It sounds like they buy the currency thought App Store. So, they buy so many coins, then they use the coins to buy stickers.
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Messaging App LINE Ordered by Apple to Remove Paid Sticker Gifting
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It sounds like they buy the currency thought App Store. So, they buy so many coins, then they use the coins to buy stickers.
This game allowed you to use stickers to essentially trade virtual currency between players. That might be what they objected to.
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.
It's probably something very specific like that--though we may never know. (LINE gets free publicity by making an issue of it anyway.)
Sounds liek facebook gifts can we block those too? I remember hearing the crazy number on those one time anyone know off the top of their head?
It sounds like it's likely related to something like that, however, if purchasing "in-app"-currency is something that is done in-app to begin with, then Apple still gets their cut from the purchase of that currency (no matter how that currency is then used within the app, as is the case with many apps actually).
Virtual sticker, eh? Back in my day we called them there things IMAGES and anyone could make and attach them to any e-mail. I guess today's younglings will buy anything....
Of course, I said the same thing about SMS text messaging. Who in their right mind would pay what at some points cost over 20 cents a text what costs 0.00000000001 cents to do with regular email? SMS texts have been nothing but 10,000,000% PURE PROFIT for the phone companies. I guess I should thank people for wasting oodles of their money (whether in unlimited packages or not you're still paying out the arse for them relative to the data rates involved) since you're probably subsidizing my internet and phone rates.
This app is pretty darn big in Asia. App description
There are no limits! Call and Emoji message as much as you want!
LINE is a new communication app which allows you to make FREE voice calls and send FREE Emoji messages whenever and wherever you are, 24 hours a day!
LINE has more than 150 million users worldwide and is used in over 230 countries!
LINE has been ranked no. 1 in the free app category in 44 countries including Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Spain, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Macau, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and more!
More about LINEs Features:
- Free voice calls!
・If you have LINE on your iPhone you can enjoy free, high quality voice calls, wherever and whenever you are. Talk for as much as you want and best of all, its free!
・Free for international calls too
Line Coins are IAP so it's not like Apple wasn't getting paid on them. Must have been something else.
If I'm reading the article correctly, you'll notice that Apple did NOT get 30%... they got 0% because of the use of 'coins' to gift these faux stickers, rather than in app purchasing.. which (I'm assuming) is why Apple put a stop to it.
However, it did sound like those coins were being purchased in-app originally, so Apple would still be making money off of that.
I Love the Overblown Judgment
You guys kill me, nobody is making anyone buy these stickers. If you don't want them, don't buy them.
Why would people paint their car a different color for hundreds of dollars or buy a nice table when a cheap table will hold up their plates just fine? People pay for cosmetic stuff all the time and if they value it, why would you care? I wouldn't buy an Andy Warhol painting, but someone would and I'm happy for them.
FYI, I buy real stickers for my daughter at the store sometimes for a few bucks. What's the difference between these two things? Both companies made sticker art, one spent the time to get it printed and the other spent the time to program it in an app. If Wal-mart said, "We're not selling stickers anymore" would you guys be like, "Awesome, stupid stickers, why would anyone buy them anyway?"
You guys kill me, nobody is making anyone buy these stickers. If you don't want them, don't buy them.
Why would people paint their car a different color for hundreds of dollars or buy a nice table when a cheap table will hold up their plates just fine? People pay for cosmetic stuff all the time and if they value it, why would you care? I wouldn't buy an Andy Warhol painting, but someone would and I'm happy for them.
FYI, I buy real stickers for my daughter at the store sometimes for a few bucks. What's the difference between these two things? Both companies made sticker art, one spent the time to get it printed and the other spent the time to program it in an app. If Wal-mart said, "We're not selling stickers anymore" would you guys be like, "Awesome, stupid stickers, why would anyone buy them anyway?"
You're not reading it correctly. Line coins are In App Purchases. Apple gets a cut. There is some other reason Apple dropped the ban hammer.
