The Spaniard said:

Wow, quite the response (from an employee no less … but we will address that later)

It doesn't surprise me that a single developer took months to create the product. The fact remains that building a dice rolling program (especially since the WFRP app likely had a bit of recycleable infrastructure) is not nearly as challenging as you suggest (indeed, there are tons of them). Wrapping that in something you got approved by Lucas and is fancy and such is a different discussion. I worked with Decipher when they had a Star Wars license and I am very much aware of the challenges of that interaction.

But lets be honest here. I could indeed build a dice-rolling app for this RPG or perhaps for WFRP, or whatever. However, I would have to install it locally only (ad-hoc if you will) and not publish it anywhere since IP and other protections would make it illegal for me to use the icons which are owned by FFG. So you charge $5 knowing you are without competition for this particular niche, as you say, application.

Even at free, I would be dubious of the value of a dice-rolling product in an RPG setting. It's inconvenient in a round-table setting. Even if all participants had their own phone/ipad/ipod and downloaded app, the need of the other players and GM to see the actual roll certainly drives down it's usefulness.

I'd consider writing something to automate the process on a PC so that a large screen can be faced towards the group but it's tough to argue that there is any convenience saved by having a flat screen display of any kind. Technology doesn't necessarily improve experience - and it certainly becomes highly subjective as you get people that love it and people who don't.

Value vs. purchasing (or converting) of a physical dice product.
This, again, is a bit of a false comparison. In a group of 6, is this a single download put on someone's phone which is then handed around the table?

Generally speaking, in my RPG experience, it is far more common for a single person to invest in most of the tools (GM books, adventures, models, expansions, etc). The players might invest in player specific resources, but that's often about it unless they too wish to GM.

It's interesting to note that RPGers often see dice as collectibles. FFG dice are not collectible (though perhaps there is some market for fancy versions of your dice out there) - they are purely utility. I would suggest that a group would make do with the lowest amount of dice convenient. Which makes the app really even more of a subjective product - especially if the GM is opposed to their usage.

It is worth noting though that Christian is completely right about the fact that people just don't want to pay for Apps. The apps I and my team build are considered customer service items which support our core product and as such we do not charge for them, and we have about a dozen developers working on these apps year round. Apps have become an expectation, and along with that, people don't want to pay for them. App development is not a realistic profit center right now. And those apps that people do pay for will offer massive functionality. 

If that's Christian Petersen, hey, thanks for being patient with me as I begged you for a shorter edition of Twilight Imperium at GenCon this year :) I think that's the first time I've ever been able to give feedback directly to the designer of a board game I love.

I stand with those who think the price is justified, because the product is so polished. It looks and sounds surprisingly good for a dice roller. I'm also excited by the potential of the product. The release we have now feels like the first steps toward something that could be expanded, eventually, into a more full-featured toolset to support FFG's tabletop products. I look forward to seeing where this app, and others lie it, go from here.

Yup that is me. Thanks for your comments at Gen Con, they're always appreciated.

cP
FFG
 

You attack a man's work that he's proud of and are surprised when he defends it. People forget that people make software. I too run a software company and have for a decade now. Well done Christian. I thought your response was level-headed and fair. Just because a dev defends his/her work doesn't mean they don't take criticism seriously, as is evident by Christian's follow up response. Its not an either/or scenario, especially if someone starts out saying "I'm a dev too" that means "I can take criticism like a dev should too." /soapbox 

Anyway, I did buy the Star Wars Dice app, I think its excellent, its clear a lot of thought, work, effort, and talent went into it, and its easily worth $4.99. Consider that Wizards charges $12.95 retail for their D&D physical dice set and that even a set of cheap-o dice are difficult to get for much less than $4.99. Then add to it that the app can save presets, easily add/remove dice, etc… $5 for something that makes my game experience easier is a steal.

Will this be available for the Kindle Fire?

Daegren said:

Are you looking in Google's Play store or the Amazon app store? I'm guessing that by default, Amazon doesn't have Play on the Fire. See if you can side-load it to your Fire and look at the Play store. The Fires run 2.3 and the app says it needs 2.2 or better.