许多家长都很头疼孩子们总是过量下载手机铃音，发送短信而造成手机话费超支，一波未平一波又起，现在家长们又得再度加强戒备，提高警惕：高额手机话费帐单还会继续光临——年幼无知的儿童正是不少手机应用开发商锁定的消费群体，社交网站服务或手机游戏等内置付费功能，总诱使孩子们不断购买虚拟商品，结果受伤的却是家长的荷包。

如果你在玩一款中世纪策略类游戏，迷上了一把魔法剑，那就要花5美分；或者你想给游戏中的虚拟形象戴上拉风的太阳镜，那就得花上50美分。

在手机游戏《蓝精灵村庄》中，5岁的儿童用户如果想要99美分捆绑销售的虚拟货币“Smurfberries”，那他只要轻点“购买”按钮，就有可能让家长的信用卡消费纪录或手机话费大为上涨。

smurf village

这就是所谓的“微交易付费模式”，它已成为应用和游戏开发商的一个主要的新型营收来源，苹果iTunes应用商店的开发商尤其如此。这些手机应用让现在的家长们很是伤神。

微交易模式的出现，极大改变了应用开发商销售和推广产品的方式。

独立应用商店GetJar的首席营销官帕特里克·莫克（Patrick Mork）表示，应用和游戏过去的主要创收模式是，通过iTunes或其他应用商店的一次性付费下载的营收中抽成，而这些产品的售价一般只是99美分。

后来，应用开发商们开始提供免费、试用版本的产品，诱使用户去购买99美分甚至高达19.99美元的完整版产品。但是现在，“有不少游戏公司告诉我，他们通过应用内置付费功能创造的营收，甚至比直接销售应用还要高出4、5倍。”而且这些都是小额内置付费功能积累起来的战果。

游戏邦认为，苹果、三星、摩托罗拉和LG的新型平板电脑产品的销量上升，必将带动这种手机应用营收的增长。

但是对家长和政客来说，这可不是个好兆头。当越来越多儿童在不知情中挥霍了大笔钱购买虚拟货币的案例出现后，这种应用营收方式开始引起家长和政客的反感。

据《华盛顿邮报》报道，有不少孩子在Capcom Interactive旗下游戏《蓝精灵村庄》中，通过输入家长的密码，或者15分钟内免输密码的交易信息窗口，购买了许多99美元捆绑销售的虚拟货币。

由于首次购买应用的付费功能已和家长的信用卡绑定，所以微交易付费记录也会出现在他们的每月信用卡帐单上。

在今年2月份，美国联邦贸易委员会宣布将对应用销售的资费标准进行审查，其中备受关注的问题之一就是，这些收费项目事先是否有向用户公开情况。

与此同时，应用开发商、苹果和手机厂商也开始调整自己的应用内置付费服务。苹果最新的iOS操作系统已要求用户重复购买虚拟商品时，需再次输入密码。

Verizon Wireless的用户解决方案主管Todd Murphy认为，应用开发商、应用商店和手机厂商，必须为手机应用、游戏或其他移动服务，找到一个运营的平衡点。游戏邦获悉，Verizon通过vCast应用商店处理应用内置付费功能的销售问题，并通过用户手机话费扣除费用。

Murphy表示，“我们得注意开发商向用户提供的应用内置付费功能是否合理，否则很容易导致用户的话费超支。我们希望以正确的方式来处理这一问题，这样用户才会信任我们，并放心地将我们的产品交到孩子的手上。”

家长们如果想控制孩子购买应用内置虚拟商品的行为，可以通过以下步骤，对苹果iPhone、iPad或iPod进行设置来达到这一目的：

·点击智能手机的设置按钮

·点击General选项

·点击Restrictions

·创建或者输入你的密码（要记住这个密码），然后选择“进行限制”（Enable Restrictions）

·下移到“应用内置付费功能”，并将其调整为“关闭”，然后就可以退出设置菜单。

Android和Windows Mobile手机平台目前还没有便捷的应用内置付费功能，开发商正全力解决这一问题，相信这类应用在今年春夏期间就会问世。所以家长们届时也得想出对策，限制孩子在这些平台上的微交易行为。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，转载请注明来源：游戏邦）

App micro payments create the next big parental headache

ORLANDO – Here’s a warning for all those parents who remember that first whopper cell phone bill loaded with ringtones and texting fees from the kids: Get ready for round two.

