Did you guys see Tap Fish on John Stewart - Making a million a month off kids

p0ck3taces

p0ck3taces

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Nov 3, 2009
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Did you guys see the clip on Tap Fish on the John Stewart show?

They are making a million dollars a month with the their free app game by getting kids to pay for the upgrades while playing the game. Kids just click yes when the game asks them if they would like to save their dying fish and use their parents money. The way phones work, the billing is already hooked up on the phone, so kids just have to click yes a few times. Genius.

Here's the vid.

Tap Fish Dealer - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - 12/08/11 - Video Clip | Comedy Central
 


p0ck3taces said:
Did you guys see the clip on Tap Fish on the John Stewart show?

They are making a million dollars a month with the their free app game by getting kids to pay for the upgrades while playing the game. Kids just click yes when the game asks them if they would like to save their dying fish and use their parents money. The way phones work, the billing is already hooked up on the phone, so kids just have to click yes a few times. Genius.

Here's the vid.

Tap Fish Dealer - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart - 12/08/11 - Video Clip | Comedy Central
Click to expand...

That type of billing caused a shit storm a while back. I've been waiting for the FTC to come down on it.
 
Most apps in the market today work on the same principle. The game is free to download and then they say buy new health packs and upgrade to better ammo for a nominal amount.

I used to play Drag Racing on my iDevice and it was great fun. Unfortunately, to move up into the game, I would need a better and faster car which meant I had to tweak it. And for tweaking it, I would have to buy nitro, better tyres and so on which means I would need to buy XP for.

Money making racket. It works though.
 
Most apps in the market today work on the same principle. The game is free to download and then they say buy new health packs and upgrade to better ammo for a nominal amount.

I used to play Drag Racing on my iDevice and it was great fun. Unfortunately, to move up into the game, I would need a better and faster car which meant I had to tweak it. And for tweaking it, I would have to buy nitro, better tyres and so on which means I would need to buy XP for.

Money making racket. It works though.
Click to expand...
Standard; you're missing the point.

The target market is children who are often too young to understand that they are spending money and in nearly zero percent of cases they are spending their own money. Like an IQ offer for < 18 year olds...
 
AustinP said:
Most apps in the market today work on the same principle. The game is free to download and then they say buy new health packs and upgrade to better ammo for a nominal amount.

I used to play Drag Racing on my iDevice and it was great fun. Unfortunately, to move up into the game, I would need a better and faster car which meant I had to tweak it. And for tweaking it, I would have to buy nitro, better tyres and so on which means I would need to buy XP for.

Money making racket. It works though.
Click to expand...

For sure, but like G1 said I am well aware of this free and then upgrade tactic. But how tap fish is doing it is a bit different because they are targeting kids. These kids often have instant access to their parents money because of how payments is setup with phones and just have to click yes a couple times. At some points this game asks kids to pay in order to keep their fish alive, of course the kid is going to click yes. And a million a month... Damn that's crazy.
 
Maybe parents should take a little bit more personal responsibility and watch what their kids are doing? Or shit if you don't want to watch your kid all the time, maybe just do a bit of basic research on what it is you're actually purchasing and letting them use?
 
why would a parent give a kid that doesnt understand this their password? I havent had any problems w/ my kids and this is the reason. If the parents are to stupid to deal with this fuck em burn em till that credit card dont spend no more. As for tap fish WTF did they think was going to happen when they did this "interview" did they really think the Daily show wasnt going to make fun of them?
 
tencentpiece said:
Maybe parents should take a little bit more personal responsibility and watch what their kids are doing? Or shit if you don't want to watch your kid all the time, maybe just do a bit of basic research on what it is you're actually purchasing and letting them use?
Click to expand...

Are you suggesting that parents take responsibility for their children? That's so fucked up.
 
By setting up the phone to be able to pay, no reason for the parents to go crazy after their kid purchased something. Disable it and there you go...
 
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