Sponsored By

Letter from a fan...

A fan recently sent us an email praising us for remaining premium. We talk about pricing strategies all the time, but it's so great to receive positive feedback. It's one of those emails which keeps you going, so I asked his permission to re-blog it...

Leigh Harris, Blogger

May 13, 2014

3 Min Read
Game Developer logo in a gray background | Game Developer

We received an email from a fan recently which was simply a thank you note to us for not caving and going freemium. We talk about this stuff constantly behind the scenes, but at the end of the day it's emails like this (there are a great many which have similar themes) which make us certain we made the right decision. Perhaps some of our games in future will contain DLC or expansion packs or the like, but for TownCraft we feel we made the right choice.

Thanks so much to Carter for sending the email and for giving us permission to blog about it.

(Originally posted on the Flat Earth Games blog: http://www.flatearthgames.com.au/?p=787)

I’m finally spending time with Town Craft (purchased it for iPad a while ago). I have been playing on my iPhone, though I’m wondering if it would be easier with the bigger screen. Portability vs screen size - always a tough choice! Anyway, I wanted to thank you for making a great game with no in-app purchases and for continuing to support it. 

As an “old school gamer” (you know, the kind who spent hours perfecting his farm on Harvest Moon long before Facebook even existed), I am so disappointed that the industry has degraded to the point that IAP-driven “games” dominate the mobile market (referring to the ones that are essentially dressed up slot machines, not the ones that give a short trial and sell the full game via IAP). I so often read unfair negative comments about games like this one. “How can they charge $4.99?!? The game should be free or MAYBE $.99!” … the most common sentiments. It’s as if they expect developers to work for free, somehow magically supporting their families and finding fulfillment with no financial gain. They prefer to support unethical companies that prey on the obsessive traits of certain gamers. Shameful.

Every time I find a solid app - especially a game - with no or limited IAP’s, I appreciate just how much risk those developers have taken, how much income they have sacrificed in order to create great games for the rest of us, and how hard it is for them to continue to support these games in such a freemium-driven market. So it’s important that I take a few minutes to let you guys know that I’m enjoying your game, I appreciate your sacrifices, and I’m rooting for developers like you. I hope you’re able to continue creating great games like Town Craft. As long as you’re making them, I will continue supporting them.

Read more about:

2014Blogs
Daily news, dev blogs, and stories from Game Developer straight to your inbox

You May Also Like