SmartGo Pro for iPhone
by Anders Kierulf
2014-02-24
SmartGo Pro is back as the iPhone-only version of SmartGo Kifu. I took it off the App Store 18 months ago, trimming down to three easily distinguished universal apps. So why bring it back now?
- It gives new iPhone users a chance to get the capabilities of SmartGo Kifu at a lower price. $12 for SmartGo Pro is still a premium price point, but it’s not quite the $20 sticker shock of SmartGo Kifu.
- It gives current SmartGo Pro users a huge free upgrade, tripling the game collection to 78,000 pro games, and adding amazing features like joseki matching and tree view as well as 18 months worth of incremental improvements.
Both of these should lead to additional satisfied users. My business model is simple: You buy the app, you use it, you love it, then you tell your Go-playing friends about it. Real value for the price of a Go book; no in-app gimmicks.
Current trends in the App Store favor in-app purchases. But trends are fickle, and Go is a niche market. My bet is that people continue to recognize and appreciate quality apps, and are willing to pay a fair price for them.
SmartGo Pro gets its own updated icon to match the new SmartGo Kifu icon.