In-App Purchase Vulnerability to Be Fixed in iOS 6; Apple Offers Best Practices to Developers

[charlituna]

Apple needs to step in and make in-app purchases illegal altogether...all that stuff is just a ploy and gimmick to make developer's more money.

It's a free market. I have the power to choose how I develop and sell my IP. If you don't like it, don't buy it. Simple.

And not all IAP use is of this sort, some of it is for removing ads etc. And in some cases the games (which are what commonly use this ploy) are still playable although at a slower rate without playing. Or like Temple Run let you earn in game coins to buy the enhancements

 

[pdjudd]

It's a free market. I have the power to choose how I develop and sell my IP. If you don't like it, don't buy it. Simple.

And not all IAP use is of this sort, some of it is for removing ads etc. And in some cases the games (which are what commonly use this ploy) are still playable although at a slower rate without playing. Or like Temple Run let you earn in game coins to buy the enhancements

A valid point. IAP is a tool that some people have been using for different purposes. It’s purpose was to overall make apps more expandable and to provide an additional revenue source (which isn’t a bad thing in of itself). Devs like making money which is why devs focus on the App Store - people pay money for apps. It’s a tool that sadly people are abusing or overusing. But that’s where the free market comes into play. App developers that choose a poor business method won’t make money if people call bad devs out. Trying to blame the entire system though is not fair.

 

[sesnir]

They have a code listing on the Apple article... anyone look into it yet? It uses private API's (that Apple is allowing)... but how does the provided code protect against this? Their article doesn't explain.

My next game, Loremaster, will be my first game with IAP. While you can earn in-game gold just by playing the game, we're allowing less patient players to pay to buy the gold they need to buy content. What content? Real content that takes serious time to create. I'm strongly against lame IAP like XP boosters, continues, and other no-development-effort unlocks... but I like having the IAP option to reward us for spending dozens of hours creating new content that falls outside of free update content.

 

[Indyaus]

Does anyone think that these hackers are just doing it because 1 - they can, 2 - they don't care about it affects anyone else? Just like any 'big' game these days (iOS or any other platform) there is alway going to be that 0.01% out there that just don't give a f$&k because there is nothing anyone can do about it. Cops aren't going to be knocking down their door, because they know that what they are doing CAN NOT be traced. Just like Pirate software. Everyone does it. Anyone go to jail or fined ... or anyone you know get caught EVER?

 

[SBlue1]

I just don't get all the buzz. If you don't like IAP don't buy it or that app. Easy solution.

 

[jclardy]

I'm not saying I'm partaking in the stealing of in-app purchases, nor do I condone it. I'm arguing that some developers are adding in-app purchases for things that should come with the app regardless, which is why this whole ordeal started in the first place.

This is true for some apps, but the majority of IAP apps that are thriving now use IAP for saving time. So if you don't want to pay more, you just play as normal and you will collect coins and progress your character. If you are impatient, you pay $5 more and skip a few "levels".

The thing with Temple Run is that there is an "endgame". A point at which you have unlocked all the upgrades and can only use coins on the temporary benefits. And the thing is both a IAP buying player and a non-buying player can reach that point, it will just take one longer than the other.

I actually find it a bit strange to be honest, as you buy or download the game to play it...then you buy the IAP to play it less (As your will have less incentive to play as there will be less to improve.) But I guess that is just the society we live in today.

I'm not a huge fan of games that incorporate massively expensive "coin" packages at $50 and $100, but I think a lot of times those are just there as a psychological trick to get people to buy one of the cheaper ones.

 

[MoltenGold]

I go to watch football on a regular basis.

The price for a ticket is quite high.

But yet, if i want a hotdog, or a beer - to make my experience better after i've already paid to watch the game itself... I have to *shock* pay for it.

Let's see what you say when the price of the ticket is $10, and hotdog is $50.

