Mobile Gaming: Ads or in app-purchases?

[Terrorchen]

Will we be able to institute ads at, say, the bottom of the menu? Or maybe in-app purchases? How would we do this?
If you could, how would you do ads in your game? What kind of in app-purchases would you add?

 

[Tu Chau]

Spoiler

So, basically we can't ?

 

[Tsukihime]

Spoiler

So, basically we can't ?

No, that's not what that answer means.
RPG Maker does not provide you with the functionality to add advertisements.

 

[Cloud Knight]

it may be possible. you would just got to figure out how to incorporate it yourself.

 

[HotfireLegend]

Tip: mobile ads rely on an internet service.

 

[Bizarre Monkey]

Micro-transactions? Somehow I don't see it being likely. Even with plugins.

 

[PixelMister]

You probably would be able to add the functionality with plugins, but it'd take a lot of work - a better way of doing it would be DLC in all fairness, and you pay for an update and create an updater in game, which adds extra content.

Anywhoo, to get back to your question - if this feature was available, I'd more then likely go for in-app purchases, simply because ads are annoying, and are game - ruining a lot of the time.

 

[LTN Games]

Anywhoo, to get back to your question - if this feature was available, I'd more then likely go for in-app purchases, simply because ads are annoying, and are game - ruining a lot of the time.

Yes I would just stick with In app purchases myself, ads are very annoying.

 

[Storytailor]

You probably would be able to add the functionality with plugins, but it'd take a lot of work - a better way of doing it would be DLC in all fairness, and you pay for an update and create an updater in game, which adds extra content.

Anywhoo, to get back to your question - if this feature was available, I'd more then likely go for in-app purchases, simply because ads are annoying, and are game - ruining a lot of the time.

Plug-ins would be the key - and the internet service, as listed before, would be a necessity outside of the RPG Maker's capabilities/concern. You could essentially have a tiny banner on-screen or a button within the menu that links you to your smartphone Internet browser and brings up your DLC, or however you wish to shape your additional implementation(s). Beyond this, though, you'd have to set up accounts and manage that data... not to mention utilize some kind of safe third-party pay service.

But, where there's a will, there's a way! And I'd advise steering away from ads; those can be not only rowdy, but also unpredictable. :S

 

[Tsukihime]

Micro-transactions? Somehow I don't see it being likely. Even with plugins.

I don't see why not? There's nothing preventing someone from implementing micro-transactions in a game.

 

[dcsant]

Ads on a game? Ugh...Smells bad.

 

[LTN Games]

I don't see why not? There's nothing preventing someone from implementing micro-transactions in a game.

I agree, this should be fairly easy to accomplish, especially now with javascript and no hidden classes lol

Ads on a game? Ugh...Smells bad.

Yup, it stinks, hopefully no one ever creates an ad plugin, this way newbies will have to learn to script it in themselves and this should stop the market from being flooded with games that have ads.

 

[Bizarre Monkey]

I don't see why not? There's nothing preventing someone from implementing micro-transactions in a game.

Depends on what the program is built with. The scope of micro-transactions isn't a simple one. You have to have a paypal, an end user license agreement citating what is and is not okay, and thats just the materials. I know some MMO systems were made for RPGmaker, but ones that had microtransation support, no sir. I'm not talking DLC, I'm talking in game purchasables, think like spiral knights or World of Warcraft, this means your players need to set up an account within your games network, and store information by account so you don't get details mixed up. It's a much bigger process than you think. Then there's the legal legislations and so on. If you're determined, of yeah you'll find a way. That's how humans are. You tell us no, we'll say fuck you yes, and prove yes is the answer.

I'm just saying I doubt it's as simple as you think.

On the notion of ads in a game, fine by me if they aren't invasive, Wipeout 2097 had Billboards with Red Bull on them, Red Bull was their sponsor, and since it was a racing game, it actually added to it rather than detract. Non-invasive ads are fine, especially if implemented creatively, think in the way of Soda or snacks you could have vending machines, coffee could have its own neato cafe in the game, enterable or not. This not only makes the ads virtually invisible, but enticing as well. I had my first Red Bull because I got curious about it in Wipeout 2097.

