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'Free' Games Dominate Top-Grossing Game List On App Store

Posted by Soulskill on from the for-sufficiently-unfree-values-of-free dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Why are there so many free games listed in the top 10 grossing games over in Apple's App Store? Because some feature exorbitant in-app purchase fees for virtual items. Quoting ZDNet: 'Developing "free" games aimed specifically at children, and then bundling ridiculously priced in-app purchases inside those "free" games feels scammy to me. Sure, it's not illegal, and it's not against Apple's developer terms and conditions, but Apple is a company that prides itself in protecting users from harm. Most of the game developers do make an attempt to warn users that the game "changes real money for additional in-app content" but it's a lame attempt. It's easily missed, and kids aren't going to read it anyway.'"

24 of 161 comments (clear)

  1. If kids have your iTunes account password ... by _Chris_ · · Score: 2

    ... seems to me there's a lot more to worry about than in-app purchases.

    1. Re:If kids have your iTunes account password ... by Dr_Barnowl · · Score: 4, Informative

      You don't need the password to make in game purchases (in the default configuration of iOS). You need the password to install the game.

      The mechanic for in-game purchases is a cynical, well engineered, well researched hook.

      The OS establishes a precedent - that privileged actions like installing apps require a password - and then goes on to breach that precedent in a kids game for actions that spend real money in large gobs, with single clicks.

      It's like combining a daycare centre with a nuclear launch control facility. Getting past the door guards requires a security check. But the launch control console has been cunningly disguised as Whack-A-Mole.

    2. Re:If kids have your iTunes account password ... by _Chris_ · · Score: 5, Informative

      You do need the password to make in-app purchase since iOS 4.3. Apple did listen to parents complaints. Your comment is true for older versions however.

      "We are proud to have industry-leading parental controls with iOS," said Trudy Muller, a spokeswoman for Apple. She said users have always been able to use parental control setting and restrictions of in-app purchases to protect their iTunes accounts from accidental charges. "With iOS 4.3, in addition to a password being required to purchase an app on the App Store, a reentry of your password is now required when making an in-app purchase."
      (http://www.macrumors.com/2011/03/10/ios-4-3-requires-password-reentry-for-in-app-purchases/)

    3. Re:If kids have your iTunes account password ... by Anubis+IV · · Score: 4, Informative

      No it didn't, because there never was a window. Prior to iOS 4.3, and contrary to what _Chris_ said, passwords were still required for in-app purchases. The change that 4.3 made was that for in-app purchase it removed the 15 minute grace period after you entered your password before you had to enter it again. Prior to that, if a parent entered their password to install a game, a kid would then have a 15 minute period where they could make in-app purchases. After 4.3, in-app purchases require a password, no matter what. There never was a time when kids could make any in-app purchases they wanted without needing to have a password entered at some point.

    4. Re:If kids have your iTunes account password ... by 19thNervousBreakdown · · Score: 2

      It's not that the lights allow you to see better, it's that the lights allow others to see you better, you self-centered dink.

      As for your ridiculous efficiency argument: we would save roughly 100,000 barrels of oil per day, not millions. The next step is for you to decide how many more people dying per day is worth saving those 100,000 barrels, and then go look up the statistics on DRL.

      --
      <xml><I><am><so><damn>Web 2.0</damn></so></am></I></xml>
  2. Setup parental controls now by Que_Ball · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Even if you leave every other setting unlocked you should go in and setup parental controls on your device to block in app purchasing. Do it now before you head out to the restaurant and you load up something to keep the kids amused not realizing that because you just finished downloading it your itunes account is still unlocked and the kids can buy whatever they want without a password for the next few minutes.

    Even if you don't have kids of your own, you might be out with friends or family that do and your generous act of amusing the kids turns expensive.

  3. Apple isn't a parenting service! by Superdarion · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I find it hard to blame Apple for this problem when parents are giving their unsupervised children an iDevice with credit card information.

    1. Re:Apple isn't a parenting service! by PowerCyclist · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Agreed. Remember the 1990s? All the 900 numbers advertised to kids in commercials? This is the same deal. The people that setup these things deserve to be flayed, but it's the responsibility of parents to teach their kids responsibility.

