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[michaelplzno]

I've spoken with about 10 people who are extremely insistent that "you gotta make apps free."

I've done it, and it didn't help for squat. I've made so many free things, lol. I can tell you that someone who says "make it free then you'll get some customers" has their head up their rear when it comes to marketing. That somehow flipping that "free" switch is going to get the app discovered.

I just wanted to put a little note here that some genius who says "oh if you just give a few levels for free then have an in-app purchase for the rest of the game" or worse "sell energy gems based on how long users play" these people are not helpful and have no experience dealing with marketing.

I know there is *some* truth to making it easier to access the app. But I have some browser games that do not even require installation and those aren't jumping onto people's phones magically.

I also love how the same people who talk about making app access easier, also talk about how it should need to be installed over the app store (which requires authentication and extra steps compared to a browser game.)

Sadly, I have so many people who tell me to just build some trashy thing based on so called "best practices" that doom the project from the start and make it so unpleasant to work on. But if you are a gamedev it's a twofer, when someone needs help, you can give them bad advice and if they don't take it, then it's their fault.

Sigh. So many people have no clue how this all works, even people who have hits. They really think it's their own smartness that beat the system.

[michaelplzno]

MY LIFE IRL:

[Foxwarrior]

I also love how the same people who talk about making app access easier, also talk about how it should need to be installed over the app store (which requires authentication and extra steps compared to a browser game.)

Well, if it is an app and not a web game, then providing it over the app store does lull people into a (possibly not false) sense of security compared to having them download an app from a website and install it. Not feeling like they might be downloading a virus reduces stress which makes the process easier on them despite any extra steps.

But yeah there are lots of free games out there, countless ones released on itch.io every day, you do still need more than being free to stand out.

[michaelplzno]

I mean games you can play without installing in a web browser. For some reason, if they are in the app store that is better?

like .io games you can just play. Somehow those are bad?