Real game-changer for Facebook games

Facebook games will have to reveal any in-app charges and will no longer be allowed to give players bonuses for "liking" their pages under new rules rolled out for developers this week. The changes were part of a new version of the platform developers use to build games and other apps and share them with Facebook users. The developers will have until November 6 to comply with the new rules. So-called "freemium" games and other apps have become a popular choice for developers using Facebook or other platforms, like Apple's iOS and Google's Android mobile operating systems. Instead of paying for an app up front, players may download a game for free. In most cases, they can then play a basic version of that game, but get access to new content or in-game items that help their progress by paying. In addition to being arguably deceptive, this approach also has brought attention through several cases in which children have unknowingly racked up thousands of dollars worth of charges by making purchases in games that their parents didn't realize allowed that option. "If your game includes mandatory or optional in-app charges, explain this in your app's description," Facebook's new rule reads. So in essence, no more hidden charges in apps. If you want to charge for in-app purchases, you inform the users of that fact instead of surprising them when their credit card statements are sent out. You have to lay it all out on the table. Tobacco giants RJ Reynolds learnt the hard way last month when they received a $23 billion fine for not adequately informing their customers of the dangers of smoking.