in-app purchases
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Apple notifies iTunes users of In App Purchase settlement
Today I woke to an email from Apple's "In-App Purchase Litigation Administrator." The email informs iTunes account holders who've had a minor make an unapproved in-app purchase (IAP) that they may be eligible for iTunes store credit or a cash refund. According to the terms of the class action lawsuit settlement, if a minor used your iTunes account to buy less than US$30 worth of IAP's, you are eligible for a $5 iTunes store credit. If a minor used your iTunes account to buy more than $30 worth of IAP is, you're eligible for a cash refund. Users have until January 13, 2014 to submit a settlement claim. Claimants can find full details of the settlement, including a list of IAP eligible games, here. The full email follows. LEGAL NOTICE If your iTunes account was charged for an in-app purchase made by a minor in a game app without your knowledge or permission, you could be entitled to benefits under a class action settlement. The parties have reached a settlement in a consolidated class action lawsuit against Apple Inc. ("Apple") regarding in-app purchases of game currency charged by minors to an iTunes account without the account holder's knowledge or permission. If the settlement is court-approved, your rights may be affected. The United States District Court for the Northern District of California authorized this notice. The Court will have a hearing to consider whether to approve the settlement so that the benefits may be paid. This summary provides basic information about the settlement. What's This About? In a consolidated class action lawsuit pending against Apple, Plaintiffs alleged that certain iOS applications ("Apps") distributed through the App Store allowed minors to charge iTunes accounts for in-app purchases of game currency without the account holders' knowledge or permission. Apple denies all allegations and is entering into this settlement to avoid burdensome and costly litigation. The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing. Who's Affected? You're a "Class Member" if you're a United States resident who paid for an in-app purchase of game currency charged to your iTunes account by a minor without your knowledge or permission in a Qualified App. For a searchable list of Qualified Apps and the full definition of "Game Currency," please go to www.iTunesInAppPurchaseSettlement.com. Qualified Apps consist of all apps in the games category with a minimum age rating of 4+, 9+, or 12+ that offer in-app purchases of game currency. What Benefit Can You Get From the Settlement? You may choose between (a) a single $5 iTunes Store credit or (b) a credit equal to the total amount of Game Currency that a minor charged to your iTunes account without your knowledge or permission within a single forty-five (45) day period, less any refund you previously received ("Aggregate Relief"). A cash refund in lieu of an iTunes Store credit is available if (a) you no longer have an active iTunes account, or (b) your claims exceed $30 in total. Additional requirements for claiming charges after the forty-five (45) day period apply. You must complete a valid Claim Form to receive settlement benefits. The Claim Form will require you to attest that you: (a) paid for Game Currency charges in Qualified Apps charged to your iTunes account by a minor without your knowledge or permission; (b) did not knowingly enter your iTunes password to authorize any such purchase(s) and did not give your password to the minor to make any such purchase(s); and (c) have not received a refund from Apple for those charges. In addition, if you choose Aggregate Relief, the Claim Form will require you to identify the Qualified App, date of purchase, and price paid for each claimed charge. If you claim Aggregate Relief in excess of $30, you will also need to describe the circumstances under which a minor charged Game Currency to your iTunes account without your knowledge or permission. You may obtain a list of all in-app purchases, including Game Currency purchases, charged to your account by (1) selecting "View My Apple ID" from the iTunes "Store" menu, (2) entering your Apple ID and associated password, and (3) clicking "See All" under the heading titled "Purchase History." Who is Eligible for Cash Refunds? Cash refunds will be available to Class Members who no longer maintain iTunes accounts or whose total Aggregate Relief claims exceed $30. A detailed notice and Claim Form package contains everything you need and is available at www.iTunesInAppPurchaseSettlement.com. You can also obtain a Claim Form package by calling 1-855-282-8111. What Are Your Options and What Are the Deadlines? YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS AND OPTIONS IN THIS SETTLEMENT: OPTION EXPLANATION DEADLINE SUBMIT A CLAIM FORM The only way to get a payment under the settlement. January 13, 2014 EXCLUDE YOURSELF Get no payment under the settlement. This is the only option that allows you to ever be