iOS - Bug iOS and Pinball Arcade on multiple devices

[MadScience2006]

The following was posted to the Facebook page but thought I'd repost it here to aid others in this issue.

MadScience2006 wrote:
Does the iOS purchase of a single table (in this case, Black Hole) only apply to the device it was purchased with? I just purchased on the new iPad(3) & despite "restoring purchases" on my iPhone 4 (tied to the exact same iTunes account), the table does not show up as being purchased. Do I have to purchase *again* on the iPhone 4? I've already purchased the PSP version (UMD), the PS3 version & now the iOS version...this is already 3 purchases of the same game/table. From what I can tell, every game I've purchased on iOS allows multiple devices (I believe up to 4) to run the same game.

A:
I have an Ipod touch and IPad--When I download a new table on one or the other, it is available on the other. Should be that way for you as well.

MadScience2006 wrote:
Thanks for the info...but try as I may, I cannot get the purchased table (purchased on the iPad 3) to work as a purchased table (not a score limited demo) on the iPhone 4 despite totally uninstalling from all iDevices (and the PC in iTunes), redownloading/installing and restoring purchases. All purchases are made on all my iDevices (iPhone 4, iPad 2, iPad 3) using the same AppleID. I have not yet tried the iPad 2 (which I will later today)...we shall see if that works or not. Any other suggestions are welcomed.

MadScience2006 wrote:
My issue has been resolved. Searching the Farsight forums, I found that there are *two versions* out there. A "$.99" cent version and a "free" version, BOTH of which I have downloaded/purchased and are in my iTunes purchases and library. It turns out that when I purchased the Black Hole table on the iPad3, it was purchased using the "free" version, NOT my "$.99 cent" version. Downloading the "free" version on the iPhone and restoring the purchases resolved the issue.

A:That already should be possible, unless they broke it again in the latest release.

MadScience2006 wrote:
Well, if it was broken that way in the past, it's apparently "broken again" since this involves the most recent v1.1.9 released yesterday. Table purchased using the "free" version does NOT work nor restore as a purchase using the "$.99 cent" version. I don't know about the other way around...it may be broken in that scenario as well.

Now why on earth are there two versions, thus causing this confusion? Can this be corrected so that BOTH the "$.99 cent" version and the "free" version both allow you to correctly restore previous purchases?

EDIT #1: For those looking for a solution, make sure you use the correct version of the app for the Restore Purchases to work correctly:

1. If you purchased tables using the "$.99 cent" version, use that same version when you restore your purchases

2. If you purchased tables using the "free" version, again, use that same version when you restore your purchases

3. If you used both versions ("$.99 cent" & "free") to purchase multiple tables, you may need to install/use/restore purchases in both versions. Seems this has happened in the past and was resolved. Now in the newest version, it's happening again.

EDIT #2
Having the "free" version installed on the iPhone 4 and working with my restored purchase (Black Hole), I just now downloaded/installed the "$.99 cent" version alongside the "free" version and found that my restored purchase was automatically applied to the "$.99 cent" version which did not required downloading of the table nor a purchase restore when running that particular version. Both versions are coexisting with each other and are playing the same restored purchase.

So either the issue was online at Farsight's end or having both apps installed fixes it.

 

[Gord Lacey]

The App Store treats the free and paid versions as being different apps (which they are). This isn't a bug, it's the way the App Store works.

 

[MadScience2006]

Maybe not a bug per se, but it's confusing nonetheless (If you want to remove the "Bug" from the topic title, feel free since I could not).

If I would've made the table purchase using the "$.99 cent" version rather than the "free" version, would the situation then be reversed? Regardless, this makes no logical sense to me. To resolve it, both the "$.99 cent" version and the "free" version should be entitled to use the same purchases without the user having to figure out which version the table(s) were purchased with.

Question: Is there any difference between the "$.99 cent" & the "free" version? I could find no difference other than the app size and when I purchased, I don't believe there was even a "free" version (I could be wrong here). Any insight on the difference? What did the "$.99 cent" version get you over the "free"? If there is no difference, what's the point of having both? Thanks

 

[Heretic]

I use the paid version just fine between different stuff.mi think its actually cheaper for the first four tables onnthe free version if bought together, not entirely sure.

3 squids a month to feed my addiction, bargin!

I was only gonna buy blackhole....

