When the app store was first born, there were quite a few great free applications. Facebook, AIM, and especially Aurora Feint all come to mind. But now the free apps on the App Store are mainly “Lite” versions of paid applications. Sure, it’s a smart move financially, but does it always make sense, and is it always necessary?
In the past week, AIM posted an update to its one free AIM application, telling users they now owned AIM Lite, which would be riddled with ads. They could purchase regular AIM if they so choose, and get rid of the ads. The same thing happened with Aurora Feint once the developers started making spinoffs and new versions. Owners of the full-featured “Free” app all of the sudden found themselves with a “Lite” copy of Aurora Feint 2, now with 100% more advertising.
I’m not saying “lite” apps are a bad idea. If you have a product that you have always planned to charge for, it’s nice to make a lite version for users to try out. However, when you have an established free product and you suddenly change it so it is an ad-filled “lite” app, it seems kind of greedy. If you want to upsell people to a new, costly application, don’t cripple the free version. Instead, make the paid version that much better. Make it have its own worth, rather than just being the non-ad version of the app. I know I’m not going to be buying AIM Plus for that very reason.
Hey Adam,
It's Jason Citron, one of the developers of Aurora Feint. You've made some very thoughtful commentary on Lite app versions. I'd like to point out that in Aurora Feint II: Lite, we haven't crippled anything from our previous free game. We've actually added a ton of new features (profiles, walls, better buddy lists, six new in-game powers, cooler art, etc.). The unfortunate truth is that we need to pay for our server costs and salaries so we can keep AF running and bring you guys new games. And to do that we need people to support us by purchasing our games!
I hope that everyone will continue to enjoy our free games and that our ads will serve as a gentle reminder that we need everyone's support.
Thanks for being thoughtful,
- Jason