DailyTech - Piracy on Android so Rampant that Madfinger Games Makes "Dead Trigger" Free

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Software Piracy on Android so Rampant that Madfinger Games Makes "Dead Trigger" Free
Brandon Hill (Blog) - July 23, 2012 12:56 PM

78 comment(s) - last by kmmatney.. on Jul 26 at 11:38 AM

Developer claims that piracy was out of hand with its zombie shooter

When it comes to purchasing apps on platforms like iOS, Android, or Windows Phone, 99 cents seems to be the "sweet spot" that will spark a user to take the chance to hit the "Purchase" button without a second thought. Many of the most popular games on smartphones like Angry Birds or Cut The Rope sell for just 99 cents.

Madfinger Games, makers of the popular title Shadowgun, thought it had a winning combination by offering its latest zombie shooter, Dead Trigger, for 99 cents on the Android platform. However, despite the low price tag, piracy was a big problem with the game according to the developers.

Regarding price drop. HERE is our statement. The main reason: piracy rate on Android devices, that was unbelievably high. At first we intend to make this game available for as many people as possible - that's why it was for as little as buck. - It was much less than 8$ for SHADOWGUN…

However, even for one buck, the piracy rate is soooo giant, that we finally decided to provide DEAD TRIGGER for free.

Madfinger Games as a result has turned Dead Trigger into a free game with available in-app purchases. The company is quick to point out that this isn't a move to make the game a “freemium” title and that users can still play through the game without ever making an in-app purchase.

Interestingly, Dead Trigger is still available for 99 cents in the Apple App Store.

Sources: The Verge, Facebook