I considered creating an iPhone game where each player would participate in a shared world that would be designed around the constraints of the high-latency EDGE network. The game would be free on the app store, but would cost $5/mo after 30 days. (I'd prompt each user for billing info from within the app.)
The reason I didn't devote my energy to that project is because I don't want to develop a product that hinges on a billing mechanism that circumvents the app store, because that seems like it could (perhaps rightfully) piss Apple off, since they wouldn't be getting their cut, and my game would be vaporized at Apple's discretion. Not that there's anything wrong with that -- it's their platform, and they can manage it how they like. But the lack of "subscription" billing for apps probably precludes many larger projects.
The reason I didn't devote my energy to that project is because I don't want to develop a product that hinges on a billing mechanism that circumvents the app store, because that seems like it could (perhaps rightfully) piss Apple off, since they wouldn't be getting their cut, and my game would be vaporized at Apple's discretion. Not that there's anything wrong with that -- it's their platform, and they can manage it how they like. But the lack of "subscription" billing for apps probably precludes many larger projects.