The Pinball Arcade will be The AppStores App of The Week!!!

[dtown8532]

Hey fellow ios users. I urge everyone to write some new app reviews since its getting some bashing for not giving EVERYTHING for free. People are being completely unrealistic in thinking that they shouldn't have to pay for the other tables. I've revised my older review and reposted it expressing my thoughts on the above.

 

[emb531]

Hey fellow ios users. I urge everyone to write some new app reviews since its getting some bashing for not giving EVERYTHING for free. People are being completely unrealistic in thinking that they shouldn't have to pay for the other tables. I've revised my older review and reposted it expressing my thoughts on the above.

Yea, I feel bad for FS. Majority of people downloading App of the Week are cheap and want everything free. Most of them know nothing about pinball and how much time/effort it takes to make these re-creations of tables. And they don't realize you can play the free version of all the tables as well, it just limits how high you can score. I'm not sure if this was the best idea for the iOS world of Pinabll Arcade...

 

[Kevlar]

As long as there are some new players, and I'm sure there will be many then it will have been worth it.

 

[Gord Lacey]

I downloaded the app on the US store, wrote a review, and went through and said "NO" for "is this review helpful" for any of the negative reviews (and "yes" for the positive ones).

 

[starck]

Yea, I feel bad for FS. Majority of people downloading App of the Week are cheap and want everything free. Most of them know nothing about pinball and how much time/effort it takes to make these re-creations of tables. And they don't realize you can play the free version of all the tables as well, it just limits how high you can score. I'm not sure if this was the best idea for the iOS world of Pinabll Arcade...

*rememer, this is being featured as the FREE app of the week, for whatever reason*

I generally agree, although I think the description of the app is sparse at best and gives you little info on how the system works. If you don't want people to complain, you've got to outline what's included and what must be purchased separately. If they wanted better reviews they should have actually put some damn time, effort, and formatting into the app's description. IMO I don't feel bad for Farsight. In life you get out what you put in (sorry, harsh but trying to be constructive). It's pretty easy to avoid these kinds of negative reviews on the app store.

Right now the free version(one featured) lists the tables 'available within the game' and says that TOTAN is unlocked. You've got to remember that many people skim the description. Descriptions of apps with in app purchases should be fully outlined in a simplistic manner in the description. Right now it's extremely vague. And remember the app store consumer base consists of ALL types of people...many of which are a bit...immature....

In general, the consumers that reside in the app store see pushy in-app purchases as 'poor form' unless they're explained explicitly prior to download. I tend to agree. This sentiment stems from a number of (completely different) apps which engineer their games with 'optional' in app purchases that, in reality, are actually 'essential' purchases if one wants to fully complete the game.

End of the day, IMO, it's always best to outline the rules of engagement- at a veryyyy low reading/comprehension level.

It also doesn't help that Farsight's demo/purchasing system is a bit sketchy and once you reach that demo high score, you're either forced to buy or quit the game. I see no problem with this other than the fact that a consumer should know how said system works beforehand, so you don't get reviews saying, 'aw Jeeze this isn't free it's a scam!' etc.


Eh, there's my musings on the whole deal. A bit of a rant. As someone who has extensively studied (and continues to study) psychology, human memory/cognition, neuropsych, etc. and beyond, I'm always analyzing this stuff in the back of my head. (I knew something was going on up there after all!). Should have gone into marketing or consulting; too bad those jobs tend to be a bit evil.

Anyways! Glad they made 'app of the week.' New players are a good thing! TPA is finally getting the exposure it deserves on the app store. And that makes me happy

 

[Gord Lacey]

It's interesting you bring that up, starck, and I agreed with your reasoning until I decided to check "Pinball HD Collection" from Gamprom; a free pinball game that features in-app purchases for the tables.

http://appshopper.com/games/pinball-hd-collection-for-iphone

Their description makes no mention at all of the in-app purchases for the tables. It also makes no mention of the demo time limit for the tables.

 

[Heretic]

im a cheap bastard but i will pay for quality, its as simple as that, finding one (so far ive two!go me)great dev on any system is usually good thing these days.

with all the dodgy iap stuff out there you cant blame people for being wary.

the replay value is almost untouchable very few companies can claim that for any game....and its a single player game how novel..heh stopped playing the fps after they became online only which is fine with friends but the rest?

i dont wanna say my opinions better than anyone elses but anyone who didnt rate it at least 3 stars has no taste whatsoever!

 

[Dumpstar]

Probably be better if each table had at least 5 credits in it already, then went to the demo mode so people had a little more time to try before they buy, or say 20 credits all up to use on any of the machines, which should be enough for people to look around. Might even open up a different revenue streams once plenty of tables exists, selling credits that can be inserted in each table,say 50 credits for $1 or something, instead of having to buy each table outright (though you should always have that option to buy a table). It would also make the lucky special pop at end of game a little more exciting for those playing via the credits method.

