Ambrosia teases new iPhone game

Dave, when I say that $9.99 is too expensive for these types of games, I am referring to Mahjong in this instance. Mahjong is like dominoes or checkers. It was not invented by this developer, and it is not a complex or innovative game. It should be priced at $5.00 or less. Even the developers of some innovative games, such as Trism and Lumex, have priced these games at $5.00. It seems to me that Ambrosia is overpricing, and they will not sell as many units of this game due to that fact. I am not criticizing Mahjongasagame or Ambrosia as developers; I just think that the pricing is overly aggressive. With respect to Spore, neither you nor I have seen the final version, but depending on the complexity, it too may not be worth more than $5.00 or $10.00 max. Please remember that PSP and DS games need to be packaged and distributed. They also need to be burned onto a disc or cartridge. That adds to the cost. iPhone apps will be downloaded; therefore, they must be less expensive. Also, games for the PSP and the DS are overpriced and a ripoff! iPhone/iPodtouch users should not be allowed to be ripped off in a similar fashion. We should refuse to purchase until these developers price these apps at a reasonable price. Of course, developers can choose to limit the download to a specific phone (which I don't agree with in case you have to switch out a bad phone) or they can limit the purchase to a specific version (i.e., version 1.x only). Then, when they add new great features and create a new version, they can charge current users less for an upgrade. Finally, as is the case with Mahjong, the developer can charge for additional puzzle packs at $1.00 apiece. In that manner, the developer continues to develop for users and keeps the game fresh, and the users contribute by paying for the new levels or boards. It's not rocket science. People will buy the product, but the developers will not maximize their profits if they start charging $10.00 or $20.00 for every app. The iPhone users are not gamers who are willing to pay exaggerated prices for games that are limited versions of what they can purchase for their PCs or gaming consoles (PS3 or Wii).

Which of the free Installer games have held your attention for more than a couple seconds?

With the exception of Trism, I haven't been impressed with any of the Installer games. I'm very eager to try out something made by a professional.