

Ask HN: Will Apple ever reject apps with unethical in-app purchase schemes? - japhyr

I teach high school, and I watch otherwise reasonable students sink significant money into silly click-bait games. Their eyes open a bit when I objectively help them understand how they are being manipulated. They laugh a bit, and then go right back to playing the games.<p>Do you think Apple will ever reject apps that have abusive in-app purchase schemes? It would mean turning away from a lot of money in the short term, but it might be a smart move if these games are likely to create a really strong backlash anyway.
======
calbear81
Are virtual goods inherently unethical? I think it's hard to judge how someone
wants to spend their money and to assume that the value they derive from a
game is not worth the money they are spending. After all, are they not
entertained and is there not a price for that?

------
ericcumbee
"A fool and his money are soon parted" being in high school = Fool

They will either learn one day, or just wont get it.

------
ig1
How would you even define such a rule ? - I doubt you could get a common
consensus on where the ethical line is.

------
6thSigma
Care to elaborate on the unethical schemes you are referencing?

~~~
japhyr
The Zynga model of game design, which most of us are familiar with. The model
where players are just being steered towards in-app-purchases, rather than
towards interesting or challenging game play.

~~~
ishansharma
While you are spot on, and I agree with you, I don't think that Apple will
ever do anything like that.

There are various problems with defining "ethical". Lot of people are paying
for these games, so it is completely ethical for us. As far as I know, all
this does not matter to anyone except us. We are already at higher end of tech
spectrum and know how stuff works. For children or old people, that is normal.

So I don't think Apple will ever do that. Not to forget that it is quite
profitable as well.