part of any other lawsuit against Apple about the claims and allegations in this case. August 30, 2013 OBJECT Write to the Court about why you don't like the settlement. August 30, 2013 GO TO A HEARING Ask to speak in Court about the fairness of the settlement. September 27, 2013 DO NOTHING Get no payment under the settlement. Give up rights. N/A Please read the full notice, which is available at www.iTunesInAppPurchaseSettlement.com, and decide whether you wish to make a claim. To claim a settlement benefit, you must submit a valid Claim Form on or before January 13, 2014. If you do not claim a settlement benefit within this time period, you will lose your right to obtain this benefit. If you don't want to make a claim and you don't want to be legally bound by the settlement, you must postmark your request to exclude yourself by August 30, 2013, or you won't be able to sue, or continue to sue, Apple about the legal claims and allegations in this case. If you exclude yourself, you will not be eligible to receive a payment from this settlement. If you stay in the Class, you may object to the settlement. Objections must be received by August 30, 2013. The detailed notice describes how to exclude yourself or object. The Court will hold a hearing in this case (In re Apple In-App Purchase Litigation, Case No. 5:11-CV-01758-EJD) on October 18, 2013 at 9:00 a.m. to consider whether to approve (1) the settlement and (2) attorneys' fees and expenses of up to $1.3 million for Class Counsel, and service awards to each of the five Plaintiffs of up to $1,500 each. You may appear at the hearing, but you don't have to. For More Information About the Settlement To obtain a full notice and claim form, go to www.iTunesInAppPurchaseSettlement.com or call toll free 1-855-282-8111. For more details, go to www.iTunesInAppPurchaseSettlement.com or write to Boni & Zack LLC, Attn: Joshua D. Snyder, 15 St. Asaphs Road, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004; or Saltz Mongeluzzi Barrett & Bendesky, P.C., Attn: Simon B. Paris, 1650 Market Street, Floor 51, Philadelphia, PA 19103. For More Information About Apple Parental Controls Apple provides owners of iOS devices such as the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch with the option to implement parental controls which prevent minors from charging in-app purchases to an iTunes account without the knowledge or permission of the account holder. You can learn more about these parental controls at support.apple.com/kb/HT4213. For Spanish-Language Information About the Settlement Por favor diríjase a www.iTunesInAppPurchaseSettlement.com para obtener una copia de este aviso y otros documentos importantes e información en español. BY ORDER OF THE U.S. DISTRICT COURT
Apple posts 'Learn more about in-app purchases' in iTunes
Apple has been steadily beefing up its in-app purchasing policy to prevent children and adults from inadvertently buying items from within an app. As spotted by App Advice, Apple recently added a new disclaimer about in-app purchases to its App Store on the iPad. The new "Learn More About In-App Purchases" page explains what in-app purchases are and how they work. Apple also gives tips on how to limit in-app purchases using parental controls. You can find this page in the featured section of the iPad App Store, directly below the "What's Hot" section. There you will see a "Learn More About In-App Purchases" card. Tapping on it will bring up the full page. Right now, this information is only available on the iPad. We assume it eventually will land on the iPhone App Store and the iTunes desktop version.
Kids' iPad magazine Timbuktu rethinks in-app purchasing model
Timbuktu is an iPad magazine meant for children, and as our friends over at TechCrunch have noted, its developers recently rethought how it implements in-app purchases. The previous incarnation of Timbuktu (and most famously, Smurf Village, among others), made in-app purchases too tempting and easy for children. The result was high rates of in-app purchases, which was good for the company, but bad for parents who didn't approve of the large associated costs. Before, Timbuktu had little virtual bubbles that you "popped" to make an in-app purchase. The interface was clearly designed to pique childrens' interest, perhaps too much so. Now, Timbuktu has implemented a subscription plan, so that parents can buy lots of content all at once, and then kids can be free to discover it themselves without accidentally spending any money they're not supposed to. That definitely sounds more reasonable. It's worth noting that there are other ways to block in-app purchases. For example, Apple's Restrictions settings lets you to disable all in-app purchases entirely. Also, you can customize the amount of time iOS will require your Apple ID between successful App Store purchases. By default, it's set to 15 minutes. Keeping your children from spending too much on in-app purchases is an avoidable problem, and it's good to hear companies like the makers of Timbuktu are taking steps as well.