 

[Gord Lacey]

I think they wanted to have games that appeared on both the paid and the free app store charts. I believe they've since realized there's confusion with the two apps, but there isn't much they can do about it now.

They've always had a free and paid version, except the free version was removed from the App Store for the week that Pinball Arcade was featured by Apple (and was free at that time).

 

[Jeff Strong]

All the tables I've paid for are unlocked in both the paid and free versions of the app, so it shouldn't matter which app you have installed.

 

[MadScience2006]

The issue has been 100% resolved. I'll also assume it was on Farsight's end on the purchase authentication but now I have no way to verify anything since everything is working as it should.

1. I just now totally wiped out & uninstalled the apps (both paid & free)
2. I reinstalled only the paid version
(I had previously performed both above steps numerous times)
3. My restored purchases were *already in place*. I only needed to redownload the table.

Earlier this morning/last night, this was NOT the case as evidenced by my original post.

 

[heddhunter]

To resolve it, both the "$.99 cent" version and the "free" version should be entitled to use the same purchases without the user having to figure out which version the table(s) were purchased with.

There's nothing FarSight can do about it, this is how the App Store works. It would be up to Apple to provide an option to let different apps share purchase data. Right now they do not.

 

[boffer]

The issue has been 100% resolved. I'll also assume it was on Farsight's end on the purchase authentication but now I have no way to verify anything since everything is working as it should.

1. I just now totally wiped out & uninstalled the apps (both paid & free)
2. I reinstalled only the paid version
(I had previously performed both above steps numerous times)
3. My restored purchases were *already in place*. I only needed to redownload the table.

Earlier this morning/last night, this was NOT the case as evidenced by my original post.

Thank you for starting this thread, much appreciated. Same situation here, unfortunately this solution did not work for me. I have previously purchased almost every table on my ipad, I'm trying to load them on my iphone. I wiped all versions of the app from my iphone and reinstalled only the paid version (also tried this with the free version when the paid didn't work). When I open the app, only TOTAN is restored for some randomly odd reason. Every other table says Buy Now. When I try another table (other than TOTAN), it asks would I like to restore my purchased tables, I say yes please, I enter my password, and get the dreaded - "Could Not Sign In. An unknown error has occurred. You must connect to the internet in order to download or purchase tables." (yes I am connected to the internet)

I'm hoping someone here, one of the mods or administrators perhaps, can shed some light on this. I don't know what else to try at this point. Thanks.

 

[MadScience2006]

@boffer

This solution was posted to me on the Pinball Arcade Facebook page:

Our app does restore purchases made under both versions of the game, the only caveat being that you need both versions of the game to transfer all of your purchases into one version. Once you have both versions, restore transactions on both, then you can delete the one you aren't using anymore and the other version will have all of your purchases.

Just to clarify: both versions means the free version along with the paid version *installed on the device at the same time*. After your purchases/tables are restored, you can delete one of the versions (seems like which one doesn't matter). This worked in my case. Give it a try.

 

[Jeff Strong]

There's nothing FarSight can do about it, this is how the App Store works. It would be up to Apple to provide an option to let different apps share purchase data. Right now they do not.

That used to be the case, but not any more. Now your purchased tables will be available in either one, or at least they should be if you follow those instructions that MadScience posted.

 

[boffer]

@boffer

This solution was posted to me on the Pinball Arcade Facebook page:



Just to clarify: both versions means the free version along with the paid version *installed on the device at the same time*. After your purchases/tables are restored, you can delete one of the versions (seems like which one doesn't matter). This worked in my case. Give it a try.

Thank you MadScience. I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but it's still not happening. I followed the same steps except this time I reinstalled both versions of the app on my iphone. No matter which one I then open, the only playable table is still TOTAN, with every other table giving me the errors (must connect to internet, etc). I promise I bought them all! Just about anyway, I don't know why TOTAN is consistently the only one that comes back.

I've tried several times this morning with every variation I can think of (rebooting the iphone before reinstalling, turning off game center, installing the two versions in different order, opening in different order). Your steps are so straight forward, I can't for the life of me figure out where I'm going wrong.

 

[Bonzo]

Isn't TotAN the table that comes with the paid app on iOS?

 

[MadScience2006]

No matter which one I then open, the only playable table is still TOTAN, with every other table giving me the errors (must connect to internet, etc).

