After a huge surge of player complaints, the company behind the mobile game Plants vs Zombies has decided to remove their in-app charges, claiming the introduction of the fees was just a trial.
The site that saw the highest volume of angry reactions to the charges was the popular social news site Reddit, with one fan of the game claiming that the game had been “fundamentally changed” by the fees.
Previously in-app purchases were available in the game, but lawnmowers were always free. The brief “test” meant that previously collected lawnmowers were lost and only a small charge would retrieve them.
The company behind the game had already faced criticism for its in app purchases in other games such as Dungeon Keeper, along with many other game firms that have been criticised for their misleading in-app purchases.
Just a test?
According to a statement to tech news site Ar Technica, the game developers behind the game are “always testing new features in Plants vs. Zombies 2,” and that “the lawnmower feature noted by some players was part of a small-scale test and is now over.”
Whether the in-app charges were dropped due to player feedback or thanks to a brief test has been discussed by many, but ultimately the lawnmower costs have been removed and EA has since released another update which has also taken off any additional fees.
So what’s the future of mobile gaming?
Free mobile games with the potential of in-app fees are still the most dominant business model for mobile gaming, with 80% of revenue for these companies made just from these charges. Mobile analyst Jack Kent from IHS Insight claims that players can be reluctant to pay for a game upfront without knowing what the game is going to be like.
Some gamers argue that players need to stop complaining about in-app purchases, with many claiming that it’s not just about the amount of money you’re willing to spend, but your skill when playing the game.
