Apple may be in the middle of its biggest ever month in App Store history, but it’s not resting on its laurels — having just announced a new App Store category, aimed at the littler members of Cupertino’s fanbase.
Called “Games for Kids,” the section will include everything from “cute puzzlers to accessible tower-defense games,” with a focus on children with a “wide range of skill levels and interests.”
Since a survey of youngsters aged 6-12 recently named the iPad a more beloved brand than Disney, Nickelodeon, Toys”R”Us, McDonald’s and YouTube it’s no surprise that Apple would want to continue hooking children young. And apparently that’s exactly what it’s doing.
The Games for Kids section is split down further into sub-categories depending on age, with “Ages 5 & Under,” “Ages 6 – 8,” and “Ages 9 – 11” among them. Apple previously added a Kids’ section to the App Store back in September 2013, but this revamped section expands heavily on the concept.
Of course, the move’s not without its risks. Steve Jobs, in particular, once noted that he didn’t let his own children use the iPad, lest they become hooked on it.
Apple has also previously run into problems with in-app purchases, particularly where children are concerned. In 2013, the company emailed 28 million App Store customers about their in-app purchases and subsequently refunded more than 37,000 in-app purchases parents claim were unauthorized. The FTC announced that Apple would refund customers a total of $32.5 million as part of the settlement.
Apple’s not doing away with freemium apps as part of its new Games for Kids section, although it will follow the rest of the App Store by changing the wording of “free” to “get” when Apple’s pint-sized users are downloading their apps.
Via: iDownloadblog
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
