Apple has changed the inscription on the download button F2P-games in the English-language version of its app store App Store with a «Free» on «Get» (trans. "Free" and "Get"), taking the first step to eliminate all F2P-projects from the category Free. This was reported site of Re / code.
In early 2014, members of the European Commission conferred with the developers about F2P-games. EU authorities insist that the word "free" and its synonyms can be used without proper reservations only to completely free games, and confusion with definitions not only harms consumers, but also undermines the credibility of the promising markets. Last summer, Google has agreed with the recommendations and promised to September 2014 to stop using the word "free" in relation to F2P-projects.Soon the company changed the name slightly categories with games and applications in the store Google Play, get out of there the word "free", and became indicate variation in prices for goods within applications. Then Apple also agreed to follow the recommendations of the European Commission, but did not share details.
Now owners App Store started to make a stronger emphasis on the fact that F2P-games - not entirely free entertainment. In the Russian version of the store on the button, as before, is written "Download", but for English-speaking countries have come up with a more precise definition. Nevertheless, projects with micropayments in the app store Apple still fall into the category of "Free Games". Will this change the company is unknown.
Authorities in different countries and companies in the industry are worried because F2P-games, especially in connection with the cases when children spend money without parental permission. In April 2012, six major Japanese game developers for mobile phones and social networks have agreed to limit the monthly expenses of children up to 15 years about $ 62, from 16 to 18 years - about $ 124. In December, the publisher Koei Tecmo end of 2013 forbade the Japanese under 15 years spend in games of more than $ 50 a month, from 16 to 19 years - more than $ 200 a month. Ministry of Culture of China and does prohibits any children micropayments.
In the US, do not argue about the terms. In January 2014 the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ordered Apple to pay $ 32.5 million users, children who made a purchase in the App Store application without the knowledge of their parents. In September FTC on the same grounds fined Google for $ 19 million. In addition, the Commission ordered the company to change the procedure of buying so that the user can "quickly and deliberately" to confirm the payment. FTC asked to Amazon, but the company refused to change anything in its Amazon Appstore and answer for it in court.
