The publisher of the popular "The Smurfs' Village" game for the iPhone and iPad has added a warning that virtual items such as "Smurfberries" cost real money - as much as $100 with just two taps on the screen.

An Associated Press story earlier this month revealed how easy it is for kids to buy such virtual items and have them billed to their parents without their knowledge. Like many other free games, "Smurfs' Village" makes money by selling the virtual goods to advance play.

Capcom Entertainment Inc. updated the game Sunday. When the game starts up for the first time, a pop-up now warns about the option to purchase Smurfberries and the fact that charges come out of owners' iTunes account, which gets billed to a credit card.

However, Capcom has also made it easier to make a large purchase of Smurfberries in one go. Previously, the highest two-tap Smurfberries purchase option was a "wheelbarrow" for $59.99. Now it's a "wagon" for $99.99.

"Smurf's Village" is the third-highest grossing game for the iPad. Other top-grossing "free" games for the iPhone and iPad, including "Tap Zoo" and "Bakery Story," have $99.99 in-game purchase options and lack up-front pop-up warnings.

Capcom has said that the big-ticket purchase options are useful to adult "power players" who want to cultivate their Smurf villages. But parents have complained about a loophole in the in-app purchase process that children inadvertently exploit.



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