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"Free-to-play" misleading advertising in Europe

gamesindustry.biz

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

#71

Post by girvo »

taspeotis wrote: post #8

When I look at free games on the App Store I see if it says "offers in-app purchases". If it does I look at the in-app purchases. If the in-app purchases are "x00 Special In-Game Currency Units" then I don't install the game. Not sure we need legislation to avoid being ripped off...

I'm glad I'm not the only one there. Although some apps a quick search will show that it's worth it (Paper by 53 comes to mind).

Which is something I find interesting: people talk about "discovery" and reviews of apps being difficult. You're on a device that's sole purpose is internet connectivity! Use the browser, Luke!

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

#72

Post by r00fus »

eropple wrote: post #33
x0054 wrote: post #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 E…

> 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. So you understand that companies like King design their "free" games to be next-to-impossible if you don't give them money, while employing teams of psychologists to determine the best way to subvert your will through forced failure while simultaneously driving manipulative CTAs at you while you…

King is like Zynga - eventually, their whales will migrate or die off and the company prospectus for investors will be weak or damaged.

Not that I don't think Apple should take a step to call out their "free" games that happen to rake in tons of cash - when their top grossing list has mostly "free" games, that's a big sign that "free ain't free".

Many good games have reasonable iAP (e.g.: Carcassonne, Ascension). As soon as I see any tokens, I don't buy it.

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

#73

Post by diziet »

ZeroGravitas wrote: post #69
ghshephard wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are Candy Crush and PvZ 2 Free? I've been playing them for 4+ months and haven't spent a dime on them. Other than the bandwidth to download them, I would certainly consider them free.

Apparently Candy Crush actually gets harder after you pay, because you've marked yourself as a sucker by paying once.

This is something that should be pretty simple to test. Do you have any more details?

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

#74

Post by nnutter »

brudgers wrote: post #55
nnutter wrote: post #18

Personally I would like to see iAP to be considered like advertising and for it to be more heavily regulated at child audiences. Tired of my 4 year old crying because I won't let him spend another $4 to unlock another widget.

Next time a child asks for permission to make an in app purchase, turn off the electronics go down to the creek and jump in puddles together. They are only four once. It's right now or it doesn't happen. There's no second chance.

I enjoy making cartoons with him just as much as jumping in puddles.

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

#75

Post by JAFTEM »

ChuckMcM wrote: post #66

It would be interesting if one could differentiate between playable games, and in game purchases are "fun", versus games that are unplayable in the 'free' mode without purchasing additional tokens. Its the latter that people really hate.

I don't see how unless you have some third party reviewing each game.

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

#76

Post by nnutter »

wyager wrote: post #64
nnutter wrote: post #18

Personally I would like to see iAP to be considered like advertising and for it to be more heavily regulated at child audiences. Tired of my 4 year old crying because I won't let him spend another $4 to unlock another widget.

This sounds like a parenting problem, not a legal problem.

It's not a parenting problem that a human brain develops over many years and is initially incapable of understanding some of the constraints the world places on it.

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

#77

Post by redthrowaway »

JAFTEM wrote: post #75
ChuckMcM wrote: post #66

It would be interesting if one could differentiate between playable games, and in game purchases are "fun", versus games that are unplayable in the 'free' mode without purchasing additional tokens. Its the latter that people really hate.

I don't see how unless you have some third party reviewing each game.

Valve seems like an obvious choice on PC. It'll be interesting to see what their console push leads to.

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

#78

Post by redthrowaway »

taspeotis wrote: post #8

When I look at free games on the App Store I see if it says "offers in-app purchases". If it does I look at the in-app purchases. If the in-app purchases are "x00 Special In-Game Currency Units" then I don't install the game. Not sure we need legislation to avoid being ripped off...

Unfortunately, most people aren't even that sophisticated. The average user isn't going to be able to differentiate between a free game and one designed to pry their wallets open.

I don't know if the solution to that is regulation, but it can't be reliance on the uninformed to know what's good for them. The exploitative industry moves faster than any but the most well-informed and most jaded.

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

#79

Post by cwyers »

Some of these are reasonable protections, but I wonder if there's that many offenders -- are there really apps that don't follow "in-app purchases should not be made without the consumer's explicit consent?" I don't have an iPhone, but in Android you have to go through a Google Play dialogue to authorize any IAPs I've made.

Some, though, seem rather ineffectual. If the App Store and Google Play replace the button that says "Free" with one that says something else, and the game still doesn't cost anything up-front, is that really going to change anyone's behavior?

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

#80

Post by dreamdu5t »

djur wrote: post #53
baddox wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a lot of mental gymnastics going on in your comment. Both Apple and government are simply a bunch of individuals. The difference is which group contains individuals that will use violence against people to get its way regardless of the people's consent.

The difference is which group derives its power from the consent of the governed, actually.

Nobody alive today has ever consented to government. There is no negotiation. "Consent of the governed" is sophistry.
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