As a lazy parent, I find some uses of IAP annoying in a bait-and-switch kind of way. It used to be that I could let my kids shop for things that looked cool in the free charts - I'd "purchase" the free game for them and hand the device back to them. The purchase window used to stay open for 15 minutes by default, making it easy for the little monkey to buy stuff without having to come back to me. As a lazy user, IAP is confusing, since decisions based on price and user reviews become difficult - you have no way to know which subset of IAP the user reviews were based on without doing extra research. As a developer, IAP is a handy option win-win option for getting more money from from hardcore players in exchange for optional new content/features. That being said, I've been too lazy to try and take advantage of it in any of my games.
One of the only IAP i ever bought was Peggle Nights. For me, it basically meant two games in one and I save one icon space
I love IAP, as it always the surest way to learn how I really feel about a game. When I reach a stage of a game that wants/needs IAP, I consider that to be a critical decision point: * If it's a game I'm really enjoying (Dungeon Solitaire, for example), I'll gladly make some purchases and never give it a second thought. * But if it's a game that makes me wish I was at the dentist (Shadow Era, for example), IAP can be a stark reminder that I'm really not enjoying myself and it's probably time to delete the app. If I find myself thinking "No way these clowns get 99 cents out of me!" ... well, then it's time to move on to better apps.
The other thing I hate about IAP is when a game is modified to require IAP. I played a game, Fantasy Warrior Legends, and it was fun. Then you realize the game has a primary consumable mechanic using gems, that you really need to buy to get farther in the game. http://appshopper.com/games/fantasy-warrior-legends-all-free is the link. I'd gladly pay a fair price for a game like this, but not for a never ending money vacuum. Also, I love the old quarter suckers, like Gauntlet II, which were similar in that they really wanted you to drop another quarter in, but OTOH if you were really good you could play quite a long time on just one quarter. But game mechanics requiring continual payments, well they suck. Rixx
