Devs offer cut price apps for Mac App Store as platform suffers hacks hours after launch
Considering a large proportion of studios trading on the Mac App Store have previously sold their wares on both iPhone and iPad, it's not surprising that an early look at pricing strategies paints a picture of a marketplace flooded with cheap apps.
As reported by Markus Nirgin of The Pocket Cyclone, while developers launched native apps for iPad at a high price before gradually chipping away at their sums as the weeks passed, many studios have decided to offer apps for Mac at a low price from day one.
Pricing power
Indeed, Nirgin claims app pricing on the Mac App Store at launch is roughly in line with where iPad apps on the App Store sit now.
"We have not seen only low prices today, but very aggressive launch prices," Nirgin states in a blog post.
"We have seen an all-in approach by some developers. Some got rewarded instantly with a high chart position. Sales numbers are not out yet, but some indicators are looking strong. The App Store 'game' is repeating itself all over again."
Of the four apps Nirgin decided to monitor at launch Chopper 2 by Majic Jungle Software, Air Hockey by Acceleroto, reMovem by Mundue and Compression by Little White Bear Studios three launched at 99c, with just reMovem coming in at $1.99.
Most interestingly, however, is the fact that all four prices are either equal or lower than the price for the equivalent app on the App Store for iOS.
Hack attack
As Nirgin points out, it'll take some time to see whether going in low pays off in the long run, or whether the few developers who have decided to sell their titles at a comparatively high price some Solitaire games retailing for $29.99, for instance come out on top.
What's already certain, however, is that interest in the marketplace is already high a view proved by the fact that the platform was successfully hacked just hours after its launch.
Crackers have released a tool that lets users download full, paid version of titles for free, thanks to its ability to replace their signature files with those of free variants.
An alternative crack known as KickBack is also set to be released in February, with Hackulous member 'Dissident' claiming its launch is being held back until the store is established and "has a lot of crap in it".
"We don't want to devalue applications and frustrate developers," he concluded.
[source: The Pocket Cyclone]