 

[Gord Lacey]

I've thought of that as well, Dumpstar. It would certainly change the "free" version of the game, and they could award a free credit every day or two to keep people playing.

But, would that complicate things as well? Now the tables aren't in "free" mode, so the ROM settings have to be changed, and would app store people be more annoyed with having to buy credits (or the option of it being there)?

 

[Jake Lopez]

Reading all the support you guys are showing us on here is amazing. Thank you all so much, makes the job worth while to know that at least true PinBall fans are appreciating what we're doing over here. You all bring up good points, too. Gord, your idea is especially an interesting one. Do you mean a system similar to that of the game Scramble? I don't know if you've ever played that, but basically every few hours you receive coins to play a round, and if you run out you can buy more or just wait till more come in. It's a very interesting idea, I like it!! But you're also correct in whether people will really want to buy credits or something of that sort. As always thanks for the great ideas and info!! Keep 'em coming!! I will always pass ideas along. Whether or not they go much further is out of my hands LOL but I will always try!!
Thanks again everyone!!!

 

[Dumpstar]

I suppose the credits idea was one just because down the track you will have 20 or so pinballs to buy, and given they cost approx AU$3 to buy, to get all the tables would cost AU$60 (with 20 tables available) which is a pretty steep entry point to play them all if you missed out on the free month, but if you had a choice to buy credits instead, you could still enjoy all the tables, and then if you like particular ones, you would still have the option to buy those ones. The Capcom & Atari arcade application uses this method (gives you some introductory credits so you can enjoy the machines, option to buy each game, and option to buy credits so you can enjoy the ones you haven't bought yet).

I suppose you just have to find the right balance between what each credit package should be worth, verus buying a table outright.

Other benefits are that those who are buying tables, if there were 5 intro credits in a table, would get more of an understanding of whether they would like to buy that one. I find the demo mode a little frustrating to evaluate if I would like to buy it or not. That said, I do own all the tables released so far but that's cause I love pinball, and what you guys are doing. I find the AU$5.50 I pay each month a small price to pay for this to continue (Plus I know you will soon hit on some of my favorite tables ever). But I could see those who are unsure having a little doubt whether they should invest or not.

And with each update, you could restock those 5 credits in unpurchased machines, to give them another opportunity to evaluate whether they would like to buy a table.

Maybe even make it that instead of an extra ball for getting getting the replay on unpurchased machines, it does award an extra credit, same with specials. They can still contribute to achieving goals, and high scores etc, but it's much harder if they don't recieve an extra ball where a replay would be awarded. It also makes them feel they are part of the community, and people just love to achieve goals, high scores etc.

Probably a link to this forum in the about us section should be included to give them an opportunity to find out more about each pinball, and something along the lines of hints and tips that are available.

 

[Gord Lacey]

Yes, Jake, similar idea. You could get one credit a day (or one credit every day you open the app, so you don't stack them), which you could use to play a table of your choice. If you earn a high score, or match the numbers at the end, those credits would be saved. You'd also have the option of buying credits (5 credits for $1? 10 credits for $1?).

 

[Dumpstar]

I've thought of that as well, Dumpstar. It would certainly change the "free" version of the game, and they could award a free credit every day or two to keep people playing.

But, would that complicate things as well? Now the tables aren't in "free" mode, so the ROM settings have to be changed, and would app store people be more annoyed with having to buy credits (or the option of it being there)?

I think I outlined how free credits should work pretty well in the post above. Really you would just have 2 versions of the game, one with credits which would be the default version of the game which works like a pinball in an arcade, with pops awarding another credit, and once you buy a table, you get a version which has the ROM changed to award extra balls instead of free games. I can't see that being too much of a challenge to overcome.

 

[Dumpstar]

Yes, Jake, similar idea. You could get one credit a day (or one credit every day you open the app, so you don't stack them), which you could use to play a table of your choice. If you earn a high score, or match the numbers at the end, those credits would be saved. You'd also have the option of buying credits (5 credits for $1? 10 credits for $1?).

The Capcom app used to give you 3 credits per 24hr period to sample the machines (credits where applied overall, not per machine). So maybe that is an option which would be better used. Though 1 credit per day would probably be better as I found my wants for the capcom machines where satisfied by the 3 credits per day, though I had beaten all those machines to death, and can play them on mame at home for free, something you cannot do with this pinball app, well not to the quality that these are at.

 

[Gord Lacey]

Right, the problem I meant was that right now the ROMs are set to "free play," and there would have to be a way to change that, since "free play" would be for those that bought the table, and everyone else would have the standard "credits" settings on the ROM, like in an arcade. It's probably simple for them to code, but it's still something that would have to be done.

 

[PiN WiZ]

One free credit a day, non accumulating, for one unlimited free play of any available table sounds adequate enough to allow people to try different tables without getting cut short and at the same time have them keep The Pinball Arcade on their device. They'll eventually breakdown and start buying the tables they want to avoid having to wait 24hrs. for another credit.

