Apple Adds 'Learn More About In-App Purchases' Feature to iPad App Store

[writingdevil]

I disagree with your assessment and your tone.

The 'tone' of this post sounds like my old maid school teacher aunt, who never lacked insight on how we acted,always had time to judge us tho never had the 'delight' of lil ankle biters of her own who might have softened her prim-ness a bit. Whoop whoop woop ...thought police on duty.
And I did resent my Pops looking over my shoulder, but do really understand why...now. Some kids do have silly and tech ignorant parents.

 

[lazyrighteye]

I'd like to see Apple take it one step further and visually denote apps that offer in-app purchases.
Something as simple as badging app icons with (say) a green circle with white $ would make an easy way for users to identify apps that are in-app'd.

 

[samcraig]

The 'tone' of this post sounds like my old maid school teacher aunt, who never lacked insight on how we acted,always had time to judge us tho never had the 'delight' of lil ankle biters of her own who might have softened her prim-ness a bit. Whoop whoop woop ...thought police on duty.
And I did resent my Pops looking over my shoulder, but do really understand why...now. Some kids do have silly and tech ignorant parents.

The key phrase (which I agree with) is some kids. And some parents are technologically ignorant. It's not a rule.

 

[HiRez]

I'd like to see Apple take it one step further and visually denote apps that offer in-app purchases.
Something as simple as badging app icons with (say) a green circle with white $ would make an easy way for users to identify apps that are in-app'd.

Apple recently added the text "Offers In-App Purchases" next to the icon in the App Store (on the app page, not in a list). It's fairly prominent and close to the Buy button, so it's hard to miss if you're paying attention at all. As a developer, I still won't use it, though, until the Lodsys mess gets resolved.

 

[vampyr]

Dear Apple...
How about just removing the stupid apps that have in-app purchases.

Or better yet, create an option to not see any in-app purchase apps in the app store. Or create a category, or create a disclaimer that pops up BEFORE you purchase the app that warns you that the publisher of this app will try to trick you into spending more money after you purchase the app.

I find it disgusting that well known publishers (cough EA cough) feel that it is morally and ethically ok to have in-app purchases that cost upwards of $99.99.

These apps are EXACTLY like the 'bait and switch' technique that is against the law for retailers!!!

 

[Mattstkc]

These changes are a good step and really low hanging fruit.

Many people are not computer literate and to help them understand concepts such as In App Purchases is a good thing. Try to educate your user base. They will get more out of the product.

There's nothing to do with computer literacy here. It's simple english language. If you don't know the meanings of the words "Purchase" or "Buy" and don't know that a dollar sign followed by numbers indicates a price, you need some elementary school, not a half assed in-app purchase wiki.

If you can't teach your kids words like "Purchase" and "Buy" you shouldn't be procreating, much less be giving your kid an iOS Device.

 

[Mattstkc]

Don't really understand your logic so let me break this down line by line -

Dear Apple...
How about just removing the stupid apps that have in-app purchases.

Fair point - Apple could ban the practice, but then this would increase the cost of all apps, and those apps that have a free & paid version would be more prevalent so you'd have 2 versions of the same app, one paid, one free, in the store, instead of a free app with ads and the option to pay to get rid of them. Two identical apps (one with, and one without ads) is more confusing to me than in-app purchases you can ignore.

Or better yet, create an option to not see any in-app purchase apps in the app store. Or create a category, or create a disclaimer that pops up BEFORE you purchase the app that warns you that the publisher of this app will try to trick you into spending more money after you purchase the app.

The first line of this makes sense - apps with in-app purchases could be filtered. The disclaimer part makes no sense. 1- there's already a dialog that's visible saying "This app offers in-app purchases" that's been added. 2- there's nothing "tricky" about it. Nothing is truly free. Apps that don't have in-app purchases have ads, that are paid. Apps that have neither in-app purchases or ads have one way or another of generating revenue per user. Nothing is free. The App Store isn't some miracle socialst empire where you get a free flashlight app that doesn't try to sell you airline tickets or cough syrup.

I find it disgusting that well known publishers (cough EA cough) feel that it is morally and ethically ok to have in-app purchases that cost upwards of $99.99.

The price of in-app purchases isn't a moral or ethical issue. It's a reading comprehension issue with the user. If you can't read, you have bigger problems than EA. If you're downloading apps for your kids without trying them that's no better then sending them to an R rated movie because you think the title's cute but didn't bother to check the rating.

It's also not disgusting for companies to make money. If they didn't make money, there'd be no apps. If companies that make in-app purchase apps didn't make money on in-app purchases, the app wouldn't be free. Also game play is not dependent on in-app purchases. Essentially in-app purchases allow users to cheat the game and get ahead instead of suffering basic game consequences like losing, or waiting your damn turn.

These apps are EXACTLY like the 'bait and switch' technique that is against the law for retailers!!!

It's not. Especially not with the text on the Apps page before you download now stating "Offers In-App Purchases" even without that, it's not bait and switch.

Bait and switch requires there to be an actual switch, where customers think they're getting one thing, and getting another. In this case that would be "I'm getting a free app" being the bait and the switch being "You now have to pay to use this app". That is simply NOT the case.

You still get a free app. You still have all the functionality promised by the apps' description. You also have the option to purchase add-ons. You do not have to purchase them to use the functionality of the app that was promised to you. I repeat - You do not have to purchase them to use the functionality of the app that was promised to you.

