Blindfold Pong

I too beta tested this app and gave one of my ball sounds to it. I've been putting off the work I need to get done for his next game, but I'll start soon lol. You can also move the paddle with your finger.

I'm enjoying this game, except for one thing.
It seems that you can only get up to a certain amount of coins on each level.
For instance, when I was playing level 1 (using the Triple Coins extra), I managed to get around 900 coins, only to be informed that I could only keep 450 or so.
Thinking I could get some more (my goal is to get 1000 coins to unlock the next level),
I played another round, but was told I couldn't keep any coins this time.
Personally, I wish this restriction was removed, and that levels could be unlocked as gameplay progressed instead of having to keep purchasing them.

This is a really cool game and it takes me back to my old PC days when i played Jim Kitchens rendition of the Pong game. One thing i would love to see implemented is a feature where you not only earn coins for ball hits but you could play a match against the computer and you could choose either 11 or 21 as final score, just like in Kitchens Pong. Other than this feature, i like the game although i've never been able to earn much points i'm sad to say. Hopefully though that will come with practice.

since the developer reads this forum and responds to all of us I think it is a good idea that this feedback is also on this thread not just for the devs but for those of us on the fence about this game. it sounds neat though

Hi and thanks for your comments. One of the issues in building games like Blindfold Pong is to figure out a way to make money, so I can continue to build more games.

For most games, only about 10% of the people who download the game will buy an upgrade, I've seen that across the 10 or so games I've built so far. To solve this problem, I started working with the tap joy company to generate money from ads as well. Based on the suggestion of many of the testers of pong and hopper, the game never shows ads without your permission.

That's why you can either buy coins for real money, as an in-app upgrade, or spend the time to listen to videos or check out websites. Getting back to your issue about the limit of 750 coins per level, that's the only way I could encourage a game player to either buy coins for real money, or listen to the video. I understand it's frustrating but the other choice - popping up videos or other things during or between levels - made the game less fun and more confusing.

If you have any better ideas, I'm certainly open for it. All of the games have been built based on the feedback of people I've met through AppleVis and other forums. You can reach me directly at marty@kidfriendlysoftware.com

Thanks.

I've been having an email conversation with someone from Germany about the game. I'm omitted their name, but they claimed the game stole coins from them. I sent several emails explaining that the coin system is new, and asked for their help, but they keep calling me a scammer. I don't get it. Here's the conversation - I've fixed their spelling mistakes since English is not their first language.

FROM CUSTOMER:

Hi, i earned seven hundred coins, and suddenly, i had just hundred fifty three coins left. I understand, you need shoppers, and i wantet to buy, you had deserved it. But now, i understand, that even my bought coins i should buy, suddenly are gone. I don t want to spend money on virtual things, that disappear in the air.

I am so sad over that behavior, i feel myself ripped. It is a ripoff. My bought coins disappear as well, i bet on this. You have been a trusted company. But, that even the earned coinds go away is not talked about in the helping section. Only coins in the ongoing games go away, you write. No guarantee, that the eventually bought coins do not.

Good, my son does see. Imagine, my child playing, coins disappear, and i refuse as a mother to buy and pay for things that go up in the air. He would be sad about his mum, and i had to explain the situation. I delete the whole app and think about what to do due to this ripoff.

FROM ME:
We will give you those coins. I'm not sure what happened, but I can give you a credit code to give you lots of coins for free.
It will only work the day I give it to you, so let me know when you are ready.

FROM CUSTOMER:
Hi I bought coins now. And i am better after automatic saving. But, seven hundred fifty are earned and you need 1000 to log higher levels, it dos not work in the end. I suggest, you give one or two levels out as demonstration and sell whole game for the 10 dollars you need to unlock all levels. Now, you can buy 20,000 for 10 dollars, even you log all levels free for 15,000. Why then the fake with 5000 coins no-one needs? that is my suggestion: sell the whole game for one price after a demo level, so folks know, it is accessible.

It is easy to hide behind the coin-company, because it is a simple scam. I never believed, your company should betray folks so hard. 750 for a level, 1000 to log up the next. And 5000 left, useless, if you lock all up. I am in sweden now and have difficulty to register at applevis, but, the blind community should be warned and know about the shit, sorry for the word, and the ripoff and scam with the whole coin-thing. When i get home, i write it in detail and post it on applevis. You destroyed my holliday, my husband is not confortable too and i shall warn all.

FROM ME:
Hi. This is a new app and we just switched from in-app upgrades to coins, as a way to let users who don't have enough money to buy the upgrades, earn then instead by listening to videos, As you probably know, we've already built about 10 apps for visually impaired people, and they use in-app upgrades, not coins. Coins is new for us.

What you've encountered is a defect in the app that we need to fix. The game was tested for about 1 month prior to giving it to apple to review, and no one found the defect you are talking about.

I offered you the coins to make up for your issue until we solve it - I'm not trying to bribe you, but instead, make amends for the problem you found. Don;t take my efforts of helping customers the wrong way. If that's not good enough, we're glad to give you a refund on the real money you spent.

Feel free to talk about your problem on AppleVis; as you can see from the comments normally on AppleVis, we go out of our way to make customers happy, and any defects that are found are fixed.

Tapjoy - the company that we're using to keep track of the coins and give you more coins for supporting our advertisers - has a good reputation, and that's why we picked them. Once we figure out where the defect is, we can work with them, or work around the problem - in some manner.

As to the 750 versus 1000 coin situation - we know its annoying, and I agree with you about just selling the upgrade for 10 or 15 dollars, and make the first few levels free. The problem - and I talked about this on AppleVis - is that only 10% of the players buy the upgrade, and based on the size of the visually impaired community, that doesn't give us enough money to continue building games. The coin method was suggested by several blind gamers in other games they like, so we implemented it.

