Tag: Freemium »

Deadman's Cross has recently received an update that adds in some new features. These include the USS Claypool hunting ground, and 39 new Deadmen. Additionally, it has two new abilities, and usability functions have been improved.

We had an opportunity to review the app earlier this year; it is available for free (with optional in-app purchases) on the App Store.

- The USS Claypool hunting ground has been added.
- 39 new Deadmen have been added.
- 2 new abilities have been added.
- The skip feature has been added to battles that take place while on search jobs.
- Interrupted downloads now resume from the point at which they were interrupted, rather than beginning anew.
- A simple tap interface has been added for switching Deadmen in and out on the horde editing screen.
- Tapping an ability in the ability list interface now shows its details.
- An Info button has been added to the ability screen.
- The amount of EXP a Deadman will gain from feeding is now shown before the feeding is executed.

After Phil Hassey's release of BREAKFINITY, the fast-paced endless Breakout game, he's taking another stab at the world of free games: by releasing a free version of Dynamite Jack, his explosive 2012 action game - creatively entitled Dynamite Jack Free. While plenty of developers are starting to release free ad-supported games thanks to Flappy Bird's success, this is one of the bigger attempts at such a release. As such, I spoke to Phil Hassey about what he's doing with Dynamite Jack Free.

148Apps: Many of the games that have gone with the free-with-ads route are simpler games: ones like Flappy Bird, and your own BREAKFINITY. Why take this route with a deeper game like Dynamite Jack? Was BREAKFINITY's performance a motivator in this regard?

Phil Hassey: Dynamite Jack came out almost two years ago, so it's sales have run down pretty thin at this point. Since I did all the work to set up ads in BREAKFINITY it was pretty trivial to set up Dynamite Jack with the same thing.

I am really curious how well it will do. It's definitely totally different from your typical ad supported game. I guess we'll find out soon enough if the free crowd is ready for this kind of experience or not!

148Apps: Why did you go with the continues-as-monetization IAP system?

Phil Hassey: I'm not really an ad monetization guru or anything, since BREAKFINITY is my first ad supported game, and it's only been out for over a month. Over the past year I had given thought to doing a F2P version of Dynamite Jack, with various ideas like "buying bombs" or whatever. However, changes like that would have seriously impacted the gameplay in ways I wasn't too excited about.

So doing the continues is nice, because it doesn't change the gameplay at all. If anything it makes the death experience sightly more intense because the penalty for death is greater than in the paid version of the game. I think the monetization will actually make the game have a slightly greater emphasis on stealth than the paid version.

148Apps: You have an IAP for unlimited continues for $4.99. Was there any thought given to making this a higher price than what the main game is available for?

Phil Hassey: About 6 months ago I changed the iOS price to $4.99 for the paid version. So the IAP for unlimited continues just matches that. I upped the price on Dynamite Jack because I think it's a solid game and people definitely get their $4.99 of entertainment out of it. Some of the players who have gotten into the game have played for hundreds of hours thanks to the community maps.

148Apps: Is there a particular threshold where you see this being worth the time and effort put into it?

Phil Hassey: I really only spent a couple days putting this together, so it doesn't need to do a whole lot to break even on my time. But really, in terms of being an experiment with how well a hard-core iOS game works in the ad supported market, the answer to the question "Will this work at all?" is going to be worth finding out.

If it's found that you can make more heavy games and support them through ads, we might see more games going that route. Or maybe we'll find out that this sort of game just works best as a paid-only title.

148Apps: If this is successful, do you fear that perhaps it could be part of a movement where players expect more free games, monetized primarily with ads? And if so, do you think that it is good for the App Store market?

Phil Hassey: I think anything that helps indies find new ways to support their art is great! The more avenues there are to being able to make games full-time the more chances there are that great games are going to be made. Another great thing about ad supported games is how they can reach a wider audience. People who don't have the means to purchase paid games can play free ad supported games.

148Apps: Depending on how this does, would you ever consider releasing a future game initially with a free version like this? Perhaps even one of the Galcon games?

Phil Hassey: I'm still working on Galcon 2, which is going to be F2P. I'm still working out the details, but my experiences with BREAKFINITY and Dynamite Jack FREE are certainly giving me more insight into how to make it work out. I expect Galcon 2 will contain "earn more Galcoins by watching videos" options for those who want more in game currency but don't have the means to pay for it.

Thanks to Phil Hassey for his time.

Farmville 2: Country Escape is a big deal for many casual gamers, much like its predecessor. As we pointed out in our review, its relaxed nature when it comes to harvesting crops and simply waiting things out means it's strangely beguiling, although patience is certainly essential. To help you along in your path towards a farming fortune, we thought we'd round up some great tips on how to do the very best you can. While they won't make you rich overnight, they should help steer novices in the right direction.

Mobile game developer GREE just announced the release of League of War.

League of War is a 3D action/strategy iOS exclusive that has players fighting to build mercenary prowess by destroying enemy bases. It also allows for players to go against friend and/or foe in real-time multiplayer battles.

Kenny Chiu, GREE Sr. Vice President for Social Games, is confident with regards to how much players will appreciate the game. “League of War pushes the boundaries of what players can expect from a next-gen mobile gaming experience. It offers not only an intense single-player experience, but also takes multiplayer to a new level with synchronous battles,” he says. “MunkyFun and GREE combined quick moving strategy, stunning 3D graphics and special FX to make League of War one of the best mobile game experiences out there.”

MunkyFun CEO Nick Pavis shares similar sentiments. “Our aim has always been to take mobile gaming to the next level and bring players a more intense, console-like experience for their tablet or smartphone,” he says. “With League of War, our goal was to take the player to the battlefield and create a fast-thinking strategic experience where gamers would have to think quickly and efficiently in order to beat their opponents. We brought the players a challenge - now we want to see what they do with it.”

League of War is available for free on the App Store.

Adobe Photoshop Express has just seen a big update that refreshes the app to take advantage of iOS 7, as well as adding in a new editing experience. Version 3.3 also allows sharing via Instagram or SMS, Pet-eye correction, auto-saving, navigational improvements, and bug fixes.

Adobe Photoshop Express is available for free (with in-app purchases) on the App Store.

What's New in Version 3.3
• A brand new editing experience with a new look for iOS7
• Share via Instagram or SMS
• Pet-eye (a.k.a. green-eye) correction
• Save your work without saving now that the app resumes where you left off
• Navigation improvements throughout the app, including Tool Tips and updates to the Photo Picker
• Bug fixes and performance improvements.