Capcom Interactive Inc. caught the ire of parental groups in recent weeks over its Smurfs’ Village iPhone game, which is free to download but charges players to purchase additional features, like “Smurfberries,” within the application.
Smurfberries can cost as much as $99.99 per wagonful.
Some parental groups criticized the game, as well as iPhone maker Apple Inc., after reports surfaced of children racking up large bills while playing the game. The uproar prompted Capcom to add a warning to the game’s users. Apple has since tweaked a password feature in its mobile operating system so that users need to authenticate themselves a second time before buying items within apps.