In-app billing now live on Android Market, Gun Bros among the first freemium games
Keeping it in-app
As promised last week, Google has updated the Android Market to allow developers to implement in-app purchasing for virtual items and currency within their games, opening the doors for more games to use the freemium model.
Freemium games have become a common sight on iOS over the past year or so, with titles such as Smurfs' Village and Trade Nations relying on in-app purchases to make a profit.
One of the first games to use the new system on Android is Glu's freemium title Gun Bros. The game now has a bank system through which you can buy ‘war bucks’ bought (for real money), just as in the game's iOS counterpart.
Other freemium just released on the Android Market include long-running iOS franchise Tap Tap Revenge, while Papaya Mobile has announced that it will be integrating in-app payments into its Android titles soon, starting with Papaya Farm HD.
Freemium games tend to split opinion in the gaming community, with some calling it a great way to skip past boring bits of a game and others an insidious way of making a quick buck.
Your thoughts on freemium games below.
