Opinion: App Store price deflation continues; Gangstar won't be top dollar
Gameloft won't bite the $9.99 bullet
Despite being one of the most anticipated and graphically rich iPhone games, Gameloft's Gangstar: West Coast Hustle won't be released at the expected $9.99 price point.
Instead, the company has tweeted it will be out at the end of August, priced $6.99, €5.49 and £3.99.
It's a decision that makes sense in terms of ensuring the game is bought by as many people as possible, but also a surprise as it's a game of the quality and scale that on any other platform would demand a $7.99 or $9.99 price point.
This is particularly the case as Gangstar is rumoured to be one of the first iPhone games which cost more than $1 million to develop, so you'd think Gameloft would be keen on monetising gamers' initial interest at the highest possible value, before starting the inevitable price drop.
Equally, the success of Firemint's Real Racing and EA Mobile's The Sims 3 - both expensive to make and hence both still priced at $9.99 - remain in the US Top 100 chart despite being launched over two months ago.
Expect the calls for Apple to sort out its pricing structure and the way it tabulates App Store chart position to grow louder.
