Whether moving from PC/consoles to iOS (LIMBO, Bastion, Grand Theft Auto series) or vice versa (Deus Ex: The Fall, Oceanhorn), video game ports always end up being priced lighter on mobile devices.
While some ports justify the price difference with concrete, improved and expanded features on PC or consoles (higher resolution, image quality improvements, sharper textures, refined lighting engine), the common trend ends up being the result of a blurry melange of market expectations (most mobile games release between $0.99 to $4.99, most PC indie games are expected to retail between $10 to $15), price elasticity (purchase intent dropping sharply once games price themselves above $5 on mobile), and porting costs (PC/console enhancements, controller functionality).
The key learning as a simple punchline? $4.99 is the new $9.99; as mobile games often cost around half of their PC equivalent. See the detailed data below. Leave us a comment if you can think of any examples or counterexamples to add to that list.
