Ngmoco's online first person shooter Eliminate has been one of the most anticipated iPhone games for about six months now, so its release - combined with the new freemium business model - was sure to have players rushing to download the app.
Released on Monday 2nd November, following a Canadian-only test launch over the weekend, the game has been zooming up the free US Top 100 - it was #49 at time of writing - but is certain to go much higher.
After all, this is the first premium game that's been released for free, so there's an argument it should go top 10, if not hitting the #1 spot at some point.
What will be more significant - both for publisher ngmoco and the wider developer community however - will be how the business model plays out.
Eliminate is the first game to be designed from the bottom up with Apple's free-plus-play features in mind.
Players don't have to pay to play the full game, but in order to maximise the levelling up process by ensuring all the matches they play rank and earn them in-game credits, they'll have to spend cash buying energy.
Each player gets a limited amount of energy per day and once it's gone, you either have to buy more or play practice matches that don't earn you credits.
In-app purchases are layered at 20 power cells for 99c, 0.79 or 59p up to 975 cells for $29.99 or £17.99.
It's a clever model, although there seems to be early disquiet from some players concerning how quickly they use up 99c of energy.
Still, the game has entered the US Top Grossing Top 100 - #97 at time of writing.
We'll be following its progress to see how players react following their initial introduction to this new pay-for-play option.
News
Contributing Editor
A Pocket Gamer co-founder, Jon is Contributing Editor at PG.biz which means he acts like a slightly confused uncle who's forgotten where he's left his glasses. As well as letters and cameras, he likes imaginary numbers and legumes.
Top Stories
News
May 4th, 2024
PocketGamer.biz Podcast Week in Views E10 - Brawl Stars smashes 2023 revenue, Square Enix’s extraordinary losses, and Haaland signs for Clash of Clans
News
May 3rd, 2024
Week in Views - Apple back themselves bigstyle, Clash bags Haaland and dreams come true at King
Events
LA Games Conference 2024 | North America | May 6th |
Mobidictum Meetup Berlin May 2024 | Europe | May 7th |
Valencia Indie Summit 2024 | Europe | May 16th |
Mobidictum Meetup Tallinn May 2024 | Europe | May 21st |
Israel Mobile Summit 2024 | Middle East | Jun 6th |
WN Conference Istanbul 2024 | Jun 11th | |
DevGAMM Vilnius 2024 | Europe | Jun 14th |
Develop: Brighton 2024 | Europe | Jul 9th |