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"Free-to-play" misleading advertising in Europe

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11–20 of 231 posts

Re: "Free-to-play" misleading advertising in Europe

#11
The solution for this would be to change the purchase approval model where you have to enter your password to purchase anything. You can have to options: 1) authorize until closed, or 2) authorize just this purchase. This way kids could not run up charges using iAP.

However, if you an adult, and you have purchased $100s of iAP, and now you feel bad about it, I have 0 sympathy for you.

Overall, this is just EU being EU, nothing surprising.

Re: "Free-to-play" misleading advertising in Europe

#12
post #9

This is silly. At the end of the day, game developers need to get paid for their effort and time spent. The days of $49 boxed games are over (on mobile). The iAP model is proven again and again across different platforms and the majority of the top grossing apps are following it. It costs money to develop games and apps. A quality title might cost over a million dollars in development. What makes the consumer believe…

In app purchases are fine, but be HONEST about it. Not being upfront about the costs of your game directly misleads the customer and, in my opinion, is a terrible and abusive way to earn revenue.

Re: "Free-to-play" misleading advertising in Europe

#13
post #10
post #9

This is silly. At the end of the day, game developers need to get paid for their effort and time spent. The days of $49 boxed games are over (on mobile). The iAP model is proven again and again across different platforms and the majority of the top grossing apps are following it. It costs money to develop games and apps. A quality title might cost over a million dollars in development. What makes the consumer believe…

I don't think anybody was saying that games should be free or that iAPs are about to be illegal. But labeling something "free" that isn't really "free" is misleading customers. Games shouldn't be free since games aren't free to produce. But it's a reasonable expectation that games that are not free are not labeled as "free".

Are apps without iAPs but with ads to be considered 'free'?

Re: "Free-to-play" misleading advertising in Europe

#14
post #9

This is silly. At the end of the day, game developers need to get paid for their effort and time spent. The days of $49 boxed games are over (on mobile). The iAP model is proven again and again across different platforms and the majority of the top grossing apps are following it. It costs money to develop games and apps. A quality title might cost over a million dollars in development. What makes the consumer believe…

1. iAP are obviously not evil. 2. How the industry uses them probably is. 3. Your game isn't free if you have to pay to enjoy it. 4. "Developers gotta eat" doesn't have anything to do with it.

Re: "Free-to-play" misleading advertising in Europe

#16
post #13
post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think anybody was saying that games should be free or that iAPs are about to be illegal. But labeling something "free" that isn't really "free" is misleading customers. Games shouldn't be free since games aren't free to produce. But it's a reasonable expectation that games that are not free are not labeled as "free".

Are apps without iAPs but with ads to be considered 'free'?

Sure. The experience is the same for all users. Paying money doesn't change it.

Re: "Free-to-play" misleading advertising in Europe

#17

Companies will find a different name ... and go on with the same business model. Just a naming game ... no real progress, yet. Clever companies will always find ways, to fool not so clever people. I also think, that most people know, that F2P is not really free.

well I'd rather force abusers into mental gymnastics than allow them to outright lie this could also highlight apps that are truley free

especially for parents who only want their kids to play truly free games.

Re: "Free-to-play" misleading advertising in Europe

#19

Companies will find a different name ... and go on with the same business model. Just a naming game ... no real progress, yet. Clever companies will always find ways, to fool not so clever people. I also think, that most people know, that F2P is not really free.

If it has a different name, at least it'll be distinguishable.

Re: "Free-to-play" misleading advertising in Europe

#20

Companies will find a different name ... and go on with the same business model. Just a naming game ... no real progress, yet. Clever companies will always find ways, to fool not so clever people. I also think, that most people know, that F2P is not really free.

What does f2p stand for?

Although I'm cynical enough to not expect this, things could be partitioned into "grant access to people with no payment on file" and "need payment on file to download this app".

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