UK government announces investigation into "aggressive" in-app purchases

[maxy]

It begins.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-04-12-after-children-rack-up-huge-bills-uk-government-announces-investigation-into-aggressive-in-app-purchases

Apple

[Cerveza mas fina]

You mean  bad parents

[maxy]

You mean  bad parents

Apple=bad parents=Apple

[Damian79]

You mean  bad parents

Bullshit.  The whole thing was designed to sucker idiots and get money from technologically illiterate people with kids.  Its disgusting and you know it.

[mjemirzian]

They should have bought their kid a Cave shoot em up instead.

[Great Rumbler]

Hopefully, the UK will pass a law that demolishes the entire F2P/P2W model.

[Powerslave]

This is awesome.

[Don Flamenco]

Awesome.   Hopefully they'll move on to investigating other gaming related atrocities, like ninja gaiden 3

[Cerveza mas fina]

Maybe yall should move to north korea if you dont like good ole capitalism and FREEDOM

[Don Flamenco]

does this North Korea accept bitcoin?

[mjemirzian]

Lager's shaking the hornet's nest.

[recursivelyenumerable]

Apple has a kill switch on apps, but British intelligence has a license to kill ... apps

[Purple Filth]

Ehn, it's not *why* I wanted it to happen, but I'm glad it *is* happening.  Saw this coming far away, and if the industry doesn't smarten up and self-regulate a bit better, it's only going to get worse.

Aka the Government steps in

[Purple Filth]

there are degrees to which the government can step in.  the stuff they're talking about now is pretty mild.  they could slap the entire freemium genre of game with a gambling tag and make it illegal for minors and i think that would smart a bit more.

That would suck but damn the whole freemium thing rubs me the wrong way due to how blatant it has become (Real racing 3 is  )

[Cerveza mas fina]

I read that Dungeon Hunters 4 is even worse then RR3. There is like a 4 hour cooldown on potions.

[Eel O'Brian]

maybe apple could require a separate password and confirmation for in-app purchases?

[magus]

maybe apple could require a separate password and confirmation for in-app purchases?

how do you end up spending 1000$ on in-app purchases without realizing it anyway? or heck can't you just not link your credit card to your kid ipad or something?

[archie4208]

If I'm reading it correctly, Valve games could potentially be targeted because they rely on a slot machine system for certain cosmetic items.

maybe apple could require a separate password and confirmation for in-app purchases?

how do you end up spending 1000$ on in-app purchases without realizing it anyway? or heck can't you just not link your credit card to your kid ipad or something?

Tech unaware parents plus the fact that purchasing is incredibly simple and seamless.

[DCharlieJP]

It's the whole "well, our game was designed to be played over XX weeks - you don't have to buy the in game items" line that really sucks the big one

Watching wife and kid play Hay Day (or whatever the farming thing is called) - they are in cohoots together to gib the system but the game is just one endless excuse to get you to pay for shit.