There is no bait. You go in, expecting to have a free app that performs the functionality stated in it's description. You get exactly that. If you want additional functionality, or bonuses, or extra in-app items, you have the CHOICE of paying for them to ADD or IMPROVE existing functionality.

Even that god awful Super Monster Bros game - you could play through without any in-app purchases. You may end up not liking the game, but you have a game, you have a character, you can play, you can beat levels without in-app purchases, therefore you have not been victim of a heinous bait and switch, just a crappy FREE game which you can easily delete instead of stupidly buying French Charizard for $99.99.

 

[69650]

To change your settings to require a password entry with every purchase, open Settings, tap General, then tap Restrictions, and change Require Password.

They should make this the default setting with every iOS device.

What we really need is the ability to set up different users with different settings on all iOS devices.

I know Apple think they will sell more devices by not doing this but honestly all this bad publicity must be making many parents think again before letting their kids have an iPad.

 

[Stella]

There's nothing to do with computer literacy here. It's simple english language. If you don't know the meanings of the words "Purchase" or "Buy" and don't know that a dollar sign followed by numbers indicates a price, you need some elementary school, not a half assed in-app purchase wiki.

If you can't teach your kids words like "Purchase" and "Buy" you shouldn't be procreating, much less be giving your kid an iOS Device.

It has everything to do with computer literacy. It is explaining terms such as "In App Purchase". You may understand what it means, but others do not.

You don't obviously don't have any kids - although you can teach them what Buy and Purchase their excitement will overcome their objective thinking.

The world is not as black and white as you may think.

 

[samcraig]

It has everything to do with computer literacy. It is explaining terms such as "In App Purchase". You may understand what it means, but others do not.

You don't obviously don't have any kids - although you can teach them what Buy and Purchase their excitement will overcome their objective thinking.

The world is not as black and white as you may think.

I agree. In App Purchase COULD (sincerely) have more than one meaning to the uninformed.

I am in a game and one of the objectives is to collect as much "gold" as possible. If the game has an in-app function - if I didn't know better (and I wasn't paying close attention perhaps) I might think that I am purchasing things in the game using virtual gold that I've collected.

Am I saying this would be smart of me or otherwise - not specifically. But one can't just assume "in app purchasing" is a definition everyone knows.

Further - there is NOTHING wrong with Apple adding more levels of education to what in app purchasing is and how it works. How or why anyone would comment negatively about the appearance of this astounds me.

 

[KanosWRX]

I wish there was a setting I could just turn on that would disable all in app purchases. They are destroying the quality of games and apps I feel, making everything pay 2 win or filled with prompts to buy this for a dollar or that for a dollar! just make a good app, sell it at a decent price and be done with it!!

 

[tranceking26]

Apple are not in the wrong here but they have refunded many dumb parents who's kids basically lied. I've seen the (many) news articles and it screams b.s. to me everytime. Kids are all about the technology, they will know exactly what they are doing. Escpecially when it comes to games. It's almost same with DLC for xbox right?

Also now we get the extra info and this iPad info page, which is Apple going the extra mile, to point out something to people that was completely bleedin' obvious in the 1st place.

I'm starting to think the iDevices are more intelligent than some of the actual users.

 

[samcraig]

Apple are not in the wrong here but they have refunded many dumb parents who's kids basically lied. I've seen the (many) news articles and it screams b.s. to me everytime. Kids are all about the technology, they will know exactly what they are doing. Escpecially when it comes to games. It's almost same with DLC for xbox right?

Also now we get the extra info and this iPad info page, which is Apple going the extra mile, to point out something to people that was completely bleedin' obvious in the 1st place.

I'm starting to think the iDevices are more intelligent than some of the actual users.

So you're saying some 3-5 years olds are lying about what they did. Ok.

And you're also seemingly annoyed that Apple is doing a better job of EDUCATING the public. Again. Ok

How you see what Apple is doing as bad is beyond me.

 

[tranceking26]

So you're saying some 3-5 years olds are lying about what they did. Ok.

And you're also seemingly annoyed that Apple is doing a better job of EDUCATING the public. Again. Ok

How you see what Apple is doing as bad is beyond me.

How you can misread my post is 'beyond me'. I bascially stated Apple are doing too much when nothing needed doing in the first place. It's not bad what they are doing and I never said it was. But it's not required.

 

[samcraig]

How you can misread my post is 'beyond me'. I bascially stated Apple are doing too much when nothing needed doing in the first place. It's not bad what they are doing and I never said it was. But it's not required.

Saying they are doing too much implies that you believe it's a wrong decision and/or to you - it's bad. No? If not - why the negative comment. Of course it isn't required. Unless it was part of the settlement.

Are you going to suggest your post wasn't negative about the appearance of the information in the app store - because it sounded that way to me.

 

[tranceking26]

Saying they are doing too much implies that you believe it's a wrong decision and/or to you - it's bad. No? If not - why the negative comment. Of course it isn't required. Unless it was part of the settlement.

Are you going to suggest your post wasn't negative about the appearance of the information in the app store - because it sounded that way to me.

You can think what you like about my post. It really doesn't bother me. I know what I meant. Seeing as you've quoted twice I guess it bothers you.

You were talking with tranceking26, Have a nice day sir.

 

[Hell0W0rld]

This changes everything.

Nope

 

[dazed]

I'd love a filter to remove apps with IAP. That would get rid of 99% of the crap in the store.