News - Google to stop labelling apps with in-app purchases as 'Free'

[HEXUS]

The move is in response to criticism from the European Commission.

Read more.

[RT-XD]

Good move Google. Good Move.

[cheesemp]

Hmm. Will they be just labelled £0.00 (instead of free) or will they have a new name i.e PayToPlay? (or should that be PayToWin )

Please to see this issue is recognised if nothing else. Been quite annoyed with a number of cheap (~59p) pay for games getting in on the act recently...

[Jonj1611]

About time

[crossy]

Making it more difficult for the kiddies to do the in-app purchases is a "win" in my book (although making sure that theirPlay accounts don't have a credit card assigned is a good way.

I've noticed that more and more of the app descriptions are prominently warning that the app provides in-app purchases. This would seem to me to be a reasonable way to do things, unless perhaps Google wants to add some icon to mark apps with IAP's.

What I'd want though, especially from Google, is a better app search. In this context I'd like to be able to distinguish between freeware (presumably ad-supported), "freemium" (IAP's) and paid-for apps.

Oh, and Mr Google, please, please, please make it possible to buy apps in one Play account and then "gift" those uninstalled apps to someone else. That would make life a lot easier for parents! Play cards already provide a "redeem code" feature, so just extend that so you can buy an app and get a code (to give to someone else) rather than a download of the app.

[jimbouk]

What I'd want though, especially from Google, is a better app search. In this context I'd like to be able to distinguish between freeware (presumably ad-supported), "freemium" (IAP's) and paid-for apps.

Yeah, there's a big difference between free, ad-supported, in-app-purchase supported, the last two combined, paid for once and paid plus in-app-purchases (I'm sure someone could add another category!).

At least they are doing something though, well done EU for shaming the slow response from Apple.

[Waswat]

Finally. The actually free apps will now be in the spotlight a bit more

[GuidoLS]

While I agree with the actions being taken, I don't agree with the why they are being taken.

What ever happened to personal responsibility? Do you give your kids a blank check or unlimited credit card and turn them loose in a toy store? If a parent is going to give a child access to something, they need to be responsible for not only what that child does, but what that child has the access to. If you're using your iPad or Android as a babysitter, the person needing to be penalized isn't the company with the app(s).

[Crumbles]

I'll just be glad that In-App payments will finally be outed and publishers can stop describing their games as freemium.

I have no problem with the freemium model just how its implemented.

[jimbouk]

What ever happened to personal responsibility? Do you give your kids a blank check or unlimited credit card and turn them loose in a toy store?

No, but if you buy something by entering your credit card details/password you wouldn't expect your child to be able to keep buying more stuff which was one of the original issues.

[crossy]

No, but if you buy something by entering your credit card details/password you wouldn't expect your child to be able to keep buying more stuff which was one of the original issues.

That was the point I was trying to make - the current setup of the Play store is such that there's no real blocks in place - it's almost as if a "guest" Play account is needed. That is, one that is linked to a "parent" account and can make free "purchases" by itself, but anything that costs real money has to be authorised by someone else. Actually maybe some form of two-factor authentication on paid content would be the answer - that way Junior can "buy" free stuff as wanted, but if they want that "coins pack" then mum/dad has to enter a code that's sent to their phone. So if mum/dad doesn't approve of the purchase then the rugrat doesn't get the authorisation code.

While I agree with the actions being taken, I don't agree with the why they are being taken.

What ever happened to personal responsibility? Do you give your kids a blank check or unlimited credit card and turn them loose in a toy store? If a parent is going to give a child access to something, they need to be responsible for not only what that child does, but what that child has the access to. If you're using your iPad or Android as a babysitter, the person needing to be penalized isn't the company with the app(s).

Agreed. I heard of one case where a four year old kid got an iPad mini and doting parent promptly linked to their iTunes account which also had purchasing capabilities.
Someone that dumb shouldn't have been allowed to breed (imho).

[valhar2000]

I don't get the Freemium model. Well, I understand why publishers like it, but I don't understand why any player bothers with it: if you don't pay, the game is practically unwinnable, but if you do, it poses no challenge. Freemium is like having to pay to use cheat codes on a PC. Why would anybody want to do this?

[Odeas]

That was the point I was trying to make - the current setup of the Play store is such that there's no real blocks in place - it's almost as if a "guest" Play account is needed. That is, one that is linked to a "parent" account and can make free "purchases" by itself, but anything that costs real money has to be authorised by someone else. Actually maybe some form of two-factor authentication on paid content would be the answer - that way Junior can "buy" free stuff as wanted, but if they want that "coins pack" then mum/dad has to enter a code that's sent to their phone. So if mum/dad doesn't approve of the purchase then the rugrat doesn't get the authorisation code.

There is the option to add a password to your Google Play account for purchases and set it to require a password for ALL purchases. The default is set to every 30 minutes though I think, which is probably a big cause to the problem! Things that are free like installing free apps don't require the password to be entered.

When adding a payment method to your google play account I don't think you get prompted to add a payment password, and when you'd like it to prompt, you have to turn it on through the options screen. This would make a lot of sense to ask for at setup so it's not missed. (They may do this but pretty sure they don't? Been a while!)

Good move by google, some app's are listed as free but seriously crippled without buying IAP's.
This may push more developers to ads only so they can be listed in the 'Free' section.

[GuidoLS]

No, but if you buy something by entering your credit card details/password you wouldn't expect your child to be able to keep buying more stuff which was one of the original issues.

I wouldn't allow my 'child' access to the internet, in any form, without some sort of parental supervision, be it a 4 year old or a 14 year old.

[crossy]

I don't get the Freemium model. Well, I understand why publishers like it, but I don't understand why any player bothers with it: if you don't pay, the game is practically unwinnable, but if you do, it poses no challenge. Freemium is like having to pay to use cheat codes on a PC. Why would anybody want to do this?

There's a whole spectrum of games in the Freemium model, the worst ones where you pretty much have to pay unless you're willing to spend a LOT of time in level-up grind or you are really, really, really good at playing the game. On the other hand there's others where you can happily use it as a "free" game but paying will extend the play-life of the game (more levels or the possibility of replaying levels in different ways).

E.g. Galaxy on Fire HD is down as a "free" game, but the free game has a severe limitation on the number of levels. If you want to see the rest of the universe then you've got to flash your credit card. Dead Trigger also is playable as free, but very difficult, spend a little cash to get a shotgun and it becomes a lot easier.

A lot of the freemium content I see seems to be "coin packs" that let you buy new weapons etc which you (technically speaking) also could have got by playing a lot, but the coin pack lets you do it in one fell swoop. One thing to watch though is that the pricing of some of these packs is ridiculous. For example, if you're a Plants v's Zombies 2 fan, then you'll know that the top pack is an eye-watering £69.99 - and I wouldn't pay that kind of money for a mainstream PC title, never mind something running on an Android tablet!

Maybe it's just me, but I've installed Freemium games in the past and then avoided paying for any of the add-ons just out of pure spite! On the other hand Freemium can be a great way to effectively get an extended demo version of a game, like GoF - you play the free levels, then stump up if it appeals to you.

What worries me is that a lot of "kids" games these days seem to be Freemium - and the paid-for content is at such a level that it's easy to work up a pretty big bill, £1 here, 50p there - it all adds up.

[micre23]

This is definitely a move in the right direction, especially considering the existance of pay to win and trial/limited applications.
What will be interesting is how they will go about checking the apps...