It's because Apple is primarily interested in the control over their customers and not so much the "vendors".
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Messaging App LINE Ordered by Apple to Remove Paid Sticker Gifting
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It's because Apple is primarily interested in the control over their customers and not so much the "vendors".
I think I may know what's wrong.
Gifting stickers was always fine before. I had gifted a few sets to my wife and she to me. Before recently there wasn't this 'coin' system on the iOS version to send stickers (that I remember at least). I would just pay the exact amount and the sticker set would be sent.
Last week a new Iron Man 3 sticker set became available on Line. My wife knows I love IM so she gifted the set to me. But now it required her to buy coins in order to gift it. She went to buy the 200 coins it would cost (200yen) but she ended up buying 400 coins. It didn't bother her cause she buys stickers so she'll just save the extra for later but there seems to be a bug with the system.
I don't know if that is what the issue is or not though. I hope they can work it out and get the feature back on.
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Gifting stickers was always fine before. I had gifted a few sets to my wife and she to me. Before recently there wasn't this 'coin' system on the iOS version to send stickers (that I remember at least). I would just pay the exact amount and the sticker set would be sent.
Last week a new Iron Man 3 sticker set became available on Line. My wife knows I love IM so she gifted the set to me. But now it required her to buy coins in order to gift it. She went to buy the 200 coins it would cost (200yen) but she ended up buying 400 coins. It didn't bother her cause she buys stickers so she'll just save the extra for later but there seems to be a bug with the system.
I don't know if that is what the issue is or not though. I hope they can work it out and get the feature back on.
Yeap so much "poo" on the wall that they made a ton of money with it
oh lets not forget the garbage that is free texting and free calls Guess you prefer the app store that is just full of to-do apps, reminders and note taking apps.
I work in a professional business environment in Bangkok and see it being used constantly by people of all ages.
except.. it doesn't. line accounts aren't part of apple system. you can still buy coins via other means and spend it.
but I applaud your positive apple spin effort. B+
This is Apple saying "we want our money.. b*****s". As an Apple shareholder, I say THAT'S RIGHT BABY!!
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But then Apple won't get their 30% cut. I want Apple to make more $, not less.
Thank you, it's bad enough I hate in-app purchases. If it were up to me I would take away all in-app purchases. I want to be charged up front for everything so there are no hidden "gems" to discover along the way....and a virtual sticker for $1.99? Are they serious?? There are some nice apps on the App Store with $1.99.
I think that's really it... and what do they need virtual currency for? What can you just buy the sticker and send it? THat's the shady part... you have to buy currency as in app purchase, and then use to to buy the sticker.
I think Apple's stance is if people don't use that currency up, they lose their money. I think they would just need to remove that extra step cause it is stupid.... like Microsofts xbox points.... why points? Why not jsut say "this is $3, pay us $3"
Hi, I just read your reply. Thanks for the explanation without putting any kind of bias in your response. Appreciated.
8.5 million people apparently.
This has me seriously thinking I should invest some time to learn how to make an iOS app. Target audience - teenage girls.
You don't have to understand the craze. You just have to be able to sell it. I don't understand Psy (Gangnam Style), the Cooper (is that really a car), or skinny jeans for men, but I can sell them.
I would like to know the whole story. Did Apple try to advise LINE to change something before they had to remove the stickers altogether? Though we do not have the ENTIRE back story, there are enough facts to draw the conclusion that this is "strongarming".
1. Removal of cross-platform functionality.
2. The purchase portion of the application was the catalyst.
3. Apple is actively going after apps, right now, that they perceive as a threat to the App Store.
I would not be surprised if Apple is not upset at the in-app purchases, rather they are not getting their proper cut.
I would like to know the whole story. Did Apple try to advise LINE to change something before they had to remove the stickers altogether? Though we do not have the ENTIRE back story, there are enough facts to draw the conclusion that this is "strongarming".
