Massive Prog price increase in iOS app?

[I, Cosh]

Hi guys. Like it says in the title. A few weeks ago I noticed that the price of digital Progs has gone way up in the iOS app. At first I just assumed this was just a general price rise. Then I finally bothered to check and I see that I'm paying 10% more for a digital prog than the physical cover price. It's gone up to £2.99 from £2.29, compared to £2.65 in WH Smiths.

What's going on? Surely that's not how this is supposed to work?

[sheldipez]

I'm not familiar with the iOS app (I do use the android version though!) but is there a subscription option and has that seen an increase if so? 

[2000ADWebDroid]

We're looking into this, it's to do with the way Apple has automatically increased prices recently. For now there is a workaround, all non-special digital Progs are only £1.99 on the 2000 AD web shop (if in the UK), and any purchases made there will be available to download from within the iOS app, assuming you've used the same login for both. Even Android users can save money this way too.

https://shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/2000-ad/2017

[Tjm86]

The moral of the story being, ditch the money grabbing bar stewards at Apple! 

[sent from a (increasingly elderly) MacBook] 

[2000ADWebDroid]

We're looking into this, it's to do with the way Apple has automatically increased prices recently. For now there is a workaround, all non-special digital Progs are only £1.99 on the 2000 AD web shop (if in the UK), and any purchases made there will be available to download from within the iOS app, assuming you've used the same login for both. Even Android users can save money this way too.

https://shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/2000-ad/2017

BTW to clarify, any digital content purchase via the 2000 AD web shop (including content from subscriptions) will be available to download and view in all versions of the 2000 AD mobile app (iOS, Android, Windows 10), if logged in which the same credentials.

[IndigoPrime]

The moral of the story being, ditch the money grabbing bar stewards at Apple!

Not really. The moral is: buy DRM-free from the original source, wherever possible. As Mr Web Droid notes, any 2000 AD content can be accessed on other devices – in other words, you can buy in 2000 AD's shop and access said Progs in the 2000 AD app, as long as you use the same Rebellion ID. And you may as well buy everything direct from 2000 AD's shop, so someone else doesn't get a cut.

Also, if you're using an iPad, strongly consider grabbing Chunky, which is a superb reader for 2000 AD and beyond.

(For anyone not in the know, what happened with content pricing in the App Store is that sterling's crash led to Apple rebalancing prices. Unlike on Google Play, the iTunes Store has strict worldwide 'tiers', which mean apps/content priced at, say, £2.99 will be $2.99 in the US and $4.49 in Australia. On Google Play, you can do this kind of automation, but can also override it. Although this also means if/when 2000 AD drops its pricing to the next tier down – £1.99, the price will also drop everywhere else in the world, too, so the US price would be $1.99 rather than $2.99. Not fun from a business perspective, but there you go. Apple could offer more flexibility here, but the pound tanking is what caused all this.)

[I, Cosh]

Thanks guys. Mr Prime, as I first noticed this around the same time as the actual price rise and the changes in the 2000AD shop, it didn't even occur to me that the issue was on the Apple side. Fair enough: Euros it is!

Not really. The moral is: buy DRM-free from the original source, wherever possible. As Mr Web Droid notes, any 2000 AD content can be accessed on other devices – in other words, you can buy in 2000 AD's shop and access said Progs in the 2000 AD app, as long as you use the same Rebellion ID. And you may as well buy everything direct from 2000 AD's shop, so someone else doesn't get a cut.

All perfectly fair and my preferred approach. However, the recent upgrade has made using the 2000AD shop an absolutely torturous experience for me. Given that I am an impatient man and the reverse is also true (in-app purchases can subsequently be downloaded from your Rebellion account) I don't mind paying a modest premium in situations where I don't have the time or inclination to faff about with multiple devices or network issues.

[IndigoPrime]

Yeah, I can empathise with that. As I've noted to Rebellion, I have to be careful using the store, on the basis that all the animations make me physically sick. (This is one of the reasons I've also historically avoided the 2000 AD app, although I've no idea if Rebellion added the option to remove transitions – I know Comixology finally did, and Chunky's had that for ages.)

Oh, and before anyone here drops in with "GRR! APPLE! I bet they wouldn't drop prices if sterling became stronger", there's precedent for that too. When the Aussie dollar rocketed in power, Aus App Store prices dropped by the appropriate amount compared to USD. So in the unlikely scenario sterling strengthens post-Brexit, we'd see the same. (Estimates point to parity or worse with the dollar, though, which would rather suggest another rebalancing in the other direction within a few years.)

[Fungus]

Hm, this figures. Maybe it's a blessing in disguise since I'll definitely get Wednesday's prog via the web shop now.

Bought an iPad today (the enormous prog-sized one). I've gone digital (for comics), with a heavy heart. The US comic pull list has been culled. From here on I read the prog/meg digitally and play catch-up. Reading the unread stuff is... years-worth at current rates. The idea of rereading the prog's Golden Age - or Crisis, or Warrior, etc. - while buying & storing more is becoming laughable. So, digital it is.

Also! The App Store would have you believe '2016' Progs are part of some 'Sale'. Since they're at least £2.99 each, that's bullshit.

[IndigoPrime]

The problem is that Rebellion would have set the prices to a specific tier, which was lower than before, but then the tier would have changed on Apple's end. But, yeah, go direct. Then more of your money's going to Rebellion anyway (rather than Apple getting a 30% cut).

And if you've got the colossal iPad, I again reiterate Chunky, which is optimised for all iPad models. It's a great reader that can pull in various comic formats from loads of places. It'll also pull in folders of images if you just have a bunch of JPEG scans, and turn then into a single issue itself.

[Fungus]

Cheers IP and Cosh. I've seen Chunky recommended often enough here, and favour simplicity in all things IT, that I've subscribed tonight and gone the Chunky route. The prog looks great, and I'm side-stepping Apple as far as possible.

[IndigoPrime]

I will say also to consider paying for the pro IAP in Chunky. Indie devs need all the support they can get, and it does open up handy options like access to local network PCs.