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May 1st, 2019, 21:18 Posted By: wraggster
Google has removed the vast majority of Do Global apps from its Play Store and looks to be banning the developer entirely following reports of ad fraud and other policy violations.
Last week, BuzzFeed reported that a number of Do Global's apps contained code that would "click" on ads within the program to generate revenue even when the app itself wasn't open. Others were collecting and sending user data to the developer despite not disclosing they were doing so, and still others did not visibly list Do Global as the owner, violating a policy against concealing ownership information.
Now, Google seems to have begun removing all or most of Do Global's apps from the Google Play Store, with a source speaking to BuzzFeed saying Google would soon be banning the Chinese developer entirely.
Do Global's removal would mark one of the largest bans of a developer on the store, as the company previously had around 100 apps on the store at over half a billion installs, including several games under the name Do Global Games.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...rom-play-store
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May 7th, 2019, 17:45 Posted By: wraggster
New draft legislation from Germany is targeting aggressive mobile monetisation aimed at children.
Put forward by the State of Bavaria, the new youth protection guidelines (draft JuSchRiL), look to update the Interstate Treaty for the Protection of Minors (JMStV).
The deliberately broad guidelines specifically target in-app ads aimed at children that grant the user an advantage, and linking profiles with another platform.
This represents the first extensive revisions of the JuSchRiL since it was introduced in 2005.
In a blog post Sebastian Schwiddessen, associate at law firm Baker McKenzie, said the draft "clearly serves as a reaction to the ongoing loot box and monetisation debate."
The draft guidelines also target invasive monetisation models by prohibiting direct purchasing appeals towards minors which exploit their "inexperience and credulity."
Under the current wording, even games which are mainly played by adults could be subject to this if the audience also includes children.
The draft JuSchRiL reads: "An explicit appeal and a specific direction towards children and adolescents is not required."
According to Schwiddessen, the process to determine whether a purchasing appeal is directed towards minors must be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
While the draft has not been enacted yet, proposed amendments to neuter it have been rejected by state media authorities.
Dissecting the challenges of enforcing such broad provisions, Schwiddessen said "only the future can tell how strictly the rules will be enforced."
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...e-monetisation
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May 20th, 2019, 22:09 Posted By: wraggster
Court cases are not speedy things. This week's highly publicised US Supreme Court judgement against Apple is a ruling in a case that was originally filed back in 2011 -- way back when App Stores were still a pretty novel kind of idea -- and it doesn't even mark the end of that case, with the Supreme Court's decision merely clearing the path for the substantive case to be heard.
This case, Apple vs. Pepper, is actually a pretty good example of how the ponderousness of legal processes and the speedy nature of technological development -- always moving fast, always breaking something -- can be seriously mismatched. The original case was arguing that Apple's control of the App Store was monopolistic and being used to drive up the price of software for iPhones, a claim that may still have some legal merit but which looks a little peculiar in an era where the standard price for most smartphone apps has fallen to zero."The case was originally filed back in 2011 -- way back when App Stores were still a pretty novel kind of idea"
Of course, Apple could still lose the broader case (we likely won't know for a couple of years), and if that does happen it would have huge implications across the industry. If Apple, a minority player in the smartphone market, is judged to be a monopoly for running a walled garden App Store, then the knock-on implications for every company with a walled garden digital distribution system would be dramatic -- including, of course, every console platform holder.
However, we're a long way from that point. The courts aren't yet considering any arguments about monopolies or anti-trust, with the rulings made so far being entirely about the plaintiffs' actual right to bring a case against Apple in the first place. Yet even if that aspect is an unintended stop along the way for this legal process, it's also got some boat-rocking implications of its own.
At the heart of this ruling is an argument over whether a system like the App Store is a service provided to developers in order to help them sell directly to consumers (in which case the developer is Apple's customer, and the consumer is the developer's customer), or whether it's actually effectively a retailer (in which case the consumer is Apple's customer). Apple argued that it's the former case; you're a customer of Apple when you buy an iPhone, but when you then buy an app for that iPhone, you're a customer of the app developer, while Apple's role in that second transaction is simply as a service provider to the developer. That's important here because it impacts who has standing; Apple was arguing that consumers couldn't take an anti-trust case against the App Store because they're not customers of the App Store.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...al-storefronts
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May 20th, 2019, 22:10 Posted By: wraggster
NetEase has signed deals with both Pokémon and Marvel, the former of which will lead to the release of the first official Pokémon mobile game in China.
Both deals were announced at the NetEase Games Annual Product Launch. As reported by Reuters, NetEase will launch a localised version of Pokémon Quest in China, in partnership with Game Freak.
Pokémon Quest, which first launched on mobile in June last year, will be the first mobile game in the iconic series to launch in China. Despite its huge popularity around the world, Niantic's Pokémon Go was not released in the country.
"The Pokémon Quest partnership is a new start and highly anticipated," NetEase VP Ethan Wang said at the event today.
While no release date was offered for Pokémon Go, the other big partnership deal will result in several new games launching this year. With The Avengers: Endgame still riding high at the box-office, NetEase announced a deal with Marvel that will span multiple games based on the company's roster of characters.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...mon-and-marvel
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May 20th, 2019, 22:12 Posted By: wraggster
Microsoft is taking Minecraft for a stroll. The company today announced Minecraft Earth, a free-to-play augmented reality mobile game that appears to take some cues from Niantic's hit Pokémon Go.
