Why do we have to pay for the games that are free on other platforms?

[Emix1988]

I was using Android before WP8 (Lumia 1020), and i see that many games that are free on Android and iOS and have IAP are not free for us on WP8, usually 0.99 and some are 1.99!
I don't need to list them because there are a lot examples in the store, we don't get anything extra, app is exactly the same but we have to pay for the games with AIP! I don't really understand this. If game is good i don't mind paying i just don't get it plus:
Games are usually not updated, they don't have latest updates and features that many games on iOS and Android already have, if we get it we usually get it late.

What do you guys think? Microsoft should really do something about this.

 

[Chregu]

What do you guys think? Microsoft should really do something about this.

What do you have in mind they should do?

 

[N_LaRUE]

Most of the games that are 'free' on Android are chocked full of advertisement and make the game impossible to play on cheaper handsets. Most people use ad blocking software to get around this issue which is technically illegal. As for iOS I'm unsure as I don't own anything Apple.

As for why we have to pay while others don't. Simple, quantity of users. We simply don't have enough users to make it worth their while from an advertisement perspective.

Until that changes expect to keep paying. However, to get the best experience out of a game, paying for it is always going to be better. That being said, expect more and more games to become 'in purchase' games which means you'll end up paying anyway if you want to advance any. This is happening due to the 'ad blocking' taking place on other platforms and is actually more profitable for the developer.

 

[Emix1988]

What do you have in mind they should do?

What should they do??
Make them free! Lol It's simple!

If game has IAP it should be free, if games are free on other platforms why would they be 1.99 on WP store? How they expect to be competitive and parents to buy WP devices for their kids? For example.

 

[Chregu]

What should they do??
Make them free! Lol It's simple!

If game has IAP it should be free, if games are free on other platforms why would they be 1.99 on WP store? How they expect to be competitive and parents to buy WP devices for their kids? For example.

Microsoft doesn't publish many games. If the publisher charges money, what should Microsoft do about it, pay for it that you don't have to?

 

[Emix1988]

Most of the games that are 'free' on Android are chocked full of advertisement and make the game impossible to play on cheaper handsets. Most people use ad blocking software to get around this issue which is technically illegal. As for iOS I'm unsure as I don't own anything Apple.

As for why we have to pay while others don't. Simple, quantity of users. We simply don't have enough users to make it worth their while from an advertisement perspective.

Until that changes expect to keep paying. However, to get the best experience out of a game, paying for it is always going to be better. That being said, expect more and more games to become 'in purchase' games which means you'll end up paying anyway if you want to advance any. This is happening due to the 'ad blocking' taking place on other platforms and is actually more profitable for the developer.

As i said i don't mind paying for the game if i like it.
But when i pay for the game and i get "bombarded" with AIP and micro-transitions... i get pissed.

 

[Emix1988]

Microsoft doesn't publish many games. If the publisher charges money, what should Microsoft do about it, pay for it that you don't have to?

You just don't understand what i am trying to say, ok you keep paying for IAP games if you like it then.

 

[N_LaRUE]

As i said i don't mind paying for the game if i like it.
But when i pay for the game and i get "bombarded" with AIP and micro-transitions... i get pissed.

That's the way games are going. Blame Android users.

As for paying for games, that has nothing to do with Microsoft. It's the developer and I've already explained why that is. Most games have a trial version.

Why does everyone keep blaming MS for these things? They have nothing to do with it. If someone spends months developing something and they want money for it, why not give it to them?

 

[Chregu]

You just don't understand what i am trying to say, ok you keep paying for IAP games if you like it then.

I don't pay often for games anyway, and I certainly don't do IAP. And I do understand that people don't want to pay for apps that are free on other platforms.

You, however, don't understand my point: I don't see what Microsoft can do about it.

 

[Emix1988]

As far as i know WP is Microsoft so they can do a lot about it.

And what you guys think about games not being up to date, and getting some games later?

 

[Paul May]

As far as i know WP is Microsoft so they can do a lot about it.

And what you guys think about games not being up to date, and getting some games later?

Yes, Microsoft owns Windows Phone, but they don't own the game and cannot dictate to the people that own the app /game how much they charge for the work the developer put into it.

As for getting games later and waiting, if you think its bad now you should have seen WP at 7.0. Getting the game faster will come in time when the user base grows. As a developer you develop for the largest user base first then move to the next and the next. Once WP gains more people we will get it faster. Until then we just need to live with it.

 

[N_LaRUE]

As far as i know WP is Microsoft so they can do a lot about it.

And what you guys think about games not being up to date, and getting some games later?

Because WP has 3% of the market worldwide. Need I explain more? What don't you understand? MS cannot force a developer to offer free apps.

It's like asking why are things more expensive in the UK compared to the US. It's due to market. There's more people in the US to buy something compared to the UK or any other EU country for that matter.

 

[Emix1988]

Yes, Microsoft owns Windows Phone, but they don't own the game and cannot dictate to the people that own the app /game how much they charge for the work the developer put into it.

As for getting games later and waiting, if you think its bad now you should have seen WP at 7.0. Getting the game faster will come in time when the user base grows. As a developer you develop for the largest user base first then move to the next and the next. Once WP gains more people we will get it faster. Until then we just need to live with it.

Yeah good point and i know that's how it works... sad but true.

And i have to say that situation is MUCH better now than it was few months or year ago!

 

[MrWhiteman]

I don't mind paying for games but games like Halo and GTA:SA are over ?5 a piece I would expect to Try before I buy so they have missed out on a sale from me.

 

[Mark section]

I was using Android before WP8 (Lumia 1020), and i see that many games that are free on Android and iOS and have IAP are not free for us on WP8, usually 0.99 and some are 1.99!
I don't need to list them because there are a lot examples in the store, we don't get anything extra, app is exactly the same but we have to pay for the games with AIP! I don't really understand this. If game is good i don't mind paying i just don't get it plus:
Games are usually not updated, they don't have latest updates and features that many games on iOS and Android already have, if we get it we usually get it late.

What do you guys think? Microsoft should really do something about this.

can you name some games plz?? i dont think there are any apps that cost more

 

[FinancialP]

Most of the games that are 'free' on Android are chocked full of advertisement and make the game impossible to play on cheaper handsets. Most people use ad blocking software to get around this issue which is technically illegal. As for iOS I'm unsure as I don't own anything Apple.

Android games have followed ios games. They are mostly freemium now. No adverts but full of IAP. developers make a ton of more money with IAP than advertisements.

Supercell is bringing in more than 1 million a day with this model.

 

[Kage Maru]

I thought many of the games on IOS/Android may have gone free after so many paid downloads. Similar to what we saw with Asphalt 8, no?

 

[despertador]

I'm still curious on what "Microsoft can do about this." You do realize that the developers get to set their own prices, not MS, right? I mean, come on, it's an app 'market', not "App Extensions Directly from Microsoft."!

 

[andrei_1998]

Windows Phone is 3% worldwide.
Why?
Because people seek free games and free apps.
If I see Asphalt 8 free on Android and on Wp it's paid, it's logic to buy Android.
Same thing if a man loves Angry Birds. He won't buy a WP to pay for the game, he'll buy an iOS.

 

[Poirots Progeny]

MS could incentivise by subsidising sales - got a lot of money to spend there