Apple Promotes Games Without In-App Purchases in App Store

[MacRumors]

Apple today made one of its weekly updates to the App Store, adding a new featured category that highlights "Pay Once & Play" games in the App Store. As noted by MacStories, the section includes a list of popular game titles that do not include in-app purchases. The new feature has appeared in European App Stores already and should be making its way to other countries as the weekly update propagates.

"Pay Once & Play" offers a range of titles that are organized into the following categories: Recent Releases, Blockbuster Games, and App Store Originals. Some of the featured titles include Thomas Was Alone, Minecraft - Pocket Edition, Hero Emblems, Threes, Blek, and Goblin Sword.

Games and apps with in-app purchases have gotten Apple into trouble on multiple occasions over the past few years, leading to a 2011 lawsuit and a $32 million settlement with the FTC after children racked up hundreds of dollars in purchases without parental knowledge.

Apple has made several changes to the App Store since the original lawsuit was filed. Apps with in-app purchases are clearly labeled, Apple obtains express permission for an in-app purchase in the form of a pop up, and it notifies users that making an in-app purchase authorizes additional in-app purchases for 15 minutes.

Most recently, Apple changed the "Free" wording on purchase buttons to "Get" to make it clear that apps with in-app purchases are not truly free.

Update 1:37 PM: The new feature has hit the U.S. App Store and includes a slightly different set of apps. A few titles such as Threes! and Thomas Was Alone that are featured in Europe are not on the U.S. version, while U.S. users will see other titles such as Dark Echo and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Article Link: Apple Promotes Games Without In-App Purchases in App Store

 

[Daniel L]

This is great news, I'm tired of all the greedy apps that force you to pay to progress

 

[decimortis]

I'd love to check out the link, but I have to wait another 19 minutes for my energy to refill.

D.

 

[HiRez]

I love this, this is LONG overdue.

 

[Mattsasa]

Awesome this is great !!!

 

[_Refurbished_]

I would never pay $1.99 for a game. I'd rather spend $20 on gold coins.

 

[QCassidy352]

Glad to see this. I personally hate in-app purchases. Understand the logic, but hate it nonetheless. Feels like a bait and switch.

 

[BJMRamage]

Leo's Fortune is an awesome game.

 

[nepalisherpa]

I'd love to check out the link, but I have to wait another 19 minutes for my energy to refill.

D.

Pay me $0.99 and you can recharge right away.

 

[dugbug]

This is great news, I'm tired of all the greedy apps that force you to pay to progress

the problem is in-app has two flavors: one-time and 'currency'. The one time stuff allows for new levels and whatnot. Its the 'currency' model that infuriates everyone. Traditional (pay and own) in-app allows you to try for free and buy the full game, which centralizes the reviews and simplifies the review and upload process for developers.

 

[LordVic]

This is awesome.

I think it should be more universal for ALL app store systems

there should be 4 levels of apps and the categories should split them properly

Free
Free (WITH in app purchases)
Paid (with in App purchases)
Paid (without in app purchases)

if i'm looking for free stuff, don't lump in the "Free with in App purchases", because then that game isn't really free.

Similarly, I don't want to buy a game, just to find out that there's "pay to win" in it.

 

[Traverse]

I'm glad to hear this, I hate IAPs. I'd rather pay upfront.

On the other hand, i like having the ability to test an app and unlock all features for ONE reasonable purchase. I really hate apps that take advantage with like "100 coins for $49.99!"

 

[RawBert]

Finally! Thank you
I've hardly downloaded apps since the in-app-purchase craze came along, so I'll definitely check this out.

 

[John.B]

This is a great idea, and I hope the idea spreads like wildfire. We hate being constantly nickeled-and-dimed for IAP by games.

 

[TheGdog]

Glad to see this. Apple has the customer more in mind than people think. IAP are necessary for some things, but people have gone crazy with them. Developers pretty much land in two camps when it comes to app costs.

1. - I want to make as much money as possible, maybe even if it takes some deception.


2. -I want to build a quality app that people like and make money in the process.

 

[69Mustang]

This is great news, I'm tired of all the greedy apps that force you to pay to progress

Are there actually IAP games that require you to purchase to progress? All the ones I've played required only patience to avoid spending cash. Patience is free for those who can afford it.

Glad to see this. I personally hate in-app purchases. Understand the logic, but hate it nonetheless. Feels like a bait and switch.

I dislike IAP as much as the next person. Like you, I understand the reasoning behind it. People gotta eat. I don't understand the bait and switch comment though. IAP is not a prerequisite for progress for most games. It's an alternative way to progress faster. The player has to consciously make a decision to use IAP to progress further faster <-- intentional alliteration. The player can either buy IAP, choose to play without it, or don't play the game.

 

[realeric]

Really great move. In-app purchase is a scam.

 

[Luap]

And what of the apps that start out with no IAP's, then add them in an update later? There has been quite a number of those... And now I suspect we'll see that happen more often.

 

[Jsameds]

Freemium is the cancer of video games. Glad to see a stand against it, albeit a small stand.

 

[Skika]

Oy vey

 

[Imory]

While this is great, I fear a few genuinely good devs could make people get the wrong impression.

Take for instance a game like Monument Valley which delivered great content when it was first released, and then decided to expand the content with a valuable expansion, which was an in-app purchase. Their strategy is honestly perfectly fine since the game initially was released as a full game which you only paid for once.

 

[ghettochris]

Freemium is the cancer of video games. Glad to see a stand against it, albeit a small stand.

If apple heavily promotes pay once games and makes in app purchase games never seen on their home page, hard to find browsing, etc, it could be a pretty big stand.

 

[Mike MA]

There're are two sides of the story. I love Pinball Arcade for example. Great gaming and every month or so a new classical pinball table is introduced which can be purchased. There's no problem here if you ask me, play your old tables without any restrictions or try something new. It's basically my choice.

On the other hand some technically really brilliant games like Asphalt or Real Racing are just unplayable once you reach a certain level...and you pretty much don't know how many or which in-app purchases will actually be needed for continuous gaming.

These are two completely different aproaches if you ask me.

 

[jdawgnoonan]

That is a great change, those are the only games that I have any desire to play.

 

[bilboa]

There're are two sides of the story. I love Pinball Arcade for example. Great gaming and every month or so a new classical pinball table is introduced which can be purchased. There's no problem here if you ask me, play your old tables without any restrictions or try something new. It's basically my choice.

On the other hand some technically really brilliant games like Asphalt or Real Racing are just unplayable once you reach a certain level...and you pretty much don't know how many or which in-app purchases will actually be needed for continuous gaming.

These are two completely different aproaches if you ask me.

I totally agree. Also the part I bolded is what's most annoying to me about F2P games like Asphalt and Real Racing. I have no problem paying for games, but it's very irritating when there is intentionally no clear way to see how much I would need to pay to make the game fun, but without breaking it by making it too easy. Luckily there are enough good premium games available on iOS now that I can just delete these kind of games as soon as I realize what they're up to. I'm glad Apple is highlighting some of these premium games.

I do wish they would distinguish between consumable purchases like coins, vs single payment unlocks like in Pinball Arcade. From my point of view games like Pinball Arcade are in the same category as premium games, they just allow you to buy parts of the game piecemeal. It's too bad that even something like Monument Valley isn't included in Apples new showcase just because they used an IAP for their new expansion.