    2. Re:Apple isn't a parenting service! by Tom · · Score: 3, Informative

      99% of "computer" users are dumb when it comes to IT, it's a sad fact.

      No, it's not a fact. It's an urban legend perpetrated by geeks so they can feel superior to others. I've seen people with no computer knowledge whatsoever get their first PC and get familiar with it, and while they aren't IT experts, "dumb" doesn't describe it correctly. What they have is a different attitude - to them the machine has a purpose, it's not a toy by itself, they care about learning its fine details as much as most average geeks care about the difference between buckshot and birdshot and how to clean a shotgun blindfolded.

      Additionally it might be an idea for Apple and other resellers to create the concept of "sub accounts" for the kids, where they either can't make purchases at all, or can have a pre-paid account which can only be replenished from the "master account". Oddly enough, everybody's favourite whipping-boy, Sony PSN, already have this, more or less...

      As does Apple: http://www.apple.com/itunes/inside-itunes/2010/11/using-itunes-allowances-with-your-kids.html

      --
      Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
    3. Re:Apple isn't a parenting service! by AdrianKemp · · Score: 2

      $10 a month minimum is perfectly reasonable.

      First: If you aren't giving a young child $10 worth of entertainment budget a month you're a goddamn monster. That's less than most toys, and far less than a couple of movie rentals or what-have-you.

      Second: If you can't afford $10 a month, you shouldn't be having kids.

      Third: Having such a budget will invariably teach the child something about budgeting and responsibility.

      Fourth and last, if you can't afford $10 a month... forget kids *Why do you have a luxury tech gadget?*

  4. Remember Habbo Hotel? by Sigvatr · · Score: 2

    When I was a teenager I used my household phone to ring up hundreds of dollars worth of virtual furniture in Habbo Hotel. I never got caught. No one noticed. These companies are making money off of people like me (as a teenager).

  5. But only 5 look like kid's games by msobkow · · Score: 2

    Only 5 of the free games mentioned look like they're targeting children. If they're installing the other 5, I'd like to know where the parents are that should be monitoring their kid's gaming and viewing habits.

    I see no difference between trying to get kids to buy in-game items than trying to get them to buy real-world toys. In both cases, the parents are the ones who should be holding the purse-strings and taking their children shopping.

    I think it might be possible to restrict these games on the basis of children under a certain age not being able to enter into a legal contract for the purchases.

    At very least, there should be some requirement for parents to authorize the in-game purchases and limit spending on them on a per-game basis.

    --
    I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
    1. Re:But only 5 look like kid's games by msobkow · · Score: 2

      I believe social media network games should be held to those same standards. The device you use to play games should not affect the legal restrictions on those games.

      --
      I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
    2. Re:But only 5 look like kid's games by Taco+Cowboy · · Score: 2

      I believe social media network games should be held to those same standards.

      I believe parents should be held to those same standards

      --
      Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
    3. Re:But only 5 look like kid's games by MatthewCCNA · · Score: 2

      At very least, there should be some requirement for parents to authorize the in-game purchases and limit spending on them on a per-game basis.

      There is another way, an iTunes allowance which prevents over spending be creating a separate bucket of funds automatically incremented each month with $10 - $50.

      --
      "He is so stupid. And now back to the wall!" Moe Szyslak
  6. Summary inaccurate, iOS shows purchase dialog by perpenso · · Score: 5, Informative

    Most of the game developers do make an attempt to warn users that the game "changes real money for additional in-app content" but it's a lame attempt. It's easily missed ...

    Apple puts up a dialog over the app's screen indicating the item to be purchased and the price to be charged. These are standard purchase dialogs displayed and implemented by the operating system, beyond the app's control. Apple also updated iOS so that the authorization for the free download could not be used to authorize an in app purchase. The in app purchase requires its own authorization. And then there is the parental control option regarding in app purchases ...

  7. Download auth can't be reused for in app purchase by perpenso · · Score: 4, Informative

    ... you load up something to keep the kids amused not realizing that because you just finished downloading it your itunes account is still unlocked and the kids can buy whatever they want without a password for the next few minutes ...

