In app purchases

   Last week my blog post hosted concerns on the changing society of America and how these changes reflect a company's marketing strategies.  This week we'll look at the a trend I've noticed in apps stores in recent years.  Everybody knows some apps are free and some you have to pay for.  The latter has actually come as a more preferred option now a days because an app you pay for up front is less likely to include in app purchases.  In app purchases are extremely inconvenient for users.  Imagine downloading an app that in some cases literally boasts the word FREE on its front, and finding out that about 60% of the content is Locked away and needs paying for.  This border line leans on false advertising in my opinion, as ALL "free", apps literally say the word free where the price is normally listed.  Imagine getting a jacket for free and wearing it for a while only to have a sales rep magically appear out of thin air when you try and use one of the pockets, and saying " that'll be 99 cents".  Even worse are addictive App Store games that are literally rigged and unplayable unless the player spends money at some point.  It's a very cheap and low marketing technique to ambush your customer base with charges and fees they are lead to believe they won't experience.  Finally we have the paid apps that still have in app purchases.  These can be the worst of all, as the customer is essentially paying a fee so that they can be charged again at a later date.  I don't know of anyone who wouldn't want to pay everything up front, even if it meant the app would be more expensive.  The worst example of this sales technique however is in the console gaming industry, where relatively the same practice has been dubbed "micro transactions".  Console games are not like iPhone or android games.  They are much more expensive and have a much more serious customer base.  The customers however are still treated the same way as the customers of the simple phone games.  Now, games that cost 60$ up front are littered with 99 cent charges to complete the game faster and gain progress over in gain opponents.  Doesn't sound very fun does it? Play a game you paid 60$ for only to have someone your playing against in the game spend REAL money in order to get ahead.  Everything mentioned earlier can theoretically be written off as lousy marketing but a 60$ game that you have to spend MORE money on? Nope, not for me, I'll take my 20 year old Super Nintendo over that any day