This makes it both subliminal and yet in plain sight.

 

[Tsukihime]

Depends on what the program is built with. The scope of micro-transactions isn't a simple one. You have to have a paypal, an end user license agreement citating what is and is not okay, and thats just the materials. I know some MMO systems were made for RPGmaker, but ones that had microtransation support, no sir. I'm not talking DLC, I'm talking in game purchasables, think like spiral knights or World of Warcraft, this means your players need to set up an account within your games network, and store information by account so you don't get details mixed up. It's a much bigger process than you think. Then there's the legal legislations and so on. If you're determined, of yeah you'll find a way. That's how humans are. You tell us no, we'll say fuck you yes, and prove yes is the answer.

I'm just saying I doubt it's as simple as you think.

If you're going to build everything from scratch, then yes, it will be more complex. I don't know how complex since I've only read about how one would be designed.

However, there are many options these days for developers to choose from that make the process much, much more streamlined.
For example, if you're publishing through Facebook's platform, you can just use their API to implement in-app purchases WITHOUT having to worry about all the inner workings of a payment system which, as you pointed out, involves more than just programming.

Sure, using a third-party platform will typically involve paying a fee to use their services as well as requiring a minimum amount to be met before they will pay out (eg: Facebook requires min $100 and takes 30%). However, if you're confident that you can hit those numbers, especially if you consider what's involved in building your own as well as the responsibilities that you are taking on for handling sensitive information, then it wouldn't be a bad route to go.

For developers that wish to build their own system, I'm sure there are libraries designed to take care of a lot of the messy details as well.

 

[Zebestian]

I'm not a huge fan of mobile gaming and thus a teensy bit biased here but... I'm not the person who'd put ads or microtransactions into his game. Especially not if the game already costs money. And even if it's free, microtransactions are something that I would never incorporate into any of my games. I feel like they are for the most part a rip-off and encourage a pay-to-win mentality which basically kills the fun in a game. I'm all for paid DLCs though, as long as they're appropriate to their price. :)

 

[PixelMister]

Ads and microtransacations, I feel should on be used for mobile games - I'd boycott a game on PC or Mac, if it had microtransactions. I'm there for the game, nothing else.
As I said before, I do think DLC is the way forward, but don't add anything which is needed for the story, it should be Additional Content really.

 

[Bishiba]

I'd say DLC, I've always appreciated content adding DLC. Like new dungeons, but weapons and such would just be a bummer.
I'm personally going to implement a DLC into my game. If I can't charge for it in any convenient way, I'll just allow the player to press the
DLC they want and then they will get taken to a paypal donation page. But the DLC will be unlocked the moment they just press the DLC.

Rather just charge the player for the original game and then reward them with content and let them choose wheter or not they think i'm worth they're money. But if it wont be a massive amount of work I might do it.

I mean, now that I'm writing this...

If you let the player just make a name for a "fake" account, then just that name and make a letter to digit seed to get a close to 100% unique player ID.

You let the player click the DLC button, starts a conditional branch with a switch called "purchased". If "purchased" is not equal to 1, you'd just need to link the player to like a weebly(or some other simple shop) website, allow them to make a purchase there. And then take their numberID and make an option equal 1(meaning the game is purchased) instead of 0(Meaning content is not owned).

Then the player goes back to the game, clicks the DLC button again. You ask if NumberID on your website is equal to 1, then you set switch to on and player unlocks the content.

Apart from seeming relatively easy with minor changes this also means that the players purchases are saved to their name, meaning that they will be able to restore purchases. And if someone already has their name and has the same NumberID, big deal, it's unlikely and will only mean a minor loss in potential sales. And might not even be hard to make NumberID's be even more specific. Could just get their AppleID or some shit as their name.

Of course you'd need legal, but store builder sites will help with stuff like that. Earning money on personally made stuff is always a bit difficult(Owning a company), there's taxes and shit. But if you want to make it happen, you can.

Best regards,
Bishiba