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Comment by phatbyte | Hacker News Reader

As a developer and mostly as a gamer I find IAP a cancer, not just regarding the app store but on gaming console as well with all those DLC.

As a gamer I feel like I don't actually own the game, I've installed it and all, but it's like this feeling of not being "safe" and confortable while playing it. I'm always expecting to find some stupid option to request my credit card in order to upgrade my weapons or some levels so I can finish the game.

We shouldn't be loosing this sort of honesty in gaming, just give it a price for the whole thing and get out of my way.

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Wonderfully put. As a developer working hard on an iOS game I feel exactly the same way.

Back in the day loading a video game was a very private, safe almost sacred experience. The world melts away and it's just you in the fantasy world the game presents to you.

For this reason I'm going with the boring old model of pay once, own the game. Everything I read says free + IAP is the way to go for maximum return, but I really feel something crucial is lost when you make the player contemplate their credit card bill while supposedly experiencing escapism.

I will almost on principle not buy IAP games.

When I see IAP I tag the games mentally as.

1. Not caring about gameplay. 2. Make all interactions designed to get me to an IAP.

Its way bad for me, as I like strategy/simulataion games, and most of them on IOS have IAP.

I wish you the best of luck on your game, I still believe there's plenty of people like us who feel this way as well. I look at Limbo, Braid or Meat Boy, and they get it. They are great games with no BS.

I don't mind iap for other type of apps, in fact, it's a cool thing, you select only the features you need and you upgrade accordingly. But on games, it's crap, and it must go away.

Thanks for the kind wishes, and yeah it's something I feel pretty strongly about.

There are obvious problems going this way (how do you get people past the hurdle of paying for a game they haven't played?) but it just feels... better.

It also seems like a better way to build trust between the developer and the player. The way I see it is if you've taken the risk and bought my game, I love you! We're best friends now! So here's the best damn game I can give you for trusting me enough to pay for it.

And then hopefully they'll come back for the sequel.

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