Daily Update for April 12, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
UK government investigating in-app purchase pressure on children
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT), which handles consumer protection in the UK, announced it's reviewing if freemium web and app games are encouraging children unduly to make purchases. The OFT says it's contacted certain companies behind free-to-play games, and asked parents and consumer groups to reach out with info about "potentially misleading or commercially aggressive practices" within such games.The investigation is focusing on games that directly target children, the OFT says, via excessive pressure to make a purchase or to do something that requires a purchase. The OFT states this is illegal under the country's Consumer Protection Regulations Act of 2008."We are concerned that children and their parents could be subject to unfair pressure to purchase when they are playing games they thought were free, but which can actually run up substantial costs," said OFT Senior Director for Goods and Consumer Cavendish Elithorn. "The OFT is not seeking to ban in-game purchases, but the games industry must ensure it is complying with the relevant regulations so that children are protected. We are speaking to the industry and will take enforcement action if necessary."According to OFT, 80 of the country's highest grossing Android apps on April 9 were freemium ones. Earlier this year, Apple paid upwards of $100 million in gift certificates to account holders whose children spent money without holder permission on Capcom's Smurfs Village iOS game, this after a settlement on a lawsuit which stated Apple "failed to adequately" disclose the presence of in-app purchases aimed at children.[Image Source: PicPocket Books]
Gameloft tries to make good with Dungeon Hunter 4
Gameloft is one of the most interesting companies on Apple's App Store. The company, run out of Paris, France, has earned a reputation for itself by essentially cloning popular console titles. When the App Store first began, huge console titles like Halo, Call of Duty, and Diablo didn't have apps of their own on the store, and Gameloft saw the opportunity to recreate those game styles on iOS devices. That's how the NOVA, Modern Combat, and Dungeon Hunter games got started, and because players hungry for those experiences didn't have any other options, Gameloft saw a lot of success. These days, however, big companies like Activision and EA have discovered a lot of value on the App Store, and AAA developers are making games of their own. That's rendered Gameloft's model a little obsolete, but the company has an answer: A few years of success and hardcore development have made them experts in delivering high quality titles on mobile platforms, and so they're now starting to push out original content, and turn these titles once known as clones into standalone IPs of their own. The one hiccup in this plan has been the move towards freemium markets. Dungeon Hunter was a series that started out as a Diablo clone, an action RPG that allows you to choose one of a few classes and hack and slash through a storyline, gaining equipment and XP as you went. Dungeon Hunter 2 was a refined version of the first title, and offered some great experiences, both as a singleplayer RPG and even a multiplayer co-op game. Dungeon Hunter 3, however, saw Gameloft trying to turn the game into a purely freemium title, switching from a singleplayer storyline to a series of arenas, all designed to just keep players spending money on in-app purchases. The release earned Gameloft lots of jeers across the Internet, and you can still see the harsh fan feedback on the game's reviews. This past week at GDC, Gameloft showed me Dungeon Hunter 4, and the title shows off both of what's great and terrible about the company lately. The latest version of the game, set for a release later this month, returns the series to a relatively linear storyline, and contains some really excellent action RPG gameplay, portrayed with some very impressive art. All of Gameloft's expertise is brought to bear, and Dungeon Hunter 4 looks like it will be a really fun return to the kind of gameplay that made Dungeon Hunter 2 so popular. Unfortunately, despite abandoning the "arena" ideas that caused so many problems with the third game in the series, the freemium elements are still there in force. You will probably enjoy this one -- if you can avoid and ignore the bright in-app purchase buttons and currency markers that seem to litter the screen. Some of the game's mechanics are annoyingly freemium as well: You get a limited number of health potions every few hours, and you're required to buy more if you need them. Gear can be upgraded by questing through the game -- or you can just press a button below one of your pieces to get a better option. And the title will include a full crafting system, but it's likely that too will be burdened with lots of shortcuts and options for more purchases. Obviously, this is only based on a few minutes with the game, and we don't know for sure what Dungeon Hunter 4 will be like in its final form. But Gameloft is in a tough place right now: At the same time that the company is making better games than ever before, it's also (forced, perhaps, by market forces) depending more than ever on the annoyances of freemium gaming. Dungeon Hunter 4 will be out later this month, and the few minutes of it that I saw at GDC got me really excited about how the game both looks and plays. We'll just hope that Gameloft can keep the freemium prompts to a minimum, allowing the game to pull players in thanks to its quality, not sales tricks and nonsense.
