Free brings profit channels
In the initial app stores, many apps adopted a paid model to help generate profits. The 3:7 revenue-sharing ratio of companies like Apple has also brought considerable income to some developers. By October last year, Apple had already paid developers $3 billion.
However, the profit-making potential of free apps is also beginning to emerge. Initially, free apps served as a trial version of their paid counterparts, helping developers increase the likelihood of selling their premium versions while giving consumers an opportunity to try them out. This model first led to the success of iShoot, making its individual developer Ethan Nicholas an overnight millionaire with an average daily income of $20,000.
Later, free apps also began incorporating mobile advertising models. Rovio, the developer of "Angry Birds," successfully utilized this model to gain success in the relatively copyright-disorderly Android Market. Its free plus advertisement bar model brought Rovio an average monthly ad revenue of $1 million and a global download volume of 200 million.
The in-app purchase model for free apps also started to rise. The famous Talking Friends series gained profits by adding chargeable additional game effects. Domestic well-known applications such as Fishing Joy and WWII风云 also began to profit through in-app purchases. Recently, Gameloft, which previously relied on charging for profits, has also started to move towards an in-app purchase model on a large scale, changing its previously best-selling Dungeon Defenders and Real Football series to a free download + in-app purchase model.
In-app purchase cracking plugins appear
Initially, in-app purchase apps were only disrupted by the black card economic chain of Apple. Users could purchase virtual assets within apps through black card channels. However, now more destructive system plugins targeting this mode are gradually maturing. Once installed on user's phones, these plugins can easily purchase paid options within apps without spending a cent.
It is reported that this iOS plugin was developed by a domestic team named IAP Free. It supports iOS systems jailbroken to version 4.0 and above. It is more powerful than previous similar applications like IAP Cracker, capable of cracking in-app purchase functions that require server verification.
According to the current situation, it has successfully cracked "Talking Tom Cat 2."