THE PROBLEM
Recently, the freemium business model has taken over the app store. In 2010, about 80% of the apps on the app store were free apps while the other 20% were paid apps. However, by 2013, games that were labeled as “free” were taking up 90% of the apps (Swrve). In just three years, there was a 10% increase in the quantity of free apps versus the quantity of paid apps.
The increase in the number of free apps may have been influenced by the success of freemium games such as “Clash of Clans” and “Candy Crush”, both of which were released during 2012. Furthermore, in 2013, micro-transactions from the top two hundred apps in Apple’s Appstore grew from 77% to 92% of the App Store’s total revenue (Psychguides).
Despite the fact that freemium games have found major success in the Appstore in recent years, it is not well received in the public’s eyes. These games have suffered public backlash because of how they attempt to use psychological factors (limiting the amount of progress one can achieve in a day by using a timed stamina system, or releasing harder content that frustrates a casual player) to manipulate players into purchasing micro-transactions.
The purpose of this website is to explain why freemium applications do not deserve the amount of negative criticism that they currently get, and how they contribute to the increasing success of the app store. Click below to dive into the arguments.
The increase in the number of free apps may have been influenced by the success of freemium games such as “Clash of Clans” and “Candy Crush”, both of which were released during 2012. Furthermore, in 2013, micro-transactions from the top two hundred apps in Apple’s Appstore grew from 77% to 92% of the App Store’s total revenue (Psychguides).
Despite the fact that freemium games have found major success in the Appstore in recent years, it is not well received in the public’s eyes. These games have suffered public backlash because of how they attempt to use psychological factors (limiting the amount of progress one can achieve in a day by using a timed stamina system, or releasing harder content that frustrates a casual player) to manipulate players into purchasing micro-transactions.
The purpose of this website is to explain why freemium applications do not deserve the amount of negative criticism that they currently get, and how they contribute to the increasing success of the app store. Click below to dive into the arguments.