Dear parents, it's not Apple's In-App Purchase problem, it's yours
Dear parents, Week after week we see articles about someone's child racking up thousands of dollars' worth of In-App purchases on their parents' iTunes account. You know the stories. They're ones like this: Five-year-old spends $2,500 on in-app purchases. And this: Apple's in-app game charges: how my kids ran up huge bills. And this: Apps that cost parents dearly: Children running up huge bills on supposedly free games on phones and tablets. And this: Son makes £3,700 in app purchases, policeman father reports him for fraud. And inevitably, Apple takes the blame in the national media and several blogs. But here's the thing: it's not Apple's fault; it's yours. I wouldn't give a 5-year-old access to my credit card in a candy store and you probably shouldn't either. But that's exactly what you're doing when your give them access to your iTunes password. Children don't have the maturity to postpone immediate gratification for long-term gains. You know that because you were a child once. So if you let them into the massive candy store called iTunes and give them free rein with your purchasing details, you have no one to blame but yourself. So just don't do it. And stop blaming Apple. The company has done its fair share of helping out with an option in iOS that allows you to disable in-app purchases on your kid's device. Here's how to do it.
UK cop turns in his son after Apple refuses to refund App Store spending spree
UK father and police officer Doug Crossan took an extreme measure when he discovered his 13-year-old-son had racked up £3,700 (USD$5600) via in-app purchases on the iOS App Store. After Apple refused to rescind the charges, Crossan decided his next best move was to report his son to the authorities for fraud. According to a report in the Daily Mail, Crossman's son made more than 300 purchases in apps like Plants vs Zombies, Nova 3 and more. These freemium titles cost little to nothing to download, but include in-app purchases to unlock content within the game. Crossan said that he and his son believed the games were free and didn't understand that these in-game extras cost real money. Crossan told the Daily Mail that he tried to work with Apple to get the charges reversed, but the company refused. Apple allegedly argued that it is the parent's responsibility to lock down their iOS device. There is a parental control setting that prevents errant purchases by adding a password lock to all in-app purchases or by disabling the feature entirely. To get the charges reversed by his credit card company, Crossan had to report these purchases as unauthorized to the Action Fraud Hotline, which means his son could be held liable for these charges. Crossan admits he doesn't want to see his son arrested, but he does "want to embarrass Apple as much as possible." Crossan isn't the only parent facing this problem of excessive in-app purchases. Earlier this month, a UK tot accrued £1,700 ($2500) in charges after his Dad entered his iTunes password to download a free app from the App Store.
Nook getting in-app purchasing 'soon,' B&N promises 'thousands' of top apps
Sure Barnes & Noble's already promising you the ability to download the "most popular and bestselling top 100 app titles for tablets available anywhere," but what happens when you want to buy something in those apps? Fear not, the bookstore-turned-hardware-maker will be bringing in-app purchases to its line of slates "soon," thanks to a partnership with Nook developer Fortumo. That company's bring single click payment to the Nook ecosystem and offering dashboards and analytics on consumer buying habits for developers. Thanks to the offering, B&N feels certain that, "thousands of the most-requested games and apps featuring in-app purchasing will be available for customers to experience on NOOK's award-winning line of tablets" in the months to come.
Study: Higher resolution smartphone screens mean more in-app purchases
The results of the study discussed in this post seem obvious when you think about it, but at least there's some empirical data to back it the findings. A study conducted by Pocket Gems suggests that people whose smartphones (including iPhones) have high-resolution screens are more likely to buy in-app purchases from game apps, according to AllThingsD. Pocket Gems found that "...the iPhone 5 monetizes nearly four times that of the older-generation iPhone 3GS." Likewise, the study found that those using Android devices with high-resolution screens were "nearly 10 times as likely to make an in-app purchase" vs. their lower-resolution counterparts. Interestingly, the iPad did not follow the trend, and did not show a correlation between screen resolution and in-app buying habits. That's interesting, but I'm not convinced that screen resolution is the determining variable. For example, those who buy the latest and greatest iPhone might have more discretionary income than those still using the 4-year-old 3GS. I don't know if these factors were taken into account, and I also don't know what the study's sample looked like (number, demographic, etc.). Still, it's an interesting finding. AllThingsD has some infographics that represent additional information.