Set to enter beta testing this summer, Minecraft Earth will let players build things together like in the original Minecraft and then allow them to place those structures throughout the real world. By exploring their neighborhoods, players will also gather resources for building, discover new things they can use in their creations and battle creatures new and old.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...k-mon-go-twist
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May 20th, 2019, 22:15 Posted By: wraggster
The United States Supreme Court has upheld a ruling from a lower court that says people who purchase apps on the App Store can sue Apple for driving up prices and monopolization of the market.
In the class-action Apple vs. Pepper, four iPhone owners sued Apple, saying that the company had monopolized the market for the apps on its store through a combination of its "walled garden" approach to its apps and by charging a 30% revenue share for every sale. That price, they argued, was then passed onto the user who purchases the app as developers are forced to raise their prices to compensate.
The initial ruling on the antitrust suit said that these users were not able to sue Apple for this as they were the customers of developers, not of Apple, and that developers were Apple's customers. However, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned this decision and it was upheld in a 5-4 Supreme Court decision with the majority opinion written by Justice Brett Kavanaugh, joined by Justices Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...monopolization
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May 20th, 2019, 22:16 Posted By: wraggster
DeNA is working on a new mobile game with The Pokémon Company, which will launch before the end of the financial year in March 2020.
The Japanese company revealed no further details of the mobile title, save for the fact that its existing partnership with Nintendo, "was the starting point for this opportunity with The Pokémon Company."
DeNA reiterated to its investors that "we continue to have a strong relationship with Nintendo," and it emphasised the importance of Mario Kart Tour to its performance in the financial year ahead.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...lining-revenue
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May 21st, 2019, 19:18 Posted By: wraggster
Nintendo will halt the service of two mobile games in Belgium amid the unfolding loot box debacle.
Though several months behind, it's now joins Valve, EA, Blizzard, 2K and Square Enix that have been forced to bend the knee to Belgian regulators.
In a statement (via Google translate), Nintendo said it would be taking Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and Fire Emblem Heroes offline in Belgium "due to the unclear situation... regarding certain in-game revenue models."
From August 27, 2019 it will no longer be possible to play or download the games in Belgium.
Furthermore, any future Nintendo games which employ similar monetisation models will not be released in Belgium.
"We would like to thank all players in Belgium for playing Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp and Fire Emblem Heroes," said Nintendo.
The move comes as a result of the Belgian Gaming Commission (BGC) ruling which found that all loot box mechanics in video games constitute gambling under the current legislation.
Since announcing the decision in Spring last year, the BGC began recommending criminal prosecution for developers which employed the monetisation model.
Although it looked as though some publishers may resist the ruling, there has been a slow trickle of game companies taking similar actions, either halting the sale of loot boxes or the service of the game entirely in Belgium.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...t-box-debaccle
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May 21st, 2019, 19:31 Posted By: wraggster
Yes it's from Microsoft, yes it's blocky and yes, it's pretty much Pokemon GO: Minecraft Edition w/o Pokemon! Announced today, Minecraft Earth is an AR mobile game allowing you to superimpose Minecraft blocks in the real world. Some of the game's features include:
- Collect! Minecraft Earth features many of the mobs you know and love, along with a bunch of new ones we can’t wait to show you. Over time, you’ll get the chance to discover unique variants, and use them to populate your builds. Minecraft pigs parading around your local park? That’s about to become your reality.
- Explore! Your real-life neighbourhood is about to take on a new dimension. Gather resources, take on challenges, and experience a whole new world to discover!
- Collaborate! Build even better by teaming up with other Minecraft Earth players. You can craft amazing creations together. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!
- Survive! Sure, you’re good at fighting hostile mobs in Minecraft, but are you ready to battle Minecraft mobs in real life? Best of luck, because we’re going to put your survival skills to the test!
There is no release window for this title but a limited beta is planned for this summer and registrations are live on the official website.
https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/arti...inecraft-earth
https://gbatemp.net/threads/minecraf...ounced.538754/
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May 29th, 2019, 16:55 Posted By: wraggster
A Pokémon press conference was hosted last night and announced a number of interesting expansions for the series, including a cloud storage service.
Pokémon Home builds on the concept of Pokémon Bank, which allows players to store and transfer their various captures between different games. Launching next year, Home will allow players to manage their monsters across multiple games, including Switch titles Pokémon Let's Go: Pikachu/Eevee and the upcoming Sword and Shield.
It will also connect to Pokémon Bank, granting them access to monsters from previous games. As a cloud service, it can be accessed via Nintendo Switch as well as a smartphone app for iOS and Android. Using the app will even allow fans to trade monsters with other players without the need for a game.
Also coming to mobile next year is Pokémon Sleep, a new app that interacts with how players sleep. Full details will be unveiled later, but the company says the hours spent sleeping and the time users wake up will affect the gameplay.
Pokémon Sleep will connect with the newly-announced Pokémon Go Plus +, a device that uses a built-in accelerometer to track both players movements during the day and their sleep patterns at night. Data from the former will be used in Pokémon Go, as it was with the original Plus device, while the latter will interact with Pokémon Sleep.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articl...vice-to-series
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