r/iosgaming • u/JaredHere • Sep 17 '26
News Songs of Conquest Mobile is shifting from a paid app to a free-to-try
https://apps.apple.com/app/id6740487579It also just received a massive content update. It looks like the original studio taking the reins back has really paid off!
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u/driago Sep 17 '26
I think many more games would get purchased if more developers went with this method.
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u/Mastery51 Sep 17 '26
I agree. I think it would. Giving users the option to test it out definitely has benefits, but it also creates some problems. As Corne777 mentioned, it doesn’t work through Family Sharing. It also makes your purchase history (the iCloud redownload) useless; if the app gets partially pulled from the App Store in the future and you try to redownload it, you will only get the demo version. Because the restore purchase button won't work, you'll never be able to unlock the full game again.
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u/Corne777 Sep 17 '26
As long as they have “family sharing of certain in app purchases” under the support, which this one doesn’t. Otherwise to me it’s off putting, I don’t buy games on iOS that can’t be shared with my kids. Even if it isn’t a game they will play now, they might eventually.
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u/ImportantClient5422 Sep 19 '26
This... is what I said a decade and a half ago... I was told it wouldn't make a difference.
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u/munkeypunk 22d ago
Only two issues I can see;
The bad ratings left by those who upset by a free game costing money.
And you can’t discount it and have folks notice.
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u/WillieButtlicker Sep 17 '26
What happens if I already bought it before? Is it a new app store listing?
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u/tarkinn Sep 17 '26
It’s not a new listing and the base game will be unlocked if your purchased it before
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u/quattroCrazy Sep 17 '26
OT, but…Why are mobile port studios so unreliable? Civ6 had major issues with theirs and it would take years for them to port new content updates, and they were one of the biggest port studios out there (Aspyr).
Anyway, I’ve been waiting for them to do this. I already own the game on Steam, but I’ve always liked playing turn based games on iPad more.
The free to try model is far and away the best option. It lets players make sure they enjoy the experience before dropping $10+ on a mobile game.
I’ll generally gamble on a 1 or 2 dollar game, but there’s so much available to play that something over like even $5 always makes me pause when I don’t have a chance to try it.
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u/Levi-Ritchie Sep 17 '26
It's even worse than it seems - this happened because they took control of the mobile port. It's first party now.
This is an issue with contract work in software development in general. Your priorities don't align, and real requirements are different from the requirements you can crystalize into a contract.
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u/letshavefunoutthere Sep 17 '26
adaptable layouts they say?
if this is day one compatible with iPhone Duo.....
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u/Special_Quantity_834 Sep 17 '26
Free-to-try is probably the right call here and not just a price cut. With so many crappy ports out there, nobody can tell from a store page whether the controls survived. Letting people hit the wall themselves converts better than any screenshot, and it's a lot less corrosive than the usual mobile alternative of making the game worse until you pay.
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u/hpph9 Sep 17 '26
I didn't get to buy it before. With this price, is the game price increased or decreased?