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Messaging App LINE Ordered by Apple to Remove Paid Sticker Gifting

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MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,453
30,657



Popular free messaging app LINE was forced to remove one of its key sticker features today, eliminating the ability for its users to purchase and send sticker sets as gifts to friends.

Stickers are an important monetary source for LINE, notes The Next Web, bringing in $17 million last quarter, which represented 30% of the company's total revenue. Stickers can be sent in chat messages and represent different characters and emotions. The stickers, which are bought in sets, can also be gifted to friends for their own use. A set of stickers generally costs $1.99 and includes 40 different sticker options.

linestickers.jpg
We received a request directly from Apple who operates the AppStore, that this sticker gifting function will have to be withdrawn from the app, and we do apologize for the disappointment this may cause to all of you who are having fun sending stickers as gifts to your friends.

Functions withdrawn from the iPhone version of LINE:
- Gifting function of paid-for stickers to friends
- Purchasing of Coins necessary to use the gifting function
Click to expand...
LINE does not explain what aspect of paid sticker gifting triggered the removal, but the app does use a complicated system for sticker distribution. Stickers purchased for self use are standard in-app purchases, but sticker sets that are purchased as gifts for others require the purchase of in-app coins, a secondary currency that is then used to distribute the gift stickers.

It is still possible to send free sticker sets to friends, and remaining coins can continue to be used to purchase stickers, but no new coins are available. Gifting sticker packs is still available through LINE's Android app, and cross-platform interconnectivity has not been removed. Sticker purchasing for self use has not been affected.

LINE's success with stickers has inspired other apps, like Path, to use stickers. Facebook is also experimenting with stickers, having introduced them into both the iOS Facebook and Facebook Messenger apps for use when chatting.

Article Link: Messaging App LINE Ordered by Apple to Remove Paid Sticker Gifting
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2013/05/10/messaging-app-line-ordered-by-apple-to-remove-paid-sticker-gifting/
lifeinhd

lifeinhd

macrumors 65816
Mar 26, 2008
1,428
58
127.0.0.1
This is why competition within the App Store ecosystem is important. Strongarming like this for no reason is just ridiculous.

And don't give me that "there's always Android" crap. You know what I mean :rolleyes:
 
bacaramac

bacaramac

macrumors 65816
Dec 29, 2007
1,424
100
Such a huge loss here. Too bad I've never heard of this app or stickers. Guess it's for 12 year olds with iPods/iPhones.
 
D

dazed

macrumors 6502a
Jun 23, 2007
911
211
longofest said:
Am I the only person who has never heard of this program before?

And $17 million dollars worth of sticker giving? That's some change!
Click to expand...

I never heard it either and don't think I'll be installing it :)

Virtual stickers just seems so sad.......maybe some people need more real world friends
 
F

fredr500

macrumors regular
Apr 12, 2007
227
19
That was $17M/quarter. That's $68M/year, and Apple gets 30% right off the top. They are giving up just over $20M/year by denying it.

But really, $68M for virtual stickers? What's wrong with you people?
 
Mac21ND

Mac21ND

macrumors 6502a
Jun 6, 2007
724
167
Sounds like Apple didn't like the idea of App's creating and using their own virtual currency.
 
V

volcomfever

macrumors newbie
Apr 11, 2012
20
2
This app is EXTREMELY popular in Japan. That's the first place I saw it used and where I used it for a little while. It's been around in Japan for a while now.
 
spazzcat

spazzcat

macrumors 68040
Jun 29, 2007
3,658
4,747
Mac21ND said:
Sounds like Apple didn't like the idea of App's creating and using their own virtual currency.
Click to expand...

Seeing they didn't give the reason why, they must have been doing something wrong. Apple made a lot of money off that virtual currency as well.
 
F

Flaxxx

macrumors newbie
Jul 11, 2008
26
0
lifeinhd said:
This is why competition within the App Store ecosystem is important. Strongarming like this for no reason is just ridiculous.

And don't give me that "there's always Android" crap. You know what I mean :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I don't think you're having to deal with the complaints from parents.
 
nagromme

nagromme

macrumors G5
May 2, 2002
12,546
1,196
I can't remember a time when messaging systems wouldn't let you paste/drag an image in. Any image. Any time. No limits. And Emoji couldn't be easier (or more universal) to access.

How is a more limited image-sending system suddenly so much better that it's worth paying extra for?

Mac21ND said:
Sounds like Apple didn't like the idea of App's creating and using their own virtual currency.
Click to expand...

Games have had virtual currency forever and still do. Other services as well.

I would hesitate to invent reasons for the removal when we actually don't know.
 
charlituna

charlituna

macrumors G3
Jun 11, 2008
9,636
816
Los Angeles, CA
I suspect the issue is the way the purchase is phrased. Do you wish to charge isn't exactly clear that you are buying more play coins with real money. To a kid in particular.
 
R

robsp2000

macrumors member
Jun 7, 2005
96
206
longofest said:
Am I the only person who has never heard of this program before?

And $17 million dollars worth of sticker giving? That's some change!
Click to expand...

Me either, $17 million!?! Is it just me or is this ridiculous. Buying digital stickers? Buying?
 
E

Essenar

macrumors 6502a
Oct 24, 2008
553
186
When people accuse Apple of being irrevocably greedy, I'd think this example would serve as an argument against it. Even corporate dollar chasers and bottom-enders have some sense of integrity. Let's face it: Having some roundabout way of charging people just to send some picture that probably took some visual arts designer 33 seconds to illustrate, is highway robbery. I'd love to see Apple step in for a lot of these gimmicky in-app purchases.

We need to ban big-whale hunting and impose monthly limits on in-app charges because the people paying a lot less are also getting a lot 'less' functions due to these people with Platinum Visas having their kids swipe away.
 
S

skeleb

macrumors member
Jan 26, 2011
30
1
bacaramac said:
Such a huge loss here. Too bad I've never heard of this app or stickers. Guess it's for 12 year olds with iPods/iPhones.
Click to expand...

This app is hugely popular in Japan and South Korea. No one of my friends over there know about WhatsApp, but they all are using LINE for instant messaging.
 
M

macman34

macrumors regular
Apr 13, 2013
174
0
The old adage that no one lost money via betting on people's stupidity applies here.

(but this should probably not be on page 1 guys)
 
T

thmsup

macrumors member
May 10, 2013
77
128
fredr500 said:
That was $17M/quarter. That's $68M/year, and Apple gets 30% right off the top. They are giving up just over $20M/year by denying it.
Click to expand...

Not exactly. Apple only gets 30% of the revenue of app- or in-app purchases if i got that correctly. And due to the fact that users pay for the gifted stickers with a special "in-app"-currency Apple doesn't get anything. I guess that would be the reason why they had the app changed in the first place.
 
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