Hey all, read that thread and the rest of this one. I agree with TreKing. Just do it Chris. The language to me, and everyone else here is quite clear. All apps distributed thru the market MUST pay the market. Cool.. fair enough.. but there is nothing at all that describes in-game transactions that you code yourself. Nothing at all. There is no place short of this thread and another that tries to identify this issue and I am rather shocked as long as this thread has been around nobody from google has responded. As TreKing said, it's ambiguous, it's not nearly clear enough to say you can't do it. More so, I can't help but wonder, how would google ever know anyway... short of someone calling them up and saying that an app sold on the market is doing in-game payments thru paypal or something.. and if that person can do that, why can't we find some way to contact them to find this out.
Frankly, as I've said a few times, google would be out of their minds to try to prevent this and if anything should really step up and provide a solid built-in android payment capability that they can profit from. I said it several times, I am ALL for giving google some of my in-game profits. They deserve it if they are willing to support it by supplying the API that handles the transactions. There has been plenty of articles about how long can google sustain their financial status on ads only... this is clearly one way they can make a crap load of money doing almost nothing (after all they already have google checkout working and supported), and from the various articles talking about how big micro transactions are going to be, and already are, if Android itself balloons and catches up or surpasses iPhone like various reports indicate, google could stand to make huge money off of something like this. As well, it will provide a more stable income source for developers utilizing it. I liken this to themes. I have yet to get my 2.1 update on my droid.. supposedly sometime in 2012 or so we'll get it being 2+ months late already... but, the "theme" market.. or live home screen market is sure to explode as people create their own themes and sell them for .99 on the market. I still don't get why google doesn't take a cut of all the apps sold on the market while apple does.. I dont get it. But whatever. Anyway, I plan on supporting this in my apps.. until I am told otherwise. On Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 12:26 PM, chris harper <ch393...@gmail.com> wrote: > Sorry Warren I didn't check over there. I will post the same response. > > -Chris > > > On Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 12:50 PM, Warren <warrenba...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Here is where the discussion landed on the Market support forum. >> >> >> http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Android+Market/thread?tid=3c47284987b99696&hl=en >> >> >> On Mar 24, 1:41 pm, Warren <warrenba...@gmail.com> wrote: >> > I want to point out, because this has been part of the confusion the >> > whole time, that he says, "No you should not currently offer in app >> > features that you charge for." >> > >> > Did you get that? The you should not charge for features. >> > >> > So suppose, as in Chris' case, you want to load extra character >> > models. Well, one of the features of your app is the ability to load >> > external models. They could be from the original developer, or I >> > suppose someone else could design one and send it to you as well. Even >> > if you don't have any characters installed/loaded, the feature to load >> > them is still there and it is free. >> > >> > This is not that different from the mp3 comparison made earlier. The >> > application offers a feature, the ability to play songs, no matter >> > where the song files came from. Adding or removing mp3 files does not >> > change the features of the music app. >> > >> > On Mar 24, 1:02 pm, chris harper <ch393...@gmail.com> wrote: >> > >> > > jfarringdon has posted an answer to the question "In-App Purchasing >> for >> > > Applications": >> > >> > > No you should not currently offer in app features that you charge for. >> It is >> > > against the distribution agreement. >> > >> > > You could offer separate paid apps, and have your main app share these >> > > resources (if you take good care to share, normally apps do not >> share). >> > > Post back with your solution, it is an interesting question for a >> number of >> > > people. Good luck, J. >> > >> > >http://www.android.com/us/developer-distribution-agreement.html >> > >> > > View this question at the Google Help Forum >> > > Unsubscribe from answers to this question >> > >> > > jfarringdon >> > >> > > Thank you for the response and exactly what I am designing. >> > >> > > My main app uses Characters where the information about each character >> are >> > > stored via the sqlite database and the images that make up the >> character are >> > > stored on phone which my main app uses to load a character when >> needed. >> > >> > > I will create an "installer" app for EACH character. The installer app >> will >> > > contain the information for each new character and the images (which >> are >> > > under /assets in the apk) and when the user buys an installer app for >> a >> > > character it will download, run, read in the images from /assets, >> write them >> > > to the phone and populate the