Gameloft has returned to its traditional lite/full pricing structure for its recent games following a try at releasing them using a more contemporary ‘freemium’ model. Both Sacred Odyssey and Starfront: Collision were released by Gameloft earlier this year as free limited versions for users to download and try which could then be upgraded to the full version using an in-app purchase (IAP) instead of downloading a separate app.
Negative comments in the App Store revealed that many customers did not respond positively to this model, with criticisms ranging from users mistakenly believing that they would need to repurchase the game every time they reinstalled it to others feeling the game was far too large for a trial version. Gameloft’s UK marketing manager, Callum Rowley indicated to PocketGamer that the company had received feedback from “many players who did not feel comfortable with the new free model with in-app purchases” and as a result the company decided to release “the classical, full versions that players are used to buying.” Rowley noted that the freemium IAP versions will remain on the App Store to provide users with a choice of whichever “purchasing experience” they prefer.
The full version of Starfront: Collision is available now on the App Store for $7. The full version is identical to the freemium version with the in-app purchase, which remains available on the App Store.
