To "Lite" or not to "Lite"

General (non-technical) Marketing and Monetization
#1

We recently released our first game on July 1st. We created 4 versions: iOS - full, iOS - Lite, Android - Full, and Android - Lite. So far to this day over 95 percent of the of the downloads are for “Lite” versions.

We have incorporated ads for our lite versions. Even with ads we aren’t making any money yet, (so far 0.67 cents). “Lite” version is just that, very light. All the cool features of the game are incorporated in full version only.
Question: How many developers are pushing their new apps like us, Full/Lite Versions? or are you just going towards full version only route? If Full/Lite version, how are you getting people to convert to full version?

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#2

our free version of Canupa Band was already on the market and doing well, when we decided to make a deluxe version and sell it for 1 buck.

It still is doing well, especially in South Korea…
far from profitable tho’.
I believe the free version is a nice teaser for the full version and encourages people to buy it. People seem to like it and so the free version sometimes pops up in the charts and guides potential customers to the paid version, Canupa Band deluxe.

As a user I can say that, when I’m interested in a game and there is a lite version, I take the lite version before I decide to buy it. I very often decide NOT to buy it. I very often delete the game immediately! Because the games are abusing my gamer’s soul! :smiley:
but that can be said for games I buy and do not have a lite version, too. I’ve spent more money on games I did not play than in games I actually liked and played a lot.

as a customer I’m thankful for lite versions that are saving me money. as a developer I’d love to sell all my nightly-built-prototypes for a million bucks EACH!

cheers ^^
-finefin [import]uid: 70635 topic_id: 12006 reply_id: 43804[/import]

#3

I’d say if your thinking of doing a LITE version of your app and then a paid for full version, instead of doing that just do a full free version but with inApp Purchases.

Make your app pretty much what the LITE version would be, but then for more levels/features/designs add inApp Purchases to unlock them. These purchases would pretty much be turning the free version into the Paid version but without making people buy the new app. Also with this some people wont notice how much extra they are really spending buying the extra purchases.

This also makes marketing your app a little easier since you can market it out as a free app but then once people are in it and playing it they get so into the game that they want to unlock the new features and will buy the extra features in the game. [import]uid: 69700 topic_id: 12006 reply_id: 44474[/import]

#4

I initially did not put out a lite version, but after an initial burst and my sales plummeted, I decided to put out a lite version and after its initial rush its moving a fair about 25 times more than the pay version. I provide an obvious upgrade button on the main menu that goes to the App Store.

I however have not seen any uptick in sales.

Your mileage my vary.
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