Developer Accused of Selling DLC to Cats
As the title implies, Games for Cats isn't for you, unless you're very easily entertained. The iPad title is essentially a collection of "chase a thing around the screen" mini-games designed to keep your feline family members from shredding the curtains.
The game offers an additional level for a mere 99 cents, easily accessed and bought via a user friendly menu. Very user friendly. So user friendly, in fact, that even cats can use it. Perhaps you can see how that might be a problem.
Hiccup, the game's developer, received a ton of complaints from upset customers whose cats had managed to purchase the the aforementioned DLC. Some even went as far as to suggest that Hiccup was deliberately trying to fool the cats into buying the DLC.
"We got in a lot of trouble," said TJ Fuller, the artist for the title.
Rather than submit to the raw purrchasing power of the Felis catus, Hiccup instead implemented a simple test to make sure the user is a member of the right species. Now, before buying DLC, the user has to place their hand on the screen and keep their fingertips in the same position for a couple of seconds.
Catastrophe averted.
Source: Gamasutra [http://gamasutra.com/view/news/174230/5_tips_for_making_video_games_your_cat_wants_to_play.php]
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The developer of Games for Cats has been forced to make its DLC menus less feline-friendly. As the title implies, Games for Cats isn't for you, unless you're very easily entertained. The iPad title is essentially a collection of "chase a thing around the screen" mini-games designed to keep your feline family members from shredding the curtains.
The game offers an additional level for a mere 99 cents, easily accessed and bought via a user friendly menu. Very user friendly. So user friendly, in fact, that even cats can use it. Perhaps you can see how that might be a problem.
Hiccup, the game's developer, received a ton of complaints from upset customers whose cats had managed to purchase the the aforementioned DLC. Some even went as far as to suggest that Hiccup was deliberately trying to fool the cats into buying the DLC.
"We got in a lot of trouble," said TJ Fuller, the artist for the title.
Rather than submit to the raw purrchasing power of the Felis catus, Hiccup instead implemented a simple test to make sure the user is a member of the right species. Now, before buying DLC, the user has to place their hand on the screen and keep their fingertips in the same position for a couple of seconds.
Catastrophe averted.
Source: Gamasutra [http://gamasutra.com/view/news/174230/5_tips_for_making_video_games_your_cat_wants_to_play.php]
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