Disney Magic Kingdoms
© 2016 Gameloft
"Luxury content" (famous Disney characters) is expertly mixed with a nefarious business plan specifically engineered to engage you, then get you to pay -- as much as $100 in a single transaction -- to keep playing. If you don't, you can lose the work and energy you've invested in building your park, holding your child's play hostage. In other words, this is a high quality app with low ethical standards; and it is the type of app that all children and parents should understand. The game follows a familiar script by looking good, starting easy, and giving you control over building your own Magical Kingdom. You are asked for creative input on where to place attractions, featuring Minnie Mouse and Buzz Lightyear, on a map. The menu of items shows unlocked choices that require more Gems than you have, teasing you with the good stuff, and keeping it just out of reach. But there's a solution. You can buy (for real money) more gems. The narrative element in this app is good glue. It goes something like this: Maleficent casts an evil spell on the kingdom. You help to restore the magic by rebuilding each event, one at a time -- using a Sim City or RollerCoaster Tycoon type of game mechanic. Other content includes It's A Small World, Monsters, Inc., Laugh Floor, and Space Mountain. The characters in this app span 90 years, from Mickey to Buzz Lightyear. In the fine print, you'll find the warning: "You can download and play this game for free. Please be informed that it also allows you to play using virtual currency, which can be acquired as you progress through the game, or by deciding to watch certain advertisements, or by paying with real money. Purchases of virtual currency using real money are performed using a credit card, or other form of payment associated with your account, when you input your iTunes account password. You will not be asked to re-enter your credit card number or PIN. Once your iTunes account password is entered, your account will allow in-app purchases for 15 minutes. To restrict or disable in-app purchases, you can change the settings on your device. This game contains advertising for Gameloft’s products or some third parties which will redirect you to a third-party site. You can disable your device’s ad identifier being used for interest-based advertising in the settings menu of your device. This option can be found in Settings -> Privacy -> Advertising. Certain aspects of this game will require the player to connect to the Internet." View the entire document: http://www.gameloft.com/privacy-notice/ If a Las Vegas casino developer made apps, it might look like this one.
iPad 2 or newer, iPhone (4s or better)
Teaches: Disney characters, spatial relations, problem solving, reading
CTR Rating: 82%