Re: App Prices
 

im pretty much on the side of not caring that the iphone has many more users so the game costs less.

a lot of thats about feeling ripped off just cause i didnt buy the trendy device.

but i think every product has an intrinsic worth. and that worth doesnt change per device.

i suspect that angry birds intrinsic worth is closer to £3 than to 70pence . i think rovio made a commecial mistake giving iphone users pack 4&5 for free. and i will piss me off having to pay for them whereas iphone users didnt.

but rovio have also encouraged free level on the n900 something thats not possible on the iphone.

there now 15 additional free levels and who know what that might grow to. if we really want it to.

Re: App Prices
 

@cgarvie:
That is one point: that the seller can price their wares at a lower price point and still reap higher total revenue due to the sheer quantity.

But that is just half the story.

The competition is also MUCH MUCH MORE fierce on the iTunes shop. There are many good software houses with good games competing for the buyer's money and that puts pressure on the software price. One way that Rovio has chosen to give more value to their customers is to launch the level packs for free.

Re: App Prices
 

That's not a realistic scenario, though. There's not really a need to buy many apps, which was my point. You just buy the few that really stand out and meet your whims/needs where the free ones don't. You need to buy less so you can pay more for the ones you do buy.

I'm not arguing that apps should cost more on Maemo, just that they can and still reach the same demographic.

VGBA is free; the games are not free. You can't really compare piracy or deferred payment (ie bought the ROM originally for the console and now playing it in an emulator) with app prices. lol Tell me how much that ROM for the GBA would have cost you and then let's hear how $3 is too much for a game...

This is the way the "shareware" model has worked for decades now. Doom is the same way, yet many many people paid the $10 (i think it was) for the second half (well, 2/3).

I think Angry Birds is released with the same idea. If you like it, you buy the expansion to show your support and appreciation. If you don't, you're not obligated.

My feeling is that maemo will support a higher premium for, um, premium products for a long while. Perhaps if it gets to the point that it has a glut of commercial apps like the iPhone does, it won't, but for now people can grab 90+% of their needed apps for free and fork out $10 for a couple commercial ones.

Re: App Prices
 

The idea of expecting to pay $10-$30 for each mobile app, whatever generation you come from, is ludricrous. Certainly there may be some at that price point and beyond, navigation software for example, but they'd be few and far between.

The market will ultimately determine the future of the Ovi app store. If the average cost of an app is £3 then that's too high imo, the existing app market shows, again imo, that the apps that sell are the low cost, throw away type apps. Even if my device costs $500, it doesnt affect my purchase decision for every app I want to run on it. A bit of software or a game at £1 a download is not a big deal, if we dont like it we're not that bothered. When it hits £3,£5,+ you reach a pyschological point when it actually becomes a purchasing decision. At the moment Angry Birds doesn't have anything to compete against for our money, but it may do so soon. (though I don't think there will be much of an influx of games heading to the n900 anytime soon..)

Edit: In regards to n900 apps vs iphone prices, there's just so much more available on the iphone app store that software needs to be priced much more competitively. I am unsure how carrier costs etc paid to Nokia compare to Apple, if that affects the final price too.

Re: App Prices
 

I don't expect to pay anything for apps for my N900, and i don't. I paid a lot for the device because i knew it was open and i could get what i needed without spending more for it.

It doesn't mean i wouldn't buy Fallout 4 if it was released on it, but i would expect to pay $10+ for that, and rightfully so.

I guess it's a matter of expectations. When you say "mobile app", i suppose you are talking about a bite-sized app with bite-sized feature list. The problem is that the N900 isn't limited to "mobile apps", so there's no reason to expect the apps for it to be an order of magnitude cheaper than PC apps. Last i checked, many of those still go for a whole lot more than $1.

Maybe we'll see some "portable apps" in between the cell phone $1 specials and the desktop kitchen sink edition.

Remember, this isn't just about The Angry Birds (which could very well be a "mobile app"), it's about the pricing of apps for the N900.

Re: App Prices
 

I'm not an app guy. In fact I openly protest to not wanting to see what new Cr-app your Iphone has. However now that I have my n900 I openly run around showing people what it can do. Why am I not a hypocrite well while they are showing me games and toys I am showing them how I can use my Device to turn on their Television(irreco); connecting to it with ease; and then bringing up my computer at my office miles away to pull photos off to show them(rdesktop). The N900 is not a phone or a toy, its a computer. Having some games and what not is nice but I think the point of this machine is being missed/wasted if its point is "farting apps"

Re: App Prices
 

That is a very fair point :) comparing the two is a bit unfaire. howver i would still have been willing to pay for the VGBA itslef not the Roms

Yes but here you are your "support and appreciation" and paying the money and not even recieving the full game!


I have no interest in farting apps but i do think it is the commercial apps that are going to make Meamo or the plan of Meamo, n900+ a success or not. The general public which i beleive is the next step do not care, much, that you can change the tv. i imagine they care a lot more about getting for example in teh uk a rightmove app.

This allows you to save properties and view images the googkle map etc etc. this is the type of app I think people are interested in. If Angry birds is anything to go by this type of app is going to be bloody costly if a developer comes along :(

Re: App Prices
 

@Rapparee: Wow, what's with the hostility ;)

I just wanna say:

1. Commercial success is GOOD for a platform. It breathes life to its longevity, gaining more support (of the vendor, 3rd party apps and accessories...) more users means more needs and usecases are represented.. so on.

2. Apps need to be redesigned to be optimal for portable use.

Re: App Prices
 

[QUOTE=ysss;547875]@Rapparee: Wow, what's with the hostility ;)

QUOTE]

I just really hate that iphone! rofl!!!

Re: App Prices
 

[QUOTE=Rapparee;547886]It's not a religion (or marriage) :D

You don't have to pick one...

(While waiting for more development on the N900) I actually enjoy browsing for apps at iTunes shop from time to time and get plenty of good ideas from them. They even have apps for (scuba) diving; something rather niche that I need, that I don't expect to find unless their market is large enough to accommodate such specific needs.