FingerGaming

The App Store’s premier tower defense title Fieldrunners has updated to version 1.3.0, bringing with it a new set of features and enhancements.

Fieldrunners now has improved OpenFeint integration, allowing users to chat and compete with other players across the OpenFeint social infrastructure. The update also adds Twitter and Facebook support.

The latest version of Fieldrunners includes two new maps — Skyway and Frostbite — priced at 99 cents each. Both areas expand the core gameplay significantly with new enemies, new tower types, and difficult layouts that encourage players to adopt new strategies.

The pricing strategy does not appear to sit well with longtime Fieldrunners players, however. Despite the game earning consistently high ratings since its release, the majority of App Store reviews score the current version at one star. Many recent reviews claim confusion and anger over the addition of paid content.

Given that many iPhone users already own a copy of Fieldrunners, it makes sense to capitalize on the install base with microtransactions, rather than to release a free update and hope for a slight sales bump. Given that the existing audience has a long-standing expectation for free updates, however, it remains to be seen whether the new maps will meet sales expectations.

Tags: fieldrunners, strategy, tower defense, Updates