Freeverse: 'iPhone gamers are getting a ton of value at this point'

Freeverse president Ian Lynch Smith says iPhone games developers aren't looking to rip off players with iPhone 3.0's new in-app payments feature.

"It's not so much nickel'n'diming as it is developers trying to get three to four dollars out of someone who's buying their game," he tells PocketGamer.biz.

"Flick Fishing and a ton of our other games are insanity at a 99-cent price point: the value proposition from our standpoint is crazy. Players are getting a ton of value at this point."

His argument is that there's increasing pressure on iPhone developers to sell their games for less than a dollar, yet they simply can't make any money at that price point unless they have a monster Flight Control or iShoot-sized hit.

That's where in-app payments come in, but only if they don't scam gamers for content that should have been in the main game, or isn't worth paying for.

"We're never going to sell the golden fishing rod for a dollar," he says.

Instead, Freeverse is selling a new island for its Flick Fishing game, with new fish and a new game mode, Fish Jack, which is based on Blackjack (but with more fish, obviously).

Meanwhile, the publisher's upcoming model train game TrackZ will aim to offer extra content without stinging regular players.

"Hardcore players might want engine packs and scenery to build up environments, so for people who want to go that deep, we can sell them the England 1850s pack of scenery and engines for a dollar," he says.

"But casual players are still getting a great game experience for under five bucks."

For the full interview, in which Lynch Smith gives his views on Freeverse's success, iPhone 3GS and whether Apple should launch an Xbox Live style community, head over to PocketGamer.biz.