Making a LITE version of your app

Solar2D General Questions/Discussion
#1

I’ve got an app on the store and I want to release a LITE (free) version of it.

Thinking about it, it all seemed easy at first, just limit what the app can do and then release it with the same name and LITE added to the end of it… and make it FREE.

The more I think about it though, the more problems arise…

If I release a whole new app then…

  1. Apple might not like the duplicate name (not sure).
  2. If a user were to BUY the app from the LITE version then that would mean a whole new download and having to delete the lite version afterwards. Is this acceptable?

If I release the LITE version in the current app…

  1. How would this happen, it’s already released under a specific name that is NOT a LITE version.

I’m really not sure what the best practice is.

I ask this under development support because besides the above, I need to know how to do it (API calls)?. [import]uid: 126708 topic_id: 27476 reply_id: 327476[/import]

#2

Apple are fine with lite/free versions, as long as they aren’t ridiculously crippled.

You could release a lite version that can be upgraded into the full version through an IAP.

[import]uid: 93133 topic_id: 27476 reply_id: 111631[/import]

#3

I understand what you’re saying and I understand In App Purchases, but I think it’s not applicable to my situation.

The app is already out there. People already own the app.
How would I go about giving them full access in the next update but lock the app down for the new-comers? [import]uid: 126708 topic_id: 27476 reply_id: 111643[/import]

#4

Does your app store any data at all?

If so, you could update the app so it runs the lite version by default and implement the IAP.

On running the app, check whether:

a) the stored data exists.
b) an ‘update’ flag which can only be set by the updated version exists.

if A exists and B does not, the app is an old paid version so you can set the paid and update flags to true and save them.

if A does not exist, the app is running for the first time so set the ‘update’ flag to true, paid to false and save them.

if A and B both exist, retrieve the ‘paid’ flag from disk.

Then just set paid to true and save to disk when a lite user upgrades through IAP. [import]uid: 93133 topic_id: 27476 reply_id: 111647[/import]

#5

I could work out a system that would work in my case.

Don’t I have to tell the app store that the IAP is already bought in those cases? [import]uid: 126708 topic_id: 27476 reply_id: 111651[/import]

#6

No - you just prevent a paid user, whether he has paid by buying the original app or through IAP, from being able to buy the IAP…i.e. hide the button. Either way your ‘paid’ flag will be set to true and you can use this within your game to decide which content/features to show.

[import]uid: 93133 topic_id: 27476 reply_id: 111655[/import]

#7

Thanks for your help. [import]uid: 126708 topic_id: 27476 reply_id: 111659[/import]

#8

The other way to do IAP if you already have a app in the store, is to release a free version with IAP. That way your existing users are not effected and you have a free version with IAP.

Apple does allow this (which I didn’t realise till recently). Downside is you have 2 versions of your app to update etc…

Or just have 2 version, one paid and one free. This seems to be the way most do it (including me). Yes it means deleting the free version once you upgrade. When I released my free version, I put FREE at the end of the name and in the review notes when I submitted it to Apple, I explained it was a cut down free version of my app.

Dave [import]uid: 117617 topic_id: 27476 reply_id: 111794[/import]

#9

That’s a LOT easier… as long as Apple allows it AND users are willing to work it that way…

I won’t really have to update the free version in my case. It will be the same code though so not hard if I wanted to. [import]uid: 126708 topic_id: 27476 reply_id: 111809[/import]

#10

I created a free (LITE) version of my app and just prompt the user with an upsell message after each time they play. You can check out the free version of my word game, WORD TRAVELLER here: http://t.co/yYsovFjG to see how I implemented the LITE version. The LITE version just has limited functionality and the upsell screen explains what the user would get for only 99¢ (along with a button to go to the iTunes store.) This has worked VERY well for me. If you have a good, addicting game that people enjoy playing, then they will have no problem paying for the full version. I have maintained a 20% conversion rate with this method - meaning, 20% of the people that download the LITE version upgrade to the FULL (paid) version.

I’d say just limit the functionality of your existing game and release a separate version with the LITE moniker and make it VERY easy/enticing for the user to upgrade to FULL.

Good luck!
[import]uid: 49670 topic_id: 27476 reply_id: 111877[/import]