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0 pointsmichaelt2y ago0 comments

> Wasn't that a reaction to users who refused to pay for games and just sideloaded them instead?

My impression at the time was that the supply of games in the app store was just too great, with hundreds of casual games being released every day. Thus driving down prices.

And Apple was more than happy to commoditise their complement; if 20 developers decided to clone Flappy Bird that was fine with Apple.

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GeekyBear2y ago

I'm talking about early standouts, not also rans. I think 2010's Infinity Blade pulled in two million dollars the first week, back when the user base of the devices were comparatively tiny.

People were willing to pay up front on iOS, but Android users just sideloaded, leading to Skinner box free-to-play games being the most reliable way to monetize.

smoldesu2y ago

Seems like an odd scapegoat. Apple themselves was promoting the iPhone with gachapon games earlier today, it's not like lootbox titles magically disappeared with good DRM. If anything, overly-strong DRM enforcement reinforces the power that lootbox-style games have over the user. It gives the developer more control over the runtime than the end-user, encouraging developers to extort the user however they can.

Sideloading makes piracy a service problem instead of a freedom one, and Apple knows their service can't compete on an unstacked deck.

GeekyBear2y ago

> Seems like an odd scapegoat.

Only if you expect developers and/or studios to work for no pay.

Why do you think we live in a world where you need an internet connection to play a single player game? Developers need a way to be sure you've paid up.

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GeekyBear2y ago

I'm talking about early standouts, not also rans. I think 2010's Infinity Blade pulled in two million dollars the first week, back when the user base of the devices were comparatively tiny.

People were willing to pay up front on iOS, but Android users just sideloaded, leading to Skinner box free-to-play games being the most reliable way to monetize.

smoldesu2y ago

Sideloading makes piracy a service problem instead of a freedom one, and Apple knows their service can't compete on an unstacked deck.

GeekyBear2y ago

> Seems like an odd scapegoat.

Only if you expect developers and/or studios to work for no pay.

Why do you think we live in a world where you need an internet connection to play a single player game? Developers need a way to be sure you've paid up.

2 more replies

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse