> Not sure why it should limit developers to that system but it certainly makes the system attractive/useful for many.
Because most developers are presumably experts in programming* and whatever the domain of their app is* (game, drawing program, whatever) and not experts in the psychology of pricing (unless it's a pricing app I suppose!).
Now so what? They could allow you to pick a predetermined price or type whatever integer you want into it. But I assume they think consistency makes for a better buying experience, and poor pricing choices are a kind of externality that affects everyone.
I'm slightly dubious of this "externality" really being bad but in this case I'll give the horde of Apple marketing researchers the benefit of the doubt.
* This is HN so the obvious snark has not been inserted
The problem with appeal to authority on this is the same could have been said last week about why it wasn’t like this. It doesn’t make it any more reasonable it just explains it is the way it is.
Understood but my point was the list changed to add price points not that they had no list at all. Hard to argue the price points are the only ones that should be used because Apple is the best at marketing if Apple themselves are adding price points.
The other reasons for using the price point model are very convincing just not the appeal to Apple having a hoarse of marketing people.
Because most developers are presumably experts in programming* and whatever the domain of their app is* (game, drawing program, whatever) and not experts in the psychology of pricing (unless it's a pricing app I suppose!).
Now so what? They could allow you to pick a predetermined price or type whatever integer you want into it. But I assume they think consistency makes for a better buying experience, and poor pricing choices are a kind of externality that affects everyone.
I'm slightly dubious of this "externality" really being bad but in this case I'll give the horde of Apple marketing researchers the benefit of the doubt.
* This is HN so the obvious snark has not been inserted