Actually, Apple takes their cut and then distributes the money to the developer. So, $17M in revenue actually indicates close to $24.3M in sales overall (meaning 1yr of $68M in revenue for the developer would be closer to $29M for Apple). This model may have gotten pulled, though, b/c they were may have been skirting paying Apple by using a different currency in some way. Who knows?
I may be late to the party, but here's a suggestion to all those people using LINE.
Step 1: buy a sheet of stickers from Dollartree, Dollarama, Poundland or cultural equivalent.
Step 2: adhere the stickers to fridges, telephone poles, household pets or siblings.
Step 3: take a photo of said sticker and store it in your camera roll.
Step 4: whenever it tickles your fancy, send the photo of that sticker or other stickers from the sheet via MMS to your friends.
Step 5: enjoy the fact that you've just saved hundreds this year on something so trivial.
Step 1: buy a sheet of stickers from Dollartree, Dollarama, Poundland or cultural equivalent.
Step 2: adhere the stickers to fridges, telephone poles, household pets or siblings.
Step 3: take a photo of said sticker and store it in your camera roll.
Step 4: whenever it tickles your fancy, send the photo of that sticker or other stickers from the sheet via MMS to your friends.
Step 5: enjoy the fact that you've just saved hundreds this year on something so trivial.
Sticker packs are $1.99 in LINE, a sticker pack at a dollar store would likely be around a dollar, meaning you're hardly saving yourself hundreds of dollars!
Actually, it's pretty popular in Japan. And people in my country is starting to use it too.
If you read the steps, one would see that it's suggested that one reuse the photos, instead of buying new sticker packs when they've sent all the stickers in the pack. If one sends multiple stickers throughout the week, it is safe to assume one would spend hundreds in the year. Ergo; Step 5, saving hundreds of dollars.
I have to laugh at all you people questioning just how can anyone buy fake stickers!
Have you EVER seen the top ten grossing apps on Apples stores? Currently only the number 10 is the only paid app in the UK on my iPhone and that's 69p, so yeah, why do so may millions spend billions on IAP of any kind?
Spending endless money on a games IAP system is just as stupid as buying fake stickers. But for 17 mil I would be bloody laughing all the way to the bank at those mugs!
Have you EVER seen the top ten grossing apps on Apples stores? Currently only the number 10 is the only paid app in the UK on my iPhone and that's 69p, so yeah, why do so may millions spend billions on IAP of any kind?
Spending endless money on a games IAP system is just as stupid as buying fake stickers. But for 17 mil I would be bloody laughing all the way to the bank at those mugs!
LINE user on Android here. VOIP over LINE saved me tons of phone charges when I'm traveling overseas.
I can send a cute cartoon picture of a car to my wife to let her know I'm on my way home from work. $1.99 gets me another 30-40 pandas or whatever the flavor of the month is. Never underestimate the power of cute, it beats stupidity...
Apple is banning use of the virtual coins which were used to gift that $1.99 worth of stickers. The information about that recipient is hidden from them in LINE's service, so that's probably what they don't like.
I can send a cute cartoon picture of a car to my wife to let her know I'm on my way home from work. $1.99 gets me another 30-40 pandas or whatever the flavor of the month is. Never underestimate the power of cute, it beats stupidity...
Apple is banning use of the virtual coins which were used to gift that $1.99 worth of stickers. The information about that recipient is hidden from them in LINE's service, so that's probably what they don't like.
Who the hell would pay to buy a Pet Rock in the late 70's? Or Pokemon cards in the 2000s? Or Chia Pets, Furby's, Snuggies, Beanie Babies, Shake Weights, Sketchers Shape Ups, Tamagotchi's, shoulder pads as a fashion statement, magic eight balls, Zhu zhu pets, the Perfect Push Up, the Ab Lounge....or any other stupid a$$ trend that both adults and kids waste millions upon millions buying into? Inexplicable things are purchased every day for no reason.
Stupidity knows no age group.