Big Fish Game’s Subscription-Based App is Back in Business, or is it?
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Big Fish Games was set to revolutionize the mobile gaming market with their subscription-based app, Play Instantly! released last November. Only a few days after its App Store launch, Apple pulled it to the surprise of Big Fish Games.
This morning, an email was sent out offering an “exclusive first look” at Play Instantly!, including a free, seven-day premium subscription. However, the app is still nowhere to be seen in the App Store.
Excited about being able to play a plethora of Big Fish Games at a nominal fee of only $4.99 per month, I was one of the lucky few to have been able to download the app before it was pulled. However, I was unable to actually play due to limited capacity. I was asked to register with Big Fish Games with the promise that I would be notified when I would be able to access the app.
That notification came this morning as an email stating, “Welcome to Play Instantly!” The email included a short summary of everything the app has to offer, including the ability to stream dozens of great games to your iPad over Wi-Fi. This “first look” came with a seven-day free trial of the premium account. That is, unlimited play, no adds and full-screen graphics.
Apparently, this notification is very exclusive. So exclusive that, if you don’t already have the app downloaded, you can’t get it. I never deleted the app from my iPad. I have high hopes for Play Instantly! and didn’t want to miss out on it’s return. However, if I had deleted it, I’m not sure I could have downloaded it again, since it is not available in the App Store.
I was able to play games at a relatively smooth pace. The lag that I experienced was due to my own poor wireless connectivity, not the app. There are 43 games available at the moment, but Big Fish Games will be adding new ones each week.
When I tried to subscribe to the $4.99 monthly service, I received an error code. It is likely that the company is still working out how to offer the subscription to users and this “exclusive look” is meant to give players a chance to see how the premium account looks and feels.
I contacted Big Fish Games for help in understanding why the email was sent out, yet there is no app available to download, but have not received a response as of writing this. If you were one of the lucky few who managed to download the app before Apple pulled it, check you email. Better yet, open the app right now and see whether you are able to gain access.