Daily Update for March 21, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Apple agrees to settle lawsuit over in-app purchases made by children
Looks like Apple's set to put an end to the 2011 in-app purchase class action lawsuit filed on behalf of those whose children were spending a Smurphy amount of their money without account holder permission. According to the settlement, Apple could wind up giving a $5 gift certificate to upwards of 23 million customers. In matters where purchases total $30 or more, cash refunds may be awarded. The suit claims that Apple "failed to adequately disclose" the presence of in-app purchases in titles targeted at children, an issue Apple has since address by requiring passwords to be entered when making in-app purchases.
Apple reaches settlement with parents over in-app purchases
Parents whose children purchased in-app items for real money without them knowing are going to receive compensation from Apple. As reported by GigaOM, the company has reached a settlement today in a class action lawsuit filed against it in 2011, and will issue a US$5 iTunes gift card to those who make a claim. If the claim is for more than $5, Apple will add a credit to the person's account, while claims over $30 will be paid in cash. The suit was originally brought against Apple by a Pennsylvania man named Garen Meguerian, whose daughter racked up more than $200 in in-app purchases without his knowledge. For its part, Apple sought to limit such purchases by requiring an account password to be entered for each IAP. In the suit, Meguerian suggested that a second, different password be required for IAPs. Under the proposed settlement, those seeking to receive payment from Apple will have their iTunes purchase histories reviewed to ensure that the purchases were actually made, and must attest that their children made the purchases without their knowledge and without being given the account password. The settlement is currently awaiting approval by a federal judge. [Via Apple Insider]
Enfour shares more details about app piracy
A few days ago, we wrote about the story of Enfour, an app developer that's specialized in a bunch of dictionary apps, who recently tried to shame pirates of their apps over Twitter, in a plan that caught too many legitimate users and didn't end up so great. Ars Technica went to chat to Enfour about the problem, and got a little more context on the issue and how Enfour is fighting it. First of all, it turns out the problem wasn't merely that Enfour was targeting iPhone jailbreakers -- the company does realize that lots of "legitimate" iPhone users do jailbreak their devices. Instead, the company is trying to figure out a way to nail down pirates outside of the standard Objective-C code that apps are created with. They're trying to watch core system files and Apple's own verification files, to see when those are tampered with and the app is pirated. Unfortunately, says Enfour, some old code that shouldn't have been run did get run, and that's what caused the false positives to appear in the Twitter shaming. Enfour has revised its anti-piracy policy completely, and while it will continue to fight pirates, Twitter shaming probably won't be part of the deal any more. You can't really blame Enfour for fighting people who it believes have stolen its software. Piracy is certainly a problem on the App Store, and even a process that should be completely legit, in-app purchases, is riddled with less-than-legitimate users grabbing content and in-app currency that they have not paid for. Of course developers need to fight piracy, because it can directly attack the livelihoods that allow them to make apps for us in the first place. But it's an ongoing battle -- for every antipiracy measure that developers come up with and put in place, there's often a go-around method for pirates out there to circumvent it with.
Google announces seller support in India, now allows developers to monetize their apps
All Wall Street expectations aside, Google appears to be doing relatively well for itself. And while Android may not be the company's largest source of income, it is undoubtedly a primed possession to have around -- with that, it's only natural for the Mountain View-based outfit to extend a hand to the abundant amount of folks developing for its open-sourced platform. On this particular occasion, it's devs in India who are on the receiving end of a grand gesture, with Google announcing it's now allowing them to cash in on their applications by adding in-app purchases / subscriptions to ones that are currently free, or simply by selling new, paid app creations on the Play store. Google says the valuable move was driven by India now being the fourth-largest market for app downloads, and that this is a great way to "help developers capitalize on this tremendous growth."
