Posted: 07 Feb 2011 09:34 PM PST

Over the winter break from school, 8-year-old Madison worked to dress up her simple mushroom home on the iPhone game Smurfs' Village. In doing so, she also amassed a $1,400 bill from Apple.

The Rockville second-grader didn't realize the Smurfberries she was buying on the popular game by Capcom Interactive were real purchases, much like buying a pair of shoes from Zappos or movie tickets from Fandango. After all, lots of children's games require virtual payments of pretend coins, treasure chests and gold to advance to levels.

But like a growing number of parents, Madison's mom, Stephanie Kay, was shocked to find very real charges from iTunes show up in her e-mail box days later.

"I thought the app preyed on children," she said. "Note that the Smurf app states it is for ages 4-plus."

The games are part of a category of applications on Apple's iTunes store that are free to download but let companies charge users for products and services when the application is launched. Following Apple, Google this week introduced these so-called "in-app purchases" for Android mobile phones and tablets, which experts say could create a new economy for newspapers, record labels and movie studios that have been struggling with ways to thrive online.

The in-app purchases have also catapulted children's games such as Smurfs' Village and Tap Zoo, by San Francisco-based Pocket Gems, into the ranks of the highest-grossing apps on iPods, iPhones and iPads.

But the practice is troubling parents and public interest groups, who say $99 for a wagon of Smurfberries or $19 for a bucket of snowflakes doesn't have any business in a children's game. Though a password is needed to make a purchase, critics say that the safeguards aren't strong enough and that there are loopholes.

"Parents need to know that the promotion of games and the delivery mechanism for them are deceptively cheap," said Jim Styer, president of Common Sense Media, a public advocacy group for online content for children. "But basically people are trying to make money off these apps, which is a huge problem, and only going to get bigger because mobile apps are the new platform for kids."

Apple said it tries to prevent episodes like Madison's by requesting a password when making in-app purchases. And parents can change settings on Apple's gadgets to restrict downloading and transactions, Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller said.

But parents say changing those settings isn't easy or obvious.

Madison's mother let her download Smurfberries with the help of her older sister, who knew the family's iTunes password. From there, Madison went on a Smurfberry binge on the family iPad.

Arlington second-grader Leyla Ulku figured out her parents' password and recently racked up a $150 charge from buying buckets of stars and snowflakes to build a safari out of sea turtles and giraffes on Tap Zoo.

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Kids rack up hidden fees in 'free' smartphone games

Posted: 08 Feb 2011 04:48 AM PST

Apps that are free to download can easily rack up heavy expenses. (AP File Photo)

Evan Haning, wtop.com

WASHINGTON -- Many kids' iPhone apps are free to get. But online public forums show the surprise at the unexpected expenses in many of these downloads:

"I have been charged $1000 for my daughter's 1 hour Tap Zoo game! This was supposed to be a free apps but it is not!!! Take care and avoid this scam!"

"My 7yr old was able to create a $400 invoice by using this FREE game. Do not download this game ... "

Digital realm games like Tap Zoo, Smurf's Village and similar apps sell virtual products for real money, which is charged to parents' credit cards. Prices can be astonishingly high: $59.99 for 1,000 Smurfberries and $23.99 for a Jar of (Tap Zoo) Stars.

Such games as Tap Zoo do allow free play, but "where things start to get tricky is when you factor in the artificial limitations that are worked into the game," explains Tapscape.com blogger John Ludke.

"Would you like to breed your animal? No problem! You just have to wait an your [sic] for it to process. However, for a nominal fee you can get your new baby gorilla immediately! KA-CHING!"

Ludke's bottom line: "Tap Zoo is a revenue-generating app, and little more. The game itself exists only to make money for the developer, and only those who enjoy obsessively tending to their zoo will be able to squeeze any enjoyment out of this 'game.'"

An 8-year-old Rockville girl ran up a $1,400 bill from Apple for decorating her virtual mushroom house in Smurf's Village, and parents were charged $150 for the buckets of stars and snowflakes their second-grade daughter bought.

After complaining to Apple, both parents received a one-time reimbursement, the Washington Post reports.

"Parents need to know that the promotion of games and the delivery mechanism for them are deceptively cheap," Jim Styer, president of children's media reviewer and rater Common Sense Media, tells the Post.

"Basically people are trying to make money off these apps, which is a huge problem, and only going to get bigger because mobile apps are the new platform for kids."

Smurf's Village earned an "iffy" rating from Common Sense Media for low educational value, linkage to the villages of random strangers, and four stars for Consumerism.

"This game encourages players to spend real money on virtual "Smurfberries." Containers of the berries, which cost from $5 up to $100, allow players to speed up the action (rather than wait, say, two hours for a house to be built) or to earn special in-game items that can only be traded for Smurfberries."

Smurfs' Village linkage feature also encourages giving gifts to the owners of villages they visit.

Although these games are password protected, parents may not always remember that after signing their kids on, Apple allows a 15 minute window that makes it possible to buy virtual products which are billed to credit cards.

Follow Evan Haning on Twitter.

PHOTO CALL: Kids' Night On Broadway "Fan Festival" at Bowlmor Lanes

Posted: 07 Feb 2011 03:22 PM PST

A "Fan Festival" kicked off The Broadway League's Kids' Night on Broadway festivities Feb. 6 at Bowlmor Lanes Times Square, with free bowling, carnival-style games and Broadway-related activities for kids.

Some of the events at the festival included "Pin the Guitar on Elvis" at the Million Dollar Quartet booth, a "Jump for Billy" photo op at the Billy Elliot booth, a Mamma Mia! ring-toss and much more.

Through "Kids' Night on Broadway," kids ages 6 to 18 can attend a Broadway show for free Feb. 6-10 when accompanied by a full-paying adult. Participating shows include The Addams Family, American Idiot, Billy Elliot, the Musical, Chicago, Driving Miss Daisy, Good People, Jersey Boys, La Cage Aux Folles, The Lion King, Lombardi, Mamma Mia!, Mary Poppins, Memphis, Million Dollar Quartet, Rain: A Tribute to The Beatles, Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark, The Phantom of the Opera and Wicked. Ticket includes restaurant and parking discounts, Special Edition Kids' Playbill provided by Theatre Development Fund, educational programs and more.

Here's a look at the Fan Festival:

[flipbook]

Kids Games

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

“In-app purchases in iPad, iPhone, iPod kids' games touch off parental firestorm” plus 2 more

“In-app purchases in iPad, iPhone, iPod kids' games touch off parental firestorm” plus 2 more

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