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Capcom has been warned by Apple that its hugely popular Smurf’s Village has earned the iPhone manufacturer a significant number of severe complaints.
The game has been causing problems with parents, who have complained that their children are spending too much on Smurfberries without their knowledge.
The Smurfberries are purchased within the app, but the transaction still goes through Apple’s system. Pricing for these progress-accelerating items ranges from 2.99 to 59.99, and is the reason behind Smurf’s Village’s rise to become one of the highest-grossing games on the App Store.
Some parents have reported that their offspring have spent hundreds and thousands of dollars on Smurfberries without realising the cost. Pocket Gamer reports that many of these have been refunded for accidental purchases.
A key element of the problem is iTunes’ log-in protocol, which dictates the users only need to enter their password every fifteen minutes to authorise a download. Apple is reportedly looking at shortening this time to around five minuts.
