Freeverse has demonstrated a mastery of dangling carrots with its outstanding Skee-Ball and improbably addictive Coin Push Frenzy iOS games.
We Bowl
For: iPhone/iPod Touch
From: Freeverse
Rating: 4+
Price: It's complicated
But it errs miserably with We Bowl, which validates every concern ever expressed regarding the "freemium" game model.
On the surface, We Bowl is a pleasant - albeit unspectacular, thanks to stiff controls - bowling game.
Like Skee-Ball, it rewards good performance with tickets that, once accumulated, can unlock pins, props and clothes for your customised bowling alley and bowler.
Problem is, We Bowl is only playable when you have golden balls, which is its form of in-game currency.
You start with 20, each throw costs one and when you run out - even mid-game - you either have to wait 30 seconds to bowl again (and then wait again) or pay real money to buy a "bag" instantly.
We Bowl clearly wants to you exercise option B if the blanketing of "Buy this!" reminders is any indication, and the net result of waiting and being pelted with advertisements for balls (along with others that are easy to accidentally tap) is so much worse than if We Bowl had just asked for a few bucks up front and left you to play the game.
The bowling isn't good enough for this hassle to be worthwhile, and the only thing We Bowl nails is how to alienate customers before they can even drop a dime.