    I believe Apple updated iOS so that the authorization for the free download could not be used to authorize an in app purchase. The in app purchase requires its own authorization.

  8. Re:It must be a slow news day by DrXym · · Score: 2
    That depends who these free games are targeted at, how much this optional stuff costs, and how essential it is to play the game. Smurf Village (for example) is aimed at 4+ year olds yet allows kids to purchase in game items with real money. Not pocket money either. A "wheelbarrow of smurfberries" costs $60 and can be had with a few taps. It's not the only example and I suspect most of these free games operate along similar lines. That's simply unconscionable exploitation by the game operator and bad design by Apple (and Google) for allowing it to happen at all through their system.

    I think at the very least a user should be required to enter a password at least once at the start of a session and per purchase outside of a 15 minute window in any 16 rated game that offers in-app purchases. Better yet Apple (and Google Marketplace) should impose per-app limits on the amount of purchases that may be made in such game, e.g. $10 within any 24 hours and require account holders to manually remove this limit. That would at least limit the damage and would curb the worst excesses of these scummy games.

  9. Apple does by Tom · · Score: 2

    And Apples does protect its users - you can set up parental controls and disable in-app purchases. In fact, I'm using parental controls on my own device to disable Ping.

    If you give your kids free reign with your credit card, you shouldn't be surprised when they actually, you know, spend money on it. Sheez.

    On the other topic, though, I do agree. Apple should remove games with in-app purchases from the "free" list, because they really aren't. Many of them are just demos for the real game with an in-app purchase to unlock the full version, much like the old shareware concept. Others are social media games that allow you to spend the better part of a car on crap.

    The only ones I support are the ones where the in-app purchase feels more like a "hey, I really liked this game, here's a couple bucks". There's a few, for example, where you get some 20 or so levels with the game and can buy another 5 or so for money. Yes, I didn't reverse the numbers there, you get the largest part of the game for free and if you enjoy it so much, can buy a bit extra.

    But still, I'd love to see a search or filter option for really free games.

    --
    Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
  10. Re: by DeathElk · · Score: 2

    Bullshit. A screwed over, destroyed customer is not a return customer. Despite any policies on hardware lockdown or software distribution, none of the companies you mention have any interest in screwing or destroying their customers. Fuck, AC, why do I even bother?

  11. Re:Just like "free" phones? by tumnasgt · · Score: 2

    Indeed, but it's pretty damn hard for a 6 year old to walk into a Verizon store and walk out with a $100/month plan. Making an in app purchase is very easy, and doesn't always require verification of the user. The problem isn't the in app purchasing, it's the fact it's used in app targeted at kids that don't understand that they are spending real money.

  12. Re:It must be a slow news day by iamhassi · · Score: 2

    or that people have run out of valid things to complain and now they are complaining of free games with OPTIONAL in game items which cost money.

    While spending real money is optional to simply play the game, it's not always optional if you want to actually finish the game. I've played some games like Pumpkins vs Monsters where you'd have to play hundreds of hours to beat the game unless you pay real $$$ because a level will only give you ~100-300 gold but a single upgrade is 10,000+ gold.

    It's not impossible to win but almost. Imagine playing Half Life but health, additional lives and weapons cost real money, you're left to run around with whatever health you start with and a crowbar. Could you win? Highly unlikely.

    Then you have games like Smurfs' Village and Order & Chaos who have $99 in app purchases (here's another example)

    I agree something should be done since these games don't really fall in the "free" category.

    --
    my karma will be here long after I'm gone
  13. Re:Ban Credit-Cards. by Maddog+Batty · · Score: 2

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8678979.stm

    --
    wot no sig
  14. Re:If you.... by Onaga · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Here have a stick, they can be fun.

    Pfft. Every hardcore gamer knows that logs are better than sticks.

    What rolls down stairs
    alone or in pairs,
    and over your neighbor's dog?
    What's great for a snack,
    And fits on your back?
    It's log, log, log

    It's log, it's log,
    It's big, it's heavy, it's wood.
    It's log, it's log, it's better than bad, it's good.