Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Apple Stops Designating Games With In-App Purchases As "Free"
Free-to-play games have been criticized for trying to hook consumers with in-app purchases and microtransactions. Now, Apple has changed its iTunes store labeling system to reflect these realities.
As you can see in the picture above, the download button for these type of of games now says "Get" instead of "Free." Apple says that this has been done to be more accurate for consumers. Recently, the European Union forced Google to change its Google Play store labeling of "free-to-play" games, so it's very possible that this move has been done to preempt any action on the part of the EU.
[Source: TechCrunch via Joystiq]
Our Take
This is a good move, especially for parents of younger consumers who might be tempted by these supposedly "free" games.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
