Tecmo Koei to limit minors' social spending

Japanese publisher Tecmo Koei will introduce tiered limits on monthly spending in its social games, to protect parents from nasty bills.

Siliconera reports Tecmo Koei plans to "offer services that minors can use without having to cause any worries" in Japan.

It will do this with a three-tier system. Legal adults - those aged 20 and over - will not have their spending restricted in any way. Those aged 16 to 19 will be limited to ¥20,000 per month - about $200. Players aged 15 and below will be limited to ¥5,000 per month - about $50.

The system should be in place before the end of the year.

Social games with in-app purchases are big business in Japan - just consider Puzzle & Dragons - and with money like that being thrown around its no wonder parents are wary of unpleasant financial surprises. In the west, both Apple and Facebook have been sued over minors' in-app purchases.