I think part of the about ten dollar limit is because a lot of the iTunes cards are 15$ ones, so if they were much higher you wouldn't even be able to sell to people that buy cards 15$ at a time.
Ouch it reduces the hope to have console quality games on iPhone. I don't know if you're meaning "Not any game deserves more than 10$" or "I don't have enough money to spend more than 10$ on games", though. But this reminds me of all the users complaints about great apps costing more than 5$. Considering the yearly hardware evolution of iPhone, this would mean lost horsepower.
I'm not so sure that sentiment is set in stone. I will tell you this, if the $10 barrier is to be broken, the app better have what the $9.99 games offer plus something that makes it remarkable. That product better not be something we can get for a lower price or it will fail.
For sure, or it will be considered as a scam But actually, titles are made on the 3GS hardware base, which is 1.5 x lower than the 4G, which will be 1.5x lower than 5G, etc ... Which means potentially 1.5 x better graphics than actual games. This could represent the plus you're claiming. (and don't forget that better graphics = higher costs) On another hand, even with actual hardware, it is possible to provide 20$ worth games. Current apps (even Gameloft ones) could be beautiful, fun, or whatever, they just lack of lifetime. In short, app prices will be totally dependant of their comparison with real console games. And Apple is giving more and more tools to achieve this.
The only problem with the iTunes store is kids can't go out and just purchase the game outright with money. They have to either get their parents credit card and give them the money, or go out and get a gift card.
"Hi, would you buy my lemonade? It's tasty and I need to sell fifty glass to buy a game for my iPod touch!"
1 Dollar per glass, 10 glasses = 10 dollars, 20 glasses = 20 dollars, 50 glasses = 50 dollars... I don't think you have to mention that your buying an iPod Touch game with it.
Well, get a sense of humor. Also, I don 't think lemonade stands are a possibility, maybe in the US, but noone does that here.
This tread it doesn't have any sense. You are a user and you don't understand really what mean do a game and what kind of cost it need for develop a game. I've worked on the console videogames industries at many games and what i can say to you, it cost many years, a lot's of people, and a lot of professionality of many really good artists and programmer. For a game like GTA4 or call of duty modern walfare 2 a developer have to spend something like 3 milion $ and sometime more only for the production. And only some of this games they make a lot of money on selling it. If you think a games cost 45$ where a 70% go to the publisher and the rest to the developer, where the publisher have to spent a lot for make the advertise for let know to you that game it will go out to the shop soon. If you think usually a game for xbox it sell 100 000 copy(not a best seller), he make 4 500 000 $ than a net of 1 500 000 $. than not enought for make a new game without making debts. For iPhone games it is possible to make it cost less because the cost of developing are smaller than a AAA title for console, but now for make good money you have to spent a lot of money in advertising because now are more than 100 000 apps on the AppStore than the profit margin is less than the past. For example my app i've spent more than 2000 $ and i've made only 50$ on the app store and it cost only 1,99$. Than for and this monologue you have to understand making games is a game and the people have to eat and the cost of the games is right compared to the amount of energy an money it need for do it.
I gotta chime in... Ok, so this discussion has been going on since the app store got started. And I remember the exact same ideas being floated in August of 2008. So I jumped on the iphone ship and sold my PSP. I simply bet that the games would get better and better and that the quality would rise very quickly. Sooooooo... bottom line.... I just (re)bought the PSP Go recently. I waited and waited and the AAA games just barely trickled into the app store. Don't get me wrong. I will always want my 3GS iphone to get in a quick gaming session at the doctor's office. But I now realize that I need both devices. The iphone does not produce enough true AAA titles. The EA and Gameloft games are good, but they never last long enough. I get bored after a few days. I want games to sink my teeth into on the go. The PSP delivers and I am afraid that the iphone never will. Sad but true. I wanted so badly to be a one device man. It did not work. I now have both and I feel like I can have a more complete gaming experience on the go. So to answer the original question- NO. I do not think the iphone will ever support $40 games. And trust me, it is not all about packaging and cellophane. There is more to it. It is more emotional and mental than logical. The iphone is a phone. There is an emotional and mental barrier for $40 games. Feelings can be more important than overhead costs, let's be honest. Gaming is deeply visceral. For many of us, it has defined parts of our life. The iphone will never be and can never be a gaming device that demands $30-$40 for a game. And it hurts me to say that...
Yes it is true, but the other things, the real problem is the iPhone it isn't a "console" really powerful. it is in a midleway from the nintendo ds and the psp but it doesn't have enought hardware power for support really complex games. It is a phone and the 90 % of cosumer are people who play usally the games, they aren't hard core gamer than it's impossible they will pay 40 $ for a phone games. If you think iFart is one of the most selled app you can understand it's not the right place where find AAA title.
I agree, dedicated devices will always be stronger. The OP has a 2 part question. He didn't specify what consule. I would be happy with PS1/2 quality. I think it's possible. So the question what will it take. Can the iPhone/Pod actually be that good?
