Apple highlights games that let you pay once

Anyone who has gotten into an iOS or Android game, only to find that they either can’t continue or can’t get the full effect of the game without buying things within the app can appreciate Apple’s latest App Store move. They are highlighting games that let you pay once up front to get the whole experience and it’s being received with open arms.

It actually goes against the most profitable model for both Apple and app designers, at least in the past. The “evil” way that they’ve always maximized profits is to make an app that can get the user extremely engaged for free, only to push them towards in-app purchases that can add up quickly. Games like Clash of Clans have made a killing this way and the profits are pretty clear; they had a minute-long ad during the Super Bowl that starred Liam Neeson and probably cost them a trillion dollars (give or take).

Now, Apple is going for the money up front. It makes sense. People are more experienced with the “hook and charge” model and are able to more easily recognize when a game is taking them down that road. It’s very likely that the up-front and then free forevermore concept could be extremely profitable and a preferred way to keep people happy and buying more in the future. It takes away much of the deception that people may feel when they start something only to find out that they can’t really continue without forking over money.

This also acts as a way to start setting the market expectations at a certain level, then to move it up much the way that console and PC games operate. Inflation on games must be very enticing to Apple and game developers, especially if they fear a reduction in in-app purchases.

The company has made the right profitability moves over the years. For once, this might be a model that increases their bottom line while making consumers happy simultaneously.