Also, these free credits should be written into the game code and not necessarily have to come from the actual ROM. The ROM doesn't need to be altered to make this work.

The key is to get people to install The Pinball Arcade on their device and give them a reason to leave it there. The purchases will soon follow.

If FarSight decides to go this route, they should discontinue the Table of the Month.

 

[Supermans]

One free credit a day, non accumulating, for one unlimited free play of any available table sounds adequate enough to allow people to try different tables without getting cut short and at the same time have them keep The Pinball Arcade on their device. They'll eventually breakdown and start buying the tables they want to avoid having to wait 24hrs. for another credit.

Also, these free credits should be written into the game code and not necessarily have to come from the actual ROM. The ROM doesn't need to be altered to make this work.

The key is to get people to install The Pinball Arcade on their device and give them a reason to leave it there. The purchases will soon follow.

If FarSight decides to go this route, they should discontinue the Table of the Month.

The way it is set up currently is fine. They have one free table a month which is great, and people can try out all the tables already up until they reach a certain score. This means newbies can play a table until they get good enough to reach the cutoff point, and then they decide if they want to buy that table. Being able to play a single table for one month is a bonus. All the apps that have one coin to play every 24 hours is really stupid and gets me to unninstal immediately.

 

[Ben Belden]

The way it is set up currently is fine. They have one free table a month which is great, and people can try out all the tables already up until they reach a certain score. This means newbies can play a table until they get good enough to reach the cutoff point, and then they decide if they want to buy that table. Being able to play a single table for one month is a bonus. All the apps that have one coin to play every 24 hours is really stupid and gets me to unninstal immediately.

I have to say, I agree completely with what you said here. I've bought every DLC pack that has come out without even trying the tables first and that's what I plan to continue doing in the future. I don't know about most people on this forum, but I'm assuming as pinball fans and Pinball Arcade fans they have a similar mindset. Who would be the primary target for this credit system? Is it for pinball fans who don't have the money to buy the tables each month? There is no way I would ever spend money on credits to play a game when they are going to be used up and then I'll have spent money on something that I no longer have access too. I can't imagine any rational consumer would spend money on an IAP of 5 or 10 credits when for $1-$2 more they could just buy the tables. The only people who would benefit from a credit system are either people who want access to the full versions of the table but don't want to actually pay for them or people who are going to open the app once or twice a week, play a few times, and then forget about it.

I don't mean to be insulting to anyone who likes the idea or those of you who suggested it, I'm just saying that I am more than happy paying for the tables each month and continuing to do so until they stop being released. If FarSight wanted to add a credit system and allow me to continue buying them just them same, I'd have no issue with it. Then again, based on the ridiculous level or confusion just between the free version and the paid version and the complaints about the paid version not being free from the general population of the App Store now that it is App of The Week, I can only imagine the reviews and whining that would come out of people buying credits and not knowing what they were paying for if there were even more options.

 

[PiN WiZ]

The credit system is not aimed at pinball fanatics such as ourselves or intended to take the place of actually purchasing the tables outright, it's aimed at those who complain that they can't play a full game of all available tables to see if they would even be interested in purchasing them.

 

[Supermans]

I have to say, I agree completely with what you said here. I've bought every DLC pack that has come out without even trying the tables first and that's what I plan to continue doing in the future. I don't know about most people on this forum, but I'm assuming as pinball fans and Pinball Arcade fans they have a similar mindset. Who would be the primary target for this credit system? Is it for pinball fans who don't have the money to buy the tables each month? There is no way I would ever spend money on credits to play a game when they are going to be used up and then I'll have spent money on something that I no longer have access too. I can't imagine any rational consumer would spend money on an IAP of 5 or 10 credits when for $1-$2 more they could just buy the tables. The only people who would benefit from a credit system are either people who want access to the full versions of the table but don't want to actually pay for them or people who are going to open the app once or twice a week, play a few times, and then forget about it.

I don't mean to be insulting to anyone who likes the idea or those of you who suggested it, I'm just saying that I am more than happy paying for the tables each month and continuing to do so until they stop being released. If FarSight wanted to add a credit system and allow me to continue buying them just them same, I'd have no issue with it. Then again, based on the ridiculous level or confusion just between the free version and the paid version and the complaints about the paid version not being free from the general population of the App Store now that it is App of The Week, I can only imagine the reviews and whining that would come out of people buying credits and not knowing what they were paying for if there were even more options.

This week, Farsight has been asked by apple to remove their free version while the 99 cent version became free for App of the week status. I assume apple is paying Farsight the 99 cents for every one sold this week. With that said, this is the perfect opportunity for Farsight to get rid of the free version altogether. It is already gone, all they need to do is send an e-mail out to everyone who purchased tables with an itunes giftcard code having the amount they need to repurchase the tables for the AOTW version. This way Farsight gets the monkey off their shoulder and stops the confusion and most of the bad reviews they have been getting. I agree that a coin system doesn't make sense and am glad it isn't used.