please take note at how much time and thought-power had to go into coming up with only a āhalf-baked-at-bestā alternative to IAP, that, probably would get shut down by apple pretty fast anyway. Also, this is probably one of the more popular threads on the Ansca forums, which says a lot in itself (and Iām sure there are A LOT more people monitoring and reading this thread than there are participating in the discussion).
@amigoni: I vote #3ā¦ iOS first, and Android later on as a side-bonus.
Speaking from someone who has poured MANY hours into Corona, developed 3 games with it (one is waiting for review), and weāre pretty much struggling when it comes to staying afloat in terms of app sales in the app store. We plan on churning out more great titles, and weāre definitely enjoying the ride (and enjoying programming with the Corona SDK), but I admit it causes quite a bit of heartache when I see other apps with IAP, and read about how IAP saved other apps sales, knowing that itās just not possible for any of our apps. Many we have planned would do *very* well with IAP.
I know itās not magic, and IAP will be a āquick fixā to all sales problems, but being able to take advantage of the opportunity and just try means the world at this point.
Needless to say, I think in-app purchases are my #1 feature request at this point. [import]uid: 7849 topic_id: 475 reply_id: 6962[/import]
For now, the lack of IAP support on Corona is the only thing that stop us to develop a game with it.
Please, give us IOS IAP first. Android can wait. [import]uid: 6005 topic_id: 475 reply_id: 6966[/import]
@jonbeebe,
You deserve much more credit than āhalf-baked-at-bestā. Your alternative solution is very well thought out and I bet Ansca is very proud to have people like you in their community! With that said, Iād love to see you implement your solution in one of your games because who knows when we will see IAP in Corona. Dude, I would totally buy a cow from you!
[import]uid: 8194 topic_id: 475 reply_id: 6968[/import]
@dknell: Thanks a lot for the compliments! Thatās very encouraging. I definitely planned on implementing it in one of our games, but we already have a couple non-IAP games on the roadmap right now, so most-likely after those two are developed, Iāll do it then. Hopefully IAP will be part of Corona by then, but if not, Iāll implement it and let everyone know how sales go.
So no worries, whether itās through IAP or the āfor-appā purchases solution I suggested, youāll get your cow! lol [import]uid: 7849 topic_id: 475 reply_id: 6972[/import]
(continuing dudubaiaoās thought)
Yes! For godās sake, do :). In case I wasnāt vocal enough (right :D), I am 100% on the bandwagon of wanting IAP ASAP, anything else comes second. A separate release made as soon as possible just for IAP would be heavenly.
If we had realized that IAP wasnāt an option when we chose Corona, this would have been a stopping point for us as well. Now itās a problem point :). [import]uid: 8145 topic_id: 475 reply_id: 6969[/import]
I really canāt tell if you really really really want IAP ā¦
Team, canāt you be just a little bit more lucid? I donāt get it. Due to the lack of responses on supporting IAP we are not going to put it into the next release.
So I want to be clear so we are all on the same page, *NO IAP* suppor right?!
It is on the top of the list of features to do. Actually, it is the top of the list. Item #1.
The feedback has been invaluable and please, keep the suggestions, feature request coming. Now am going to sound like a real pointy head manager, a Dilbert Manager moment here, but it is feedback such as your, not just on the feature, but how you see things implemented, cross platform issues, etc, and bluntness about it, that will help us make a better product for all of us. End Dilbert Manager moment.
Thanks
C
oh, and please, donāt stop the thread just because I sounded all managerial typeā¦ I was already in step #9 of 12 steps of unbecoming a managerā¦ 
[import]uid: 24 topic_id: 475 reply_id: 6980[/import]
HAHA!!! Very funny! Yeah, we donāt want IAP at allā¦ 
Keep your manager hat on for a moment longer while you go down into the Top Secret basement where all of the Ansca developers work and tell them to halt all the cross-platform initiatives for now because WE ALL WANT IAP - NOW!
Thanks Carlos for listening to all our ranting! [import]uid: 8194 topic_id: 475 reply_id: 6984[/import]
OK CARLOS!!! After in APPs!!!
