A Nokia engineer (perhaps a former engineer by now?) has put up a blog post on his website showcasing a method to circumvent Windows 8 game revenue through in-app purchases. Justin Angel, the Nokia engineer, shows off how to edit portions of the game to circumvent in-app purchases and allow you to download upgrades/unlock levels for free, rather than paying.
Angel not only shows off how to circumvent in-app purchases, but he also mentions how one could modify trial apps and convert them to a full license app, as well as the ability to remove in-app ads. Angel also mentions how to modify the cost of in-app items. This obviously creates a major problem for app developers who depend on such means to generate revenue. At the time of this post, Angel’s website was down due to the immense traffic and media exposure his story created. Microsoft even replied and mentioned that it has taken a “variety of extra measures to help harden Windows 8” against hackers and that “any successful software distribution channel faces the challenge of being targeted by people wishing to circumvent the system for ill-gotten gains and we’re committed to ongoing protection of both customer and developer interests.”
