News
Apple intros In-App Purchase micro-transaction service
By Charles Starrett
Contributing Editor
Published: Tuesday, March 17, 2009
News Categories: Apps + Games
Apple has announced that iPhone OS 3.0 will offer developers the option of selling subscriptions, extra levels, e-books, or other content from within their applications using a new service called In-App Purchase. The service will utilize the iTunes Store for transactions, including payment and authentication, and Apple will take 30% of the proceeds as an operations fee, as it does for normal paid applications sold through the App Store. Free applications will not be allowed to use the In-App Purchase feature.
Notably, several third-party game demonstrations depicted the In-App Purchase feature being used for increasingly questionable purposes: one added new levels for an additional fee, while others allowed you to buy new dog clothing and in-game weapons, and the worst, in EA’s The Sims 3, sold you $1 access to your own device’s built-in music library—a way for developers to charge you for new OS 3.0 features.
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1
I can see the functioality here but this is a way to rob many iPod and iPhone users of their money..
Too many apps developers will abuse this feature..
Posted by durrson on March 17, 2009 at 11:28 AM (PST)
2
I see a lot of potential for abuse here. Some uses are legitimate: e.g. new books for an eReader or new maps for a GPS app. (I would rather each eBook dev in the AppStore have only 1 reader app rather than 20 different apps for 20 books.)
But I’m afraid it will be more like the $1 for dog clothes, $1 for rocket launchers, etc. nickel and diming users to death.
Posted by Dyvim on March 17, 2009 at 11:37 AM (PST)
3
I honestly don’t think users will stand for the nickel and diming after they have gotten used to dirt cheap apps. Time will tell.
Posted by Galley in Greenville, SC on March 17, 2009 at 1:00 PM (PST)
4
I think this is going to be a MAJOR issue once it gets going. This could be the undoing of the App Store’s success if developers let this get out of hand. I’m not going to be happy purchasing a game only to find, say, 10 levels in, that it’s requesting a dollar to buy 10 more levels. Reviews in the App Store will obviously bear this out and new purchases will suffer. I think this was a VERY bad decision on Apple’s part. Hopefully developers will realize being greedy is a stupid decision, but I have my doubts . . .
Posted by Tom on March 18, 2009 at 8:49 AM (PST)
5
nonsense. as usual, non-visionaries criticize the visionaries at apple that will continue to move so far beyond you guys that it makes everyone laugh.
get on board people, in the middle of a depression, apple is the only american brand that is shining, we should all be proud!
Posted by sam curious on March 20, 2009 at 8:29 PM (PST)
6
As long as the value of an app doesn’t decrease because of in app purchase it will fine. If they start with the $0.99 for ten more levels it will start to make people unhappy.
Posted by Aaron McLean on April 5, 2009 at 7:30 PM (PST)
7
And Apple doesn’t pay the money to the developer as they do now. They keep the money and don’t reply to emails, and don’t provide a phone number to ask about the developers’ money. Nice way to rob from developers
Posted by iPhone developer on June 12, 2009 at 4:01 PM (PST)
8
Abuse? Nonsense… most of us big boys and girls will be able to make the decision as to whether or not to spend the big bucks (or buck) for more levels, clothes, etc. If you don’t want to, don’t. Simple as that. If you do and you feel ripped off, write a review saying so, and you’re out the cost of 1/2 a cup of coffee. Other users will eventually get the message, and greedy developers will see their revenue streams dwindle. If developers don’t deliver what they promise for the extra $$, that’s a different story, though…
Posted by Nishkabob on June 14, 2009 at 11:55 AM (PST)
9
About time. This is going to make a world of difference, but apple needs to put less limitations on it - right now its just for content, not functionality.
William Kasel
JumpFox, LLC
Posted by William Kasel on October 15, 2009 at 6:52 PM (PST)
10
I just had a very bad experience with inapp purchase. I downloaded a free app called kingdoms at war, found it unsuitable for me and deleted it. week later my account was successfully billed over $250!!! for a games i never even played, we are not talking .99c here and there. It charged me $94 for something called a nobility pack and then kept charging me $12.00 over 10 times till my credit card refused to allow it. Apple cannot refund me. If any can help, please please do so….
chris
Posted by chris low on January 30, 2010 at 2:59 PM (PST)