sqlite database with the the character >> > > information. The installer for each character will also uninstall a >> > > character by reversing the process. >> > >> > > So when an installer for character is purchased (though marketplace) >> and run >> > > to install the character, then my main app can read the database, read >> the >> > > images and run the character. >> > >> > > I downside is a user can then have accumulate "installer" apps for >> each >> > > character on their phone. So I am applying an option to remove the >> installer >> > > app for each character once the character is installed or they can >> either >> > > remove it or leave it on their phone. >> > >> > > The characters can be uninstalled from the installer OR from the main >> > > program. >> > > So they don't need the installer app to remove a character. >> > >> > > That is the ONLY way I can think to abide by the Market rules as they >> stand. >> > >> > > -Chris >> > >> > > On Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 11:34 AM, chris harper <ch393...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> > > > I see your point. I can be read either way. The android tech guys on >> here >> > > > won't comment because it is a legal matter but it would be really >> really >> > > > great if they could at least point us in the direction of WHERE to >> ask this >> > > > question??? >> > >> > > > There is not a legal discussion forum to ask these things. >> > > > * >> > > > Please. To the Google engineers reading this. * >> > >> > > > You guys really might want to bring up at your next weekly working >> meeting >> > > > (if you have those) that with all these developers creating >> everything from >> > > > X to Z for applications there WILL be many legal questions like this >> one >> > > > that will need to be answered. >> > > > So the developers will know what direction to go in on different >> issues. >> > >> > > > We don't want to skirt around anything legal, we just need a place >> to go >> > > > for direction. >> > >> > > > So you guys REALLY might want to set up a place where we can go to >> get >> > > > these legal questions answered. >> > >> > > > Instead of waiting until they do all the work of developing their >> app and >> > > > getting it out there and THEN telling them "oh you can't do this for >> legal >> > > > reason ..whatever". >> > >> > > > Just trying to help. I guess I will just send search around to see >> if I can >> > > > find a general android support email and I will send the question >> there. >> > >> > > > For anyone wondering what the question is go up to my last email on >> this >> > > > post about how to do in-app purchasing and the Market Agreement. >> > >> > > > -Chris >> > >> > > > On Wed, Mar 24, 2010 at 10:44 AM, Yahel <kaye...@gmail.com> wrote: >> > >> > > >> > 3.3 *All fees received* by Developers for Products *distributed* >> via the >> > > >> > Market must be processed by the Market’s Payment Processor. >> > >> > > >> > To me that means any additional money that you make from any >> product >> > > >> (i.e. >> > > >> > app) that you distribute from the Market must go though the >> Market's >> > > >> Payment >> > > >> > Processor. >> > >> > > >> Say I sell gold point, or tickets through my app, then it doesn't >> fit >> > > >> into " *distributed* via the Market ", since it is not distributed >> > > >> through the Market at all, but through my app. >> > > >> Intrepretation is in the eye of the beholder...Whatever that means >> :D >> > >> > > >> Anyway, there is no need to argue. We need Google's take on it. >> > > >> Because only them know what they want and don't want. >> > >> > > >> Yahel >> > >> > > >> -- >> > > >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> > > >> Groups "Android Developers" group. >> > > >> To post to this group, send email to >> android-developers@googlegroups.com >> > > >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> > > >> android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<android-developers%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> >> <android-developers%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com<android-developers%252bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> >> > >> > > >> For more options, visit this group at >> > > >>http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en >> > >> > > >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+ >> > > >> unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the words >> "REMOVE >> > > >> ME" as the subject. >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> Groups "Android Developers" group. >> To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<android-developers%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en >> >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+ >> unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the words "REMOVE >> ME" as the subject. >> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "Android Developers" group. > To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<android-developers%2bunsubscr...@googlegroups.com> > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+ > unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the words "REMOVE > ME" as the subject. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscribegooglegroups.com or reply to this email with the words "REMOVE ME" as the subject.