GAME Center. Actually before that, how about you enable polls in the forum so that we can create one for features. Saves everyone some time on bluntness.
[import]uid: 8192 topic_id: 475 reply_id: 6990[/import]
This is a little off topic but since Carlos asked. This is what i propose. Sparodic feedback is not enough. Ansca needs continuos feedback about the features that are important to us developers.
What I propose is a continuos poll that asks and reminds developers to vote on a weekly basis on a poll of features requested. This could be done via the email server reminders directing to the poll.
Once a week I would get an email saying.
" Amigoni itās that time a week to let us know of what you want most out of corona.
Click on the following link and cast your vote. "
I would then be able to vote either once or say āmy top 3ā features in order of importance.
This would assure a continuos clear, blunt and honest priority list for corona to work on.
We are happy since we get what we want. Ansca is happy since their business would obviosluy grow.
If this is too complicate to do on the site, it could be a Corona built free app for iOs and android. I am sure there is enough talent on here to devlop one of these. [import]uid: 8192 topic_id: 475 reply_id: 6992[/import]
On second thought, I changed my mind about IAPā¦ what good is it anyway? Lol J/K!
This is great news and Iām glad to hear that it is #1 on the list of things to do, Iām *extremely* happy about that. In fact once IAP are in place, I donāt think Iāll feel like thereās ANYTHING Iām missing from the Obj-C world. Truth be told, even if I knew Obj-Cā¦ Iād still be using Corona, and the fact that IAP are definitely coming just solidifies that even more.
As far as the Game Center suggestion goes, I made another thread about that here:
ā> http://developer.anscamobile.com/forum/2010/09/02/gamecenter-corona-roadmap
And evank replied letting me know how about OpenFeint, how they are cross-platform and how it ALSO supports Game Center.
So perhaps instead of including Game Center into Corona, perhaps just an updated version of OpenFeint, and more access to some of itās features would be the better option. That way, for those of us who are porting to āAndroid as a side bonusā, both our iOS and Android players can compete against one another.
I know Carlos said to keep the suggestions coming, but Iām so excited about IAP that I almost have this ādonāt push your luckā feeling lol
Anyway, I canāt wait for IAP to be available. Perhaps by the time weāre finished with our current projects and are ready to build an IAP game, I wonāt have to use my temporary āfixā that was mentioned earlier in this thread. [import]uid: 7849 topic_id: 475 reply_id: 7011[/import]
Iām going to give the webpopup based paypal thingy a try [import]uid: 7980 topic_id: 475 reply_id: 6988[/import]
Hi Everyone
Just want to update you where we are ā¦ Since we shipped Corona SDK the engineering team has been putting the finishing touches on the Game Edition. Some of you noticed the pool ball icon and really enjoyed it. Thanks for the instant feedback ;-). The pointy head dilbert manager types like myself have been sequestered into a room and we are not allowed to come out until we have ironed out the feature set for the next rev. So literally, am writing this in a dark and moldy place. And with enough battery on my laptop to write this.
We hope to have a roadmap of new features and we will be sharing that with you, IAP is the top most requested feature, and we are not allowed out of this dungeon pit until we have figured out the right implementation given your feedback plus what we also know and hear from others about implementing IAP.
So, in order for to us to get it right, I will need to recruit some of you to do some early testing when we can expose some functionality of the IAP feature in order to help us get the feature right.
This will be an iterative process, and I canāt promise you that this feature will be in the next drop, but it will be on the product sooner than later. If you want to help us out with implementation details of IAP and live on the bleeding edge of the bleeding edge of technology, drop me a line at cicaza @ anscamobile.com and enlist to help us test out the IAP.
Carlos
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[lua]Ansca:addEventListener(ānewFeaturesā, designWithCustomers) [/lua]
Congratulations for this win-win policy! [import]uid: 7356 topic_id: 475 reply_id: 7279[/import]
email sent here too. [import]uid: 8192 topic_id: 475 reply_id: 7301[/import]
email sent from me too! [import]uid: 5022 topic_id: 475 reply_id: 7302[/import]