socialmedian: Ngmoco scores with iPhone games that charge per time played

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Ngmoco scores with iPhone games that charge per time played

Source: VentureBeat

Nov 05, 2009

Summary

With a new game, a new business model, and a new developer platform, iPhone game publisher Ngmoco has been able to land itself on the top of the AppStore charts.

Ngmoco’s Eliminate Pro shooting game moved to the No. 1 spot on Apple’s app download store after its launch on Monday. The new game uses a new business model made possible by Apple’s recent change in policy allowing purchases of virtual goods to be made from inside free games.

Previously, Apple only allowed “in app” purchase from inside paid games. But that didn’t enable the “free to play” business model that has worked so well on Facebook and other social networks. In these games, players start playing the games for free. Then they buy a virtual good such as a weapon for a small price once they need it.

In Eliminate Pro, players can challenge each other in multiplayer shooting matches over Wi-Fi or the 3G phone network. The player winds up paying for time, much like putting in quarters into arcade machines in the past. When you start playing the game, you can join multiplayer combat games. Each time yo