Apple has added Texas Hold’em in what seems to be a continuing re-release of the same previous iPod games from 2006-2007. These new re-releases are now compatible with the new iPod classic and 3G iPod nano which Apple expects you to re-buy. Forget the same game you bought for your 5G or 5.5G iPod with video. This is the same game that has simply been re-coded to run on new the iPods.

Apparently, Apple has made it clear that these games are “throw-aways” with no guarantee that they will run on any future iPod. They expect us “stupid” customers to re-purchase the same thing at FULL PRICE just to keep them compatible with our iPod. Once Apple re-codes these games they run on 5G iPod with video as well as the new iPods. I for one am through with ever buying anymore of these simple games. Even though, I did get a refund, after complaining to iTunes Support and Steve Jobs himself, I feel the precedent of paying FULL price (even though, it is only $4.99) is wrong.

Never in all my years in technology, did I ever have to pay FULL price for an update for the same app on the same platform. No I am not cheap. I bought just about every iPod that Apple has produced since the first one. I also own way too many Macs. This is NOT about the cost, it is about the precedent and taking your customers for granted.

The analogy, that the new iPods run a different OS and I must re-buy the same game is flawed. The iPod is still, well an iPod. Hey, they even called the one NEW model the classic! This may be a newer OS, but it is the SAME platform. Sure I upgraded from OS 9 to OS X, in fact I was probably one of the first. I had to update almost all my software applications. However, I did not pay FULL price for any of them. I paid for an update that actually in almost ALL cases came with new features, including some Apple made applications like Final Cut Pro. In fact, Apple was smart enough to even provide a classic mode so I could run many of my older apps until an OS X native version became available. Same thing in the Windows-world. I updated applications when moving to Windows XP. I did not pay FULL price for any of them. Not even Microsoft tried to pull that one on me.

Many people think that just because the iPod games are inexpensive, it is OK for Apple to charge FULL price for a simple update to keep compatibility. This is again flawed thinking. Some kids buy these games (not so cheap for a kid) and some people have bought (like me) six or seven of them. This is not so cheap to update them all now is it? These games are NOT intricate advanced applications. They are simple games, that when re-coded also run on all the 5G iPods, NOT just the new iPods. The re-coded games have not added new levels or major enhancements. They just run on the new iPods.

This practice has lost me as an iPod game customer forever. Sorry Apple, greed aside, this is not great for your customers and for your long term sales of games. Why must we pay FULL price for the same game, when we already bought it? In some cases only a few weeks before you released new iPods that you knew were not compatible. What next, do we throw away the videos we bought from you, when you decide the next generation iPod changes the video playback?

Think this can’t happen? Try playing video using the TV Out on the new iPods to all those expensive “Made for iPod” devices you bought! These devices did not cost only $5! There is NO technical reason to block the use of these third party add-ons. Apple’s answer, buy the $49 cables we sell, and throw away your add-ons that we do not make.

  Email Post   Print Post | Tags: Gaming, iPod, iTunes