That’s because the multibillion-dollar market of mobile phone app makers is looking for their next billion dollars.

And right now that target is roping children (and you) into making lots of small purchases within apps, games and social networking services.

Think of a magic flaming sword in your medieval strategy game. If you want it, it’ll cost 5 cents. Or say you want a cool pair of sunglasses for your game’s avatar — 50 cents.

There’s the $99 bunch of virtual “Smurfberries” your 5-year-old wanted so badly in the Smurfs’ Village app that he happily tapped on the “purchase” button. The charges end up on your credit card or monthly wireless bill.

They’re called “micro payments,” and they’re suddenly a macro-sized fountain of new revenue for app and game makers, particularly those who market through Apple’s iTunes store. But, the apps can also be a surprise headache for parents.

The micro-payment strategy is a big change from the way app creator first marketed their products.

Previously, the business model for app or game makers was to take a share of the initial sales price – typically 99 cents – through iTunes or another online store, said Patrick Mork, chief marketing officer of GetJar, one of largest online marketplaces for apps.

Then app creators began offering free, trial versions to tempt people into buying the full version for 99 cents, or $19.99 in some cases.

But now, Mork said, “I’ve talked to some gaming companies who tell me they’re seeing four and five times the revenue from sales of things in the app than the original app.”

All from millions of tiny charges.

That revenue stream could only grow as gadget makers like Apple, Samsung, Motorola, and LG are expected to sell millions of new tablet computers, all built to be app playgrounds.

In turn, parents and politicians have started venting their outrage, especially as children knowingly or not rack up big charges on their parents’ credit card for hundreds or thousands of dollars.

The Washington Post in particular documented cases in which children bought $99 barrels of “Smurfberries” in the Capcom Interactive game Smurfs’ Village – either with their parent’s passwords, or during a special 15-minute window that doesn’t require password re-entry by users.

Since the original app purchase was tied to a parent’s credit card, the micro-payments simply flowed through to the monthly credit card statement.

This February, the Federal Trade Commission announced plans to review the marketing and delivery of apps that charge fees. One key question – similar to that in the era of surprise ringtone fees – is whether those charges are fairly disclosed up front.

That probe is ongoing.

Meanwhile, app makers, Apple and some cell phone companies have started adjusting how they handle in-app purchases. Apple has a new operating system upgrade that requires an additional password to purchase in-game trinkets.

But looking forward, app makers, app stores online, and cell phone companies will need to find a balance that makes the most sense for a variety of apps, games or other mobile services, said Todd Murphy, director of the consumer solutions group at Verizon Wireless.

“It’s not like the up front payment will go away,” Murphy said. For example, Verizon has the ability to sell apps on its vCast online store and process in-app purchases so they flow through to the customer’s monthly bill.

“But we have to be sensitive to how we allow developers to present that offering to the customer, because it could be so easy to throw it all on the phone bill. We want to make sure to do this in the right way, so customers can trust us in terms of what they put in the hands of their children.”

For parents wondering if there’s a way to control their children’s in-app purchases – there’s an app for that too.

But if you want to disable in-app purchase altogether on the Apple iPhone, iPad or iPod, follow these steps:

•Tap on your smart phone’s settings button

•Then tap General

•Then tap Restrictions

•Create, or enter your passcode (Note it down for later) and select “Enable Restrictions”

•Scroll down to “In-App Purchases” and switch it to “Off.” Then exit the Settings menu

There isn’t a simple way to make purchases in apps yet For Android and Windows Mobile devices but that’s’ changing. Developers are working on ways to make that happen, and those apps could come out this spring and summer.

Parents will have to learn how to adjust those preferences to block or restrict micro-payments.（source:tbo.com）