Perhaps you can help us - If we change the game so that you can earn all the coins to get to the next level, how do we encourage people to either pay something for it (for those that have the money) versus encouraging them to listen to videos (for those that don't have the money, or whose parents won't let them spend the money). It's a tough issue and we've been trying to solve it for the past few months. I thought the current method would be good (once the bug that you found is fixed), but if it's too frustrating, we need a better method.

Here are some ideas to kick around:
1. Have 2 types of coins: GOLD and SILVER. You can earn SILVER coins in the game, but you also need GOLD coins that you purchase or earn by listening to videos. To move up a level, you would need both GOLD and SILVER coins. Perhaps we could make 100 SILVER coins be worth 1 GOLD coin, or something like that.

2. Have the same 2 types of coins: GOLD and SILVER and remove the 750 coin restriction. For each hour you play the game, you would need a GOLD coin. GOLD coins can only be bought as an in-app upgrade or by listening to videos.

3. Or do you have a better idea?

Thanks,

Marty

FROM CUSTOMER:
And after the customer played all coins he has to buy new. For playing. It is a trap. Choice of romance: in that game you play the first chapter and then buy the rest for a price and after that no tricks. And they say all in the start screen i do not want triple coins no more. I can not get rid of it. The coins where real money, i boght them for real money. Where can i change back them into real money?
I played with speech off, had eventually more as 750
And was punnished
Got 744 only.
Its all unfair.
I want to change my coins in monney, they are bought with money, delete the app and never make business with you again!
Thanks for the life lesson.
Hopefully you are the first but last scammer i lost money to. Real money in to coins made of air.

FROM ME:
I really don't understand your perspective. The use of coins is new; I ask for your suggestions and you continue to cast blame and call me a scammer.
I offer you a refund and you claim I am trying to cheat you.
I tell you that the coins disappeared is probably a defect and you ignore that.

I'm sorry you have such a negative view of people who try to make fun games for visually impaired people, and to figure out a way to generate some money to pay for the development of these games.

I hope you find other companies more to your liking.

-----
That's the entire conversation, verbatim. If someone in AppleVis can tell me why they are so negative,a and what I've done wrong, I would appreciate it.

Thanks,

Marty

Based on the feedback of several gamers, I've switched the game to have both normal in-app upgrades as well as coins. If you don't want to spend money on buying in-app upgrades, you can earn coins by listening to videos and those coins will unlock levels. If you spend money on in-app upgrades, you don't need coins, and the levels are unlocked for you. This should make it easier and more fun to play.

The new version has more sounds and more levels, and lets the ball go faster if you want.

Hi,
I just saw this thread and I think it was not fair that the customers called you a scammer. Yeah I understand their frustration. They paid for an upgrade expecting everything to work out, but unfortunately that didn't happen. Sometimes we forget that things, especially technology sometimes don't function the way they should, and sometimes the consequences of their malfunctioning can be awful. Besides, it's not like you didn't offer to recompense the loss of money.
As a side note: thanks for the option to listen to videos to earn coins. That is very helpful because some of us are not able to buy upgrades.
You're not doing anything wrong. Keep up the great work!

To the app developer,

I hope you don't let this particular incident with a customer put you off developing games in the future. I have always found you to be very fair and always helpful in resolving any issues which may arise.

I have two more ideas for games in the future, Elevens Solitaire and an accessible game of roulette. Keep up the great work.

This is an awesome game! Very addicting, LOL.
But I can't find a way to restore purchases in the app. I had to reinstall, and lost the save coin feature and double coin feature I got with coins.

contact me directly to solve this: marty@kidfriendlysoftware.com
I just submitted a new version to apple; once its accepted, those problems will go away, but I can help you in the meantime.

I also have had great customer support from Kid Friendly Software when I was having trouble with one of their games. I always look forward to new titles from them, and am happy to support them via in-app purchases whenever possible.

hi all! I have a question about tabjoy. I don't understand how to get koins by watching websytes. There is an information what i have to do, for example, login with facebook, play the game etc. In help file there is info that i must only open safary and then in appswitcher i must open the blindfold pong again. But there is an information screen again and i don't get koins. What am i doing wrong? Thanx very mutch.

Tapjoy is a new system for us, but it should work. Once you do the activity within the tapjoy screens such as listen to a video or visit a website, within a few minutes (sometimes it can take up to 10 minutes), Tapjoy notifies blindfold pong that the activity occurred, and then blindfold pong will tell you that you just got some coins. I've also noticed that things can happen faster if I actually exit from the app and restart it, and the notification comes sooner. If that's not happening, I can work with you to diagnose the problem.

Hello. Do i understand write that instad of performing the task that is shown on info screen such as login, play the game, get koins i must only open the safari? But when i only open safari and wait for 5 minutes for example, nothing. How should i work with advertisement that requires watching a websyte? Thanx.

I am investigating this issue with Tapjoy. I will keep you posted. Thanks.

Hello. I noticed that pong isn't available on russian and also english appstore. When will it be fixed? Also for some reason i can't see ofers in pong, when tts speaks please wait... I can't see close button and another things. I don't have that on simon game. I think that only i have that.

I've pulled the latest version due to some problems I found after Apple released it, including what you found. I've submitted it with fixes, and I'm waiting for Apple to approve it.

And the same problem with koins that i wrote to you in blindfolt simon. Interesting, how did you fix it?

Hi all. I have a question. Can someone make a podcast or explane to me how to get koins with visiting a websyte? I realy don't understand how to do it. Thanx.