I experienced the same thing. There seems to be a world of difference between free and 99 cents on the app store. And, I think, understandably so. If I want to try a whole bunch of programs, I'd much rather try free programs. If it costs even just 99 cents, then I am forced to stop and think about it before downloading. "I can download hundreds of free programs for less money than this one 99-cent program... do I really want the 99-cent program, or am I okay with some more free programs?"
I also noticed that making an app that was 99 cents to be free not only increased downloads, but also increased bad reviews. I guess people who get programs for free expect a lot more out of them and are perfectly happy to express their disappointment both rudely and publicly than those who pay for the programs.
i think i have that angle pretty well covered: there is a free version of my game. it's intended to give people a taste of what it's about. if you like it, then you can buy the better one. if you're a cheapskate, fine, stick with the free one.
people who like the game tend to really like it. here's the text of a review for the free version i got just yesterday:
I've now played 150 games against the ai players and
it's a great implementation! It can be a bit easy to
shoot the moon (something apparently improved in the
author's hearts net) but still MUCH better than most
other iphone hearts games. Highly recommended, great
fun.
so, let's review. here's a guy who has spent many hours playing my free game, and likes it. he is aware of my paid version. he is even aware that the paid version fixes a criticism he has of the free version. yet he is apparently still not willing to spend just a couple of bucks buying it. sheesh.
this has been enough to pretty much put me off the iphone ecosphere. i plan to port my game to macosx, whose users have a much better reputation for paying for software they use.
This also highlights one of the big problems with the App Store - there is no way to get in touch with that user to find out why he hasn't upgraded to paid.
I also noticed that making an app that was 99 cents to be free not only increased downloads, but also increased bad reviews. I guess people who get programs for free expect a lot more out of them and are perfectly happy to express their disappointment both rudely and publicly than those who pay for the programs.