Terry Cavanagh's latest game rejected from App Store for making fun of in-app purchases
Game developer Terry Cavanagh has released a few really great games over the years -- in addition to the popular PC title VVVVVV, he's also the man behind iOS' recent (and terribly difficult) hit Super Hexagon. Right now, he's in the process of trying to release an old experimental game he made called Don't Look Back (which you can play online in Flash right now) on iOS, but he's hit a speedbump. Apple rejected the app, unfortunately, though not because of anything in the app itself. Nope -- Cavanagh, in the app's description, happened to point out that Don't Look Back didn't have "in-app purchases or any of that nonsense," and Apple sent him back a message saying that he should probably "remove or revise" that line. Cavanagh has since resubmitted the app, and it's actually available on the App Store right now (with the jokey line removed from the description). Now, Don't Look Back is a great, emotional game experience, and it's good to know this could all be figured out. But should Apple really be judging app developers' descriptions for content like this? Checking over descriptions for fraudulent information or obscenity seems fine. But should developers be required to watch their tone when criticizing certain money-making features on the App Store? Apple apparently thinks so.
Google Play in-app subscriptions get free trial option
In-app subscriptions found their way to Google Play this May, and now the folks in Mountain View are letting Android developers offer them with free trials. In order to make use of the freebie spans, you'll have to fork over your payment information to Page and Co. as if it were a run-of-the-mill purchase, but you won't get hit with the monthly fee until the dev-determined trial stretch is over. Developers looking to serve up samples of their episodic content can set a trial period that's at least seven days or longer right within the Developer Console, which means they can add the gratis option or alter its length without having to modify their apps. If the duration of the gratis subscription is changed, the tweak will only apply to new subscribers.
BlackBerry PlayBook 2.1 update goes live with SMS, portrait email
RIM's attention around its QNX-based platforms might revolve around BlackBerry 10 as of late, but don't think that it's leaving BlackBerry PlayBook users behind. A PlayBook 2.1 update is rolling out today that fills in some of the gaps left by 2.0 earlier this year. Habitual messagers can now start SMS text messages directly from the tablet when tethered through BlackBerry Bridge; they also get overdue support for a portrait view in email, calendars and contacts. If communication isn't the cornerstone of your life, you'll still find a few niceties such as Android App Player support for the camera and in-app purchases, device encryption that extends to personal data and wireless printing beyond the local network. For now, you'll have to be an owner of the original, WiFi-only PlayBook to leap on the 2.1 train today -- those who sprang for the usually carrier-bound PlayBook 4G LTE should get their upgrade within a month.
Mach inks carrier billing deal with Everything Everywhere, O2, Vodafone and Three in the UK
Not a month after Mach's last carrier billing deal, UK network providers Vodafone, Three, O2 and Everything Everywhere are getting in on the action. The company's direct billing solutions will initially allow the networks to charge app and online purchases straight to your bill, with in-app sales joining them at a later date. Don't expect this to be implemented immediately, however, as the agreement covers the back-end processing -- the individual carriers will be responsible for turning it on customer-side. They'll likely inform you when they hit the switch and your phone bill becomes a monthly surprise.
Demons' Score in-app purchases create regional pricing disparity
Demons' Score, Square Enix's iOS rhythm-combat game, charges North American and European players far more than Japanese players for its total content. Pocket Gamer reports nearly all the Western versions' purchasable unlocks are included upfront in the Japanese version, minus consumable potions. When added together, these in-app purchases come to around $40, bringing the total cost of the iNiS-developed game up to $47. That's more than double the Japanese version, which costs around $19 (¥1500) with those IAPs already included.The IAPs are tied to boss fights; each defeated boss unlocks a costume, voice, and song - the first boss unlock costs $2.99. As songs are tied to in-app purchases, those paying only the initial $6.99 have far less music to hand compared to those willing to spend - kind of important with a rhythm action game. The IAPs also upscale quickly, with the unlock for the 'SATAN' difficulty mode priced at $9.99, nearly 50% more than the game itself costs.What this means is that many players are being priced out of content provided by many renowned Japanese composers. Not only is the pricing structure so hostile, but it compares very unfavorably to the all-inclusive, far cheaper Japanese model. Either way, reviewers on the App Store are clearly unimpressed with Square Enix's approach, as Demons' Score is currently sitting on a rating of 2 and half stars.
