Mac App Store will lack in-app payments & Game Center at launch

Apple's Mac App Store will launch without support for either in-app payments or Game Center, according to information the company has confirmed to developers. According to 9 to 5 Mac, the new OS X software store will not enable developers to distribute free or paid apps in which further features or functionality can later be unlocked; meanwhile, Game Center – Apple's online multiplayer social gaming network – will also be absent.

The initial omissions aren't necessarily a sign that the functionality will never be present in the Mac App Store, though it adds to the list of features missing from its first release. Apple has already confirmed that promo codes won't be supported, nor demos or trials, so test purchases could well be a tricky issue.