Over 95% of my users are using pirated copies!

Solar2D General Questions/Discussion
#1

My first iPhone game went on sale last week and my sales were tiny. Yesterday, I noticed an enormous surge in new users, as logged by Flurry analytics. I wondered why and checked to see if I had appeared on “new & noteworthy”, but I hadn’t. I then did a web search and saw that a cracked version of the app had appeared.

By the end of the day, I had more than a thousand new users and today it is already over 500 and rising. Having just checked the iTunes Connect sales for yesterday, it confirmed my fears that the new users were all using cracked copies.

I know it is of little use to discuss the rights and wrongs of the situation, and I suspect there is nothing that can be done to stop this from happening. My main question is if it is common for pirated copies to form such a large part of the downloads?

The pirates seem to be playing quite a few of the levels of the game so at least they are enjoying it… :frowning: [import]uid: 29384 topic_id: 9011 reply_id: 309011[/import]

#2

maybe report it to apple. see what they will do. [import]uid: 19836 topic_id: 9011 reply_id: 32860[/import]

#3

Does apple not sign the downloads when purchased? If they did, you could make your app talk to a server and match the code signature with the device ID (for 1st user) and just prevent other users with the same sig from connecting from different devices? I know this creates problems for legit users who upgrade their phones, but 90% seems like a ridiculously high number. Is this just for games or is this happening for all apps. [import]uid: 6175 topic_id: 9011 reply_id: 32885[/import]

#4

Is there any way to detect cracked version (in order to show some warning message, show the ads, etc) ?

I do not want to prevent they use my game, just warning them and ask them to buy our game. [import]uid: 9190 topic_id: 9011 reply_id: 32892[/import]

#5

I recommend checking your paid sales before the “pirate surge” and then afterwards. It probably didn’t get any higher after the pirate surge, but did the appearance of your app on a cracked site cause your sales to go down during that time period?

If not…

Then (and I know this probably doesn’t make you feel any better) at least you gained more exposure for your app and didn’t lose out on any sales in the process :-/

I always just think of that and remember that most people who download pirated versions of apps won’t purchase anyway (some do though), and many don’t have the means to (ex. a teen who got an iPod touch for Christmas but doesn’t have a credit card). Sometimes that makes me feel better when I think of my apps being pirated. [import]uid: 52430 topic_id: 9011 reply_id: 32915[/import]

#6

@jonathanbeebe what happened at developer kitchen that you are now Ansca Staff? :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

What you have said is wise. [import]uid: 22837 topic_id: 9011 reply_id: 32917[/import]

#7

Additionally,

You can change your business model to benefit from the pirating. Like…using ads to generate revenue…or using a free-to-play model.

[import]uid: 12700 topic_id: 9011 reply_id: 32927[/import]

#8

@MikeHart, well I guess such high rates are ‘normal’ then… Now I know.

@dgaedcke, @khanh.dq, I guess all those things are possible but I don’t think it’s what the typical applications developer wants to work on. If the Apple or Corona APIs had a way of detecting this, then maybe I’d use it. But maybe there’s no point implementing anything like this as you just get into a never-ending “arms race” with the pirates.

@jonathanbeebe, my sales before were tiny, and it’s too early to say how my sales after will be. I realise that, of the people who get pirated s/w (or music, etc.), only a small proportion (10-20% ?) would have bought it in the first place but it was just the large number of pirated versions that was a bit of a shock.

BTW, Jonathan, thanks for sharing your Ghosts vs Monsters source code. I learnt many features of the SDK from it. It was a great help!

@indiegamepod, yes I’ll have to start looking into that! [import]uid: 29384 topic_id: 9011 reply_id: 32984[/import]

#9

If Flurry still banned by Aple? [import]uid: 295 topic_id: 9011 reply_id: 33771[/import]

#10

Flurry isn’t banned, the practise of awarding credits inside an app for downloading other apps is banned. [import]uid: 5712 topic_id: 9011 reply_id: 33822[/import]

#11

Exactly what I said last week. 90-95% rate of pirated apps. It is a general thing. [import]uid: 5712 topic_id: 9011 reply_id: 32861[/import]

#12

My app including Flurry was approved a couple of weeks ago. [import]uid: 29384 topic_id: 9011 reply_id: 34153[/import]