Sounds more like internet connectivity issues to me through the App. Do you have any other issues with connectivity on your iDevice, like when using Safari, the App Store, Mail, etc? Try to power-cycle the iPad. Try a non-destructive reset (no apps, music, settings, etc will be lost):

With the iDevice on, press & hold both the Sleep/Wake button & the Home button until the Apple logo appears. Release and the iPad should boot normally (if you've already done this, disregard). Try again...

 

[boffer]

Isn't TotAN the table that comes with the paid app on iOS?

Oh is it? Ah, well that would at least explain why it's the only table that restores.

 

[boffer]

Sounds more like internet connectivity issues to me through the App. Do you have any other issues with connectivity on your iDevice, like when using Safari, the App Store, Mail, etc? Try to power-cycle the iPad. Try a non-destructive reset (no apps, music, settings, etc will be lost):

With the iDevice on, press & hold both the Sleep/Wake button & the Home button until the Apple logo appears. Release and the iPad should boot normally (if you've already done this, disregard). Try again...

Thanks! I'm having no internet connectivity issues other than with this app, I've actually tried these steps at both my office and at home, same result. And yes I've also tried the hard reboot. I just tried it again for good measure but no luck. The pinball gods are frowning upon me and my iphone.

Just to recap, I start by deleting any and all versions of pinball arcade off of my iphone (hold an icon until they all shake nervously, click the little X on both pinball arcade apps, confirm that I want to delete them completely). Sometimes I reboot the phone here, sometimes not, doesn't seem to matter. I then reinstall both paid and free versions of pinball arcade (doesn't seem to matter in which order). After installation I try opening one (doesn't seem to matter which one). TOTAN pops right up ready to play. I flip to any other table, they all say BUY NOW. I press start on any of them, I log in with my Apple ID, errors galore (Could Not Sign In, Unknown Error Has Occurred, You Must Connect To The Internet).

Maybe it's just one of those things that has no explanation. Last resort I'll just wipe the whole phone and restore it. Not sure I want these tables on my phone that badly.

 

[MadScience2006]

@boffer

You mentioned having all of the tables on the iPad. Are you getting those same iPhone errors on the iPad? But then again, if you have all the tables installed & they're working on the iPad, the device likely won't need to access the table/purchases restore function unless you wipe all of them from the iPad...and I don't know if I'd do that since you *may* run into the same issue on the iPad, then would have NO tables to play except for TOTAN...

One last thing, what models iPhone & iPad do you have and what iOS are they running?

 

[boffer]

@boffer

You mentioned having all of the tables on the iPad. Are you getting those same iPhone errors on the iPad? But then again, if you have all the tables installed & they're working on the iPad, the device likely won't need to access the table/purchases restore function unless you wipe all of them from the iPad...and I don't know if I'd do that since you *may* run into the same issue on the iPad, then would have NO tables to play except for TOTAN...

One last thing, what models iPhone & iPad do you have and what iOS are they running?

Yes correct, every table purchase I have made has been on my iPad 2, and all of those purchases were made when the device had iOS 5 on it. I have since upgraded to iOS 6, and the app/tables still seem to work fine, no errors or anything.

I previously had an iPhone 4 running iOS 5, and I did try to do this exact thing (load my tables onto the phone) but it didn't work. I got the same exact errors. I quickly gave up because I play mostly on my iPad anyway and didn't want to deal with it. When I recently upgraded to the iPhone 5, I decided to try this again, but it's the same story. That's when I discovered this forum and the very helpful people like yourself.

 

[MadScience2006]

When I recently upgraded to the iPhone 5, I decided to try this again, but it's the same story.

One last thing you can try (I'm pretty much out of ideas here), go into the Wi-Fi settings (Settings>Wi-Fi>(select your Wi-Fi network)>Blue Arrow) and make certain that your iPhone(s) match your iPad's settings exactly. There may be something in there that's different (I have no idea what) that's causing the issue.

Another idea (as my beta tester mode kicks in)...are you trying to download the content over the same means (Wi-Fi vs cell)? If not, download the content using the same connection if you can. If you are already using the same connection, try the other.

It still seems like a internet connection issue to me, thus those suggestions. Again, if you've already tried, disregard.

 

[Gord Lacey]

Could you possibly have a different iTunes Store account on the phone? I had a friend that was having weird issues with another app, and that's what it turned out to be. His phone was authorized to use apps from account A (so he could run the app), but all the details for buying on his phone was for account B. when he tried to restore purchases, it was trying to use account B, which tossed up a weird error.