In-App Robbery? I Don’t Think So.

Posted on March 6th, 2010. Written by Jane.

There are so many applications out now that are jumping the band wagon of adding in-app purchases. Feeding to the fury and disgust in many iPhone users. So many people are now leaving bad reviews for the app they buy just because they had to buy an extra item to, what they think, will better the game. Many new apps are no longer getting the review rating they truly deserve.

So lets delve deeper into this. First of all, yes, there are some games out there that charge you to, for example change your characters clothes. The simple solution here is, don’t do it! The developer is not standing over you and pressuring you to change your jeans from pink to blue. Is it going to better your game play? No it isn’t. So get over the fact you’re stuck in pink and just enjoy the actual game.

A few apps available are the virtual gift apps which fair enough I personally can’t see the point in. Why buy someone a virtual gift they can never touch? We have a choice though, when you download such apps for free you are warned before hand its going to cost you more in the actual app itself. Your not been robbed of your cash or led to believe you have nothing else to purchase.

I want to choose now a developer that seems to be getting the most criticism for doing in-app purchases and just maybe help change your view on why I think its not all bad. Ngmoco have brought out some fantastic games. I say this with such enthusiasm because I play a lot of them. Touch Pets Dogs for starters. This is a game where you adopt a pet and treat it like you would a dog in the real world. You feed it, cloth it, take it for walks, play with it and make friends online with it! It is a great game for many ages. Now you do get free food for your dog but if it runs out before you are due to get any more your dog will fall asleep and struggle to wake up. This as happened to some gamers who have been very upset about it especially when their children were the ones playing it. So the option is to buy more food and your dog will live happily ever after. Or is it? I have had the game since it came out and I have never once parted with my cash. I have thousands of puppy bucks and many bowls of dog food to feed my little pup. How you ask? Easy, every time they do a special offer I take them up on it. It might be to download another free app of theirs, if it turns out I don’t like the app then I just delete it after I have the points. The next way around spending is the hardest, its called patience and it seems not many of us have it. If you play and play the game yes you will run out of food but this type of game is designed to be played over a period of time not continuously. So try putting it down for a while and dipping back into it through out the day.

Eliminate Pro again is the same you get to play several games before you run out of energy and you then have to wait  until your energy is recharged before playing. If you want you can buy power cells and start playing straight away. No one is forcing you to spend your money though, again its just a matter of being patient and waiting. You should look at it like this as well, the servers wont be busy 24/7 so you are going to have a better game play compared to if everyone was online. Eliminate is another game where I have not spent a single penny and I have 45 power cells sat there that I’ve not used yet. I got all these again when ever they offered a special offer.

Ngmoco have just brought a new game out called We Rule, and I wonder how long it will be before the reviews turn negative and it gets slated for having to buy in-app purchases. Again it is all down to having patience and to wait it out! You don’t have to buy them and you can still play the game fully and enjoy it just as much.

It seems a shame so many great applications are not getting the review they deserve just because we are being ‘offered’ the option to part with our money. You have a choice and it is up to you what path you choose to take, but don’t slate a game just because of the decision you make.