Q&F: Touch Pet Dogs

I have a dog, so I felt somehow morally obligated to check out Touch Pet Dogs.For starters, ouch on the Touch+ Network signup! Kind of a pain in the ass unless you're already signed up through some other app.

Once the "game" gets going it's not too bad, for a while anyway... you select a puppy, play with it in the 3D house environment, and the app will gradually start introducing you to different facets of taking care of your new virtual pet like using toys, bathing, going outside, and feeding. It's all nicely rendered and the dog's mannerisms are very cute and if you like virtual pets then you'll probably think, "hey, this is really cool!"

BUT... based on user reviews in the App Store, feeding is apparently a big bummer because that's the game's money making angle... you have to buy food to feed your pet. 10 bowls costs $.99, and you can get quantity discounts if you buy 120 or 400 bowls at a time. You start out with a few bowls of food to begin with but when it runs out you'll have to cough up some cash and, since it's food, I guess you'll have to keep buying for as long as you want to play with your iPhone dog.

I personally haven't gotten to that point yet because my idiot dog won't eat, but something about this business model seems messed up. Pay-to-play is a concept most people understand and will gladly do, but the proposition is usually a one-time charge instead of an ongoing cost. Buying 400 bowls of food for your dog costs $29.99 for crying out loud! If you play long enough to go through that 400 bowls and for some insane reason still want to play, you have to keep paying.

ngmoco can run their business however they want and if people don't like it then they shouldn't get the app, but I really hope this kind of system doesn't become a trend. Paying $1 or $5 or even $10 for an app seems fair if the quality is there, but paying continuously like you're pumping quarters into an arcade game seems a little ridiculous. It doesn't happen on your Wii or Xbox, and I don't think it should happen on your iPhone either.

Right now Touch Pet Dogs is ranked #4 among free apps, but unless the revenue model changes I have a hard time seeing it ranked that high for very long. It's a good quality app, but don't bother unless you're onboard with the continuous-pay model.

iTunes Link - Touch Pet Dogs
Version 1.1
Reviewed on iPhone 3G OS3.1.2

Wake up dumbass, there's food right in front of your face!