 

[StyxMaker]

Morals aside, using this "hack" is akin to handing over the keys to your car and house and your credit card because somebody said he'd get your free stuff.

Using this hack would probably be considered wire fraud which raises it to a whole new level.

 

[StyxMaker]

…
Just like Pirate software. Everyone does it. Anyone go to jail or fined ... or anyone you know get caught EVER?

No, everyone doesn't do it. Not getting caught does not justify it.

 

[StyxMaker]

Let's see what you say when the price of the ticket is $10, and hotdog is $50.

Then I'd pick up a quarter pounder on the way to the game and not pay the outrages ISP (In Stadium Purchase) price for the hotdog.

 

[gnasher729]

Apple needs to step in and make in-app purchases illegal altogether...all that stuff is just a ploy and gimmick to make developer's more money. If I am paying for an application, I don't want "half-ass" functionality which requires 10-100x what I paid for the app to get to use all the features. That is just ridiculous!

You are being ridiculous. Take an app like iBook. The whole point of the app is that it lets you buy books and lets you read books. Or iTunes for buying music. Or navigation software that lets you purchase maps for some area. And so on.

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I see your point, but there are some developers who have incorporated in-app purchases to their app for upgrades that are ridiculous. For example, Temple Run and now Fruit Ninja offer 'coins' for sale -- you pay real money for fake game money to buy upgrades, etc within the game to improve your experience. Why should you have to pay MORE to get a better experience after you've already paid for the game itself?

For many online multiplayer games there is actually a cottage industry doing that. Usually you need to do certain activities to be able to buy things in the game (like gold mining). So some poor sods in India spend their working day gold mining in a game, and then this virtual gold is sold for real cash. Well, why have the middle man if the developer can do this with a lot less work involved?

 

[charlituna]

A valid point. IAP is a tool that some people have been using for different purposes. It’s purpose was to overall make apps more expandable and to provide an additional revenue source (which isn’t a bad thing in of itself). Devs like making money which is why devs focus on the App Store - people pay money for apps. It’s a tool that sadly people are abusing or overusing. But that’s where the free market comes into play. App developers that choose a poor business method won’t make money if people call bad devs out. Trying to blame the entire system though is not fair.

I would say if anything it isn't being used enough. Why do we have two apps to have ad supported and not. Why not one with an IAP to shut off ads. Especially games where you could pick up where you left off a lot easier if it was one version. And how about games like Angry Birds where most of their 'new' games were the same old thing just with new themes. Why not one game and you buy within. The only real point to having 5 different games is trying to have 5 slots in the top lists but that's ego taking priority over customer focus. And given thT Apple is so customer first I'm a tad surprised they allow an option

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Let's see what you say when the price of the ticket is $10, and hotdog is $50.

Given the lousy way a couple of my teams have been playing, that hot dog was 5 times better so that's not a worry

 

[pdjudd]

There is nothing stopping a dev from making an app with an in app purchase to disable ads (I have seen them before) most just don’t bother though. As far as Angry Birds goes, they are probably going to classify that as a Franchise. And games like AngryBirds Space involves a totally different thing than Angry Birds does (namely the physics) they see it as totally different. Rovio does have an IAP - the Mighty Eagle, but honestly they have only 4 games. AB, Rio (which was produced for the movie - more of a one off thing), Seasons, and Space. Of these 4, 3 of these has a reason for being separate. Anyhow, I think they want to make different games based on larger themes. Not just one big app. I think it plays onto their development resources where they can make changes far more rapidly. Even better, they give away new levels.

 

[Vizin]

.

 

[linkgx1]

The dark side of me really wants to get the free aps.....

 

[PracticalMac]

Apple better put iOS 6 on iPad 1.

Easier and cheaper then 5.1.2

 

[ncaissie]

Add-ons are good to extend a game. But as in every industry there are people who will abuse it. Like holding back content only to charge more for it as an add-on. But don’t let a few bad apples spoil the bunch.