1. Removal of cross-platform functionality.
2. The purchase portion of the application was the catalyst.
3. Apple is actively going after apps, right now, that they perceive as a threat to the App Store.
I would not be surprised if Apple is not upset at the in-app purchases, rather they are not getting their proper cut.
With LINE you can use the coins on any plataform, if you move to another OS no problem and thats really good for the consumer but not for apple i guess ? Regarding microsoft i think you can pay directly with money and not only with "points"
I'm guessing the problem is the "coins" that were being purchased, and then used to later purchase the stickers and gift them. This could be a revenue recognition issue for Apple. Selling the coins is when Apple gets paid, but the actual service (stickers gifts) that occurs later is when the revenue probably (read conservatively) needs to be accounted for tax wise. So Apple was taking 30% for a currency conversion to coins and then not recognizing revenue on the actual purchase of the gift packs. If this were a gift card, the revenue recognition would be delayed until the card is used for a more clear example.
We will see if they will just do away with the coins and sell gift sticker packs without any problems.
We will see if they will just do away with the coins and sell gift sticker packs without any problems.
Wow. So many people don't read the article. It's the gifting of stickers via in app purchase of coins that's causing the big issue. Not the stickers itself. If you want to buy or give stickers, just do it via real currency. Why do you have to buy coins then exchange coins for stickers? That's convoluted!
Irrelevant. Apple bears the complaints, so they will do what they feel is reasonable to mitigate them.
True, but that's not the issue here. Everyone of us has spent money on something someone else would consider "retarded."
True, but the getting stickers from someone else can change the economics of it. You could for example, pay a friend in real money to give you a sticker. The friend might have gotten the sticker from someone else who "earned it" another way, without the purchase of coins. It also lets the dev change the price at any time. The dev could change the price to something 100x what it is now, or 100x cheaper at any time. It could be used to rip people off, or to reduce Apple's revenue cut. E.g. a one sale of a bajillion coins for a $1 IAP. Someone could then buy a bajillion coins and then charge friends for them, cutting Apple out of the equation for all but 30 cents.
Plenty of games use coins or some other specialized in-game currency that you can potentially earn or purchase in-app using real money, and this doesn't really seem any different that that, at least in that respect.
It's so popular here in Hong Kong as well, that they've even started "Line" promotions are the Circle K-Mart convenience stores.
Spend $xx amount, get a sticker, collect stickers, get a Line-related gift (from plushes to other various tack).
Only thing I do like about Line is that my friends and I can send larger and longer videos that Whatsapp does not allow (which is only 45 seconds)
Spend $xx amount, get a sticker, collect stickers, get a Line-related gift (from plushes to other various tack).
Only thing I do like about Line is that my friends and I can send larger and longer videos that Whatsapp does not allow (which is only 45 seconds)
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the cross platformness of coins
As someone mentioned in a previous reply, I would bet the issue is using the in-app "coins" when you can buy the coins on a different platform but spend them on the iOS version of the app. Apple is not getting the 30% of the transaction when you buy the "coins" on Android or elsewhere.
My wife is from Japan. We live in the US but she uses Line regularly to communicate with her mother and sisters in Japan. They only use the messaging part -- not the calls. They use Facetime for calls right now. But if you look at their messaging screen, stickers are used a lot in their conversations. My wife only uses the free stickers, and no one had gifted her any and she has not gifted anyone any stickers, so this does not affect us.
As someone mentioned in a previous reply, I would bet the issue is using the in-app "coins" when you can buy the coins on a different platform but spend them on the iOS version of the app. Apple is not getting the 30% of the transaction when you buy the "coins" on Android or elsewhere.
My wife is from Japan. We live in the US but she uses Line regularly to communicate with her mother and sisters in Japan. They only use the messaging part -- not the calls. They use Facetime for calls right now. But if you look at their messaging screen, stickers are used a lot in their conversations. My wife only uses the free stickers, and no one had gifted her any and she has not gifted anyone any stickers, so this does not affect us.