7 Comments

Update: I saw this post from the Discover view in the Substack and didn't realize it is a parenting/games newsletter, making my comment extremely out of place. My bad.

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Gotta disagree with the locking device thing. Computers should not operate against the interests of the user.

But, yeah, the ad stuff is a good take.

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All good, thank you for swinging through!

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I really, really agree that ads should not appear in mobile games/apps targeting children and possibly further - ads should not appear when the user account is a child.

It's the device locking stuff that I can't get behind. I see computers as tools and bristle when it comes to technological restrictions that prevent the user from doing what they want. Shrug. Plus Apple doesn't provide a way for developers to exclude their apps from being restricted via Screen Time; it should not be possible to apply a usage limit to Proloquo2go, for instance.

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The actual policy changes Apple describes here aren't that meaningful to me. App Store games aren't that edgy, in my experience. My primary motivations for not wanting my kids to play Rainbow Merge Murder Gacha Birds is not the "murder" part but the "gacha" or the ads.

I didn't know that Steam's disallowing ad-supported games was an official policy. Despite my best efforts, my daughter currently prefers games on the iPad and it's an absolute content toilet. The "GET" button for games supported by ads and IAPs is ubiquitous. You can't even find a game that just costs $8 or whatever.

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I agree that the mobile ads I come across while gaming are abhorrent. However, as a child who grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons, I take no issue with age-appropriate commercials showing up on entertainment platforms at respectful intervals.

Do you know if a regulatory law is blocking Netflix and Roblox from allowing ads in their kid's content? Is this an FCC issue, or is it more of a corporate value?

As a parent in the business of making games, I applaud advertising superintendence but hope that I would like to see responsible advertising revenue help game developers turn a profit.

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"How many times have you realized making the ad disappear is too tricky for your children" - a lot of those ads are hard for even me to close, with tiny "x" boxes that don't activate so you still get taken to that app store to download some garbage.

Why can't I just enjoy my AI girlfriend in peace?!?

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