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I saw my get kid prompted to pay $59.99 usd to buy in-game achievements for the hill climb racing game on Android. That's a f-ton of money to be soliciting fro

I saw my get kid prompted to pay $59.99 usd to buy in-game achievements for the hill climb racing game on Android. That's a f-ton of money to be soliciting from anyone, yet alone a kid. He's not quite at reading age and just clicks things. The game design and characters is clearly targeting kids. In my opinion, these aren't games any more, they are gambling.

benatkin 5y ago
I've played Hill Climb Racing, and it's a pretty awesome game, even for an adult. The varying gravity, and inaccurate but fun physics, and the variety, are what made it fun for me. I haven't played it in years, and after that moved on to Geometry Dash, which I see myself wanting to play in the future more than Hill Climb Racing. I've scoffed at Candy Crush, but wondered if people who play that might feel the same way I did about Hill Climb Racing. I think the price is high, but not absurd. I don't know how you'd determine the maximum price in a way that was fair to everyone.
- stadium 5y ago
  As a parent the volume of in-game purchase advertising and scarcity tactics are anxiety inducing for both myself and my kids. Every game on every platform should have a global opt-out for in-game purchases, just like do-not-track on iOS 14.
  - majani 5y ago
    Needing a password for every in-app purchase is the default on both Android and iOS, and only the password-holder can change that setting. Many change the setting because they get annoyed by the constant typing of passwords, and that's 100% on the user if they do that and their kid ends up buying the biggest coin package in their favorite game
    - stadium 5y ago
      Yep, I have passwords enabled. I don't want to see the in-game purchase features at all. The alternative right now is, don't install the game. Used to be, you could get the ad-free version of an app for a small price, or the ad-supported version for free. I'd happily pay money for an ad-less, in-game-purchase-less version. Instead I have to teach money management and de-escalate an upset kid explaining why they can't have this amazing in-game-purchase feature that is only available for the next 30, 29, 28.. minutes else it is gone forever. It's exhausting when it's supposed to be fun.

benatkin 5y ago

I've played Hill Climb Racing, and it's a pretty awesome game, even for an adult. The varying gravity, and inaccurate but fun physics, and the variety, are what made it fun for me. I haven't played it in years, and after that moved on to Geometry Dash, which I see myself wanting to play in the future more than Hill Climb Racing. I've scoffed at Candy Crush, but wondered if people who play that might feel the same way I did about Hill Climb Racing. I think the price is high, but not absurd. I don't know how you'd determine the maximum price in a way that was fair to everyone.

stadium 5y ago
As a parent the volume of in-game purchase advertising and scarcity tactics are anxiety inducing for both myself and my kids. Every game on every platform should have a global opt-out for in-game purchases, just like do-not-track on iOS 14.
- majani 5y ago
  Needing a password for every in-app purchase is the default on both Android and iOS, and only the password-holder can change that setting. Many change the setting because they get annoyed by the constant typing of passwords, and that's 100% on the user if they do that and their kid ends up buying the biggest coin package in their favorite game
  - stadium 5y ago
    Yep, I have passwords enabled. I don't want to see the in-game purchase features at all. The alternative right now is, don't install the game. Used to be, you could get the ad-free version of an app for a small price, or the ad-supported version for free. I'd happily pay money for an ad-less, in-game-purchase-less version. Instead I have to teach money management and de-escalate an upset kid explaining why they can't have this amazing in-game-purchase feature that is only available for the next 30, 29, 28.. minutes else it is gone forever. It's exhausting when it's supposed to be fun.