Exactly what user information does GameSalad collect through published games?
I can see there has been some discussion of this in the forums, but I haven't been able to find a clear post about this. I have reviewed http://gamesalad.com/terms, and while of course I can read, IANAL.
For the purposes of publishing to the Apple App Store, any apps published in the Kids category must now include a privacy policy. Other mobile app stores have similar terms, AFAIK.
So:
1. Exactly what kind of metrics or user information does GameSalad collect?
2. Does the above differ for paid vs. free GameSalad users?
These are not merely idle questions, and I think they go to the heart of an important growth area for GameSalad, the corporate entity.
I am a teacher, and have been using GameSalad as an introductory programming environment for first year high school students. It's met with great success: students, parents, and administrators are excited by the results.
Most importantly for the students, they are highly motivated by the idea of publishing their games. Project based units of study and public display of real products is a huge and important trend in education. Several of my students are in the process of publishing games they wrote in my class last year.
More than a few students chose to write games targetted at children (write what you know -- many of my students have younger siblings).
So, the issue is... if my students (via their parents as the app publishers in a legal sense) and myself (I have a game currently in review in the Apple App Store) are going to publish games and be required to provide a legally binding privacy policy -- we need to know exactly what, if any, tracking of users occurs with games published through the GameSalad platform.
Some clear guidance from GameSalad Inc. would be very much appreciated.
P.S.: I would also add my voice to those who have advocated that, if there is any tracking of users occuring (personally identifiable or not) -- that for Pro account holder, there be an option to completely disable this.
P.P.S.: Privacy policy templates (based on selections made when an app is generated: ads, no ads, or other options) would be an obvious feature to add to the GameSalad product, IMHO.
For the purposes of publishing to the Apple App Store, any apps published in the Kids category must now include a privacy policy. Other mobile app stores have similar terms, AFAIK.
So:
1. Exactly what kind of metrics or user information does GameSalad collect?
2. Does the above differ for paid vs. free GameSalad users?
These are not merely idle questions, and I think they go to the heart of an important growth area for GameSalad, the corporate entity.
I am a teacher, and have been using GameSalad as an introductory programming environment for first year high school students. It's met with great success: students, parents, and administrators are excited by the results.
Most importantly for the students, they are highly motivated by the idea of publishing their games. Project based units of study and public display of real products is a huge and important trend in education. Several of my students are in the process of publishing games they wrote in my class last year.
More than a few students chose to write games targetted at children (write what you know -- many of my students have younger siblings).
So, the issue is... if my students (via their parents as the app publishers in a legal sense) and myself (I have a game currently in review in the Apple App Store) are going to publish games and be required to provide a legally binding privacy policy -- we need to know exactly what, if any, tracking of users occurs with games published through the GameSalad platform.
Some clear guidance from GameSalad Inc. would be very much appreciated.
P.S.: I would also add my voice to those who have advocated that, if there is any tracking of users occuring (personally identifiable or not) -- that for Pro account holder, there be an option to completely disable this.
P.P.S.: Privacy policy templates (based on selections made when an app is generated: ads, no ads, or other options) would be an obvious feature to add to the GameSalad product, IMHO.
Comments
I've read that no identifying information is collected in forum posts, but I'm not willing to post a privacy policy that I'm legally bound to based on only that.
Developers are individually responsible for their apps' privacy policies; GameSalad Inc. would be helping their developers by being very clear about what exactly is collected.
Thanks!