Biggest FRAUD in the Top 25 Free Ranking

[digdugjones]

It's not just "crap apps" using bots / server farms, there are plenty of mid- to larger size companies with well made apps using this technique as it's really just a form of advertising to them.

What Apple will likely do (assuming they do anything at all) will be to punish a few tiny developers by banning them. They won't ban or punish any of big companies because it's not in their best interest to do so. At most they'll ban the practice and tell the bigger guys "don't you do that again".

It's too bad it's all come to this, but if Apple really wanted to have a better market, maybe those approving apps should be a bit more diligent as well. I see games/apps all the time in category X when clearly they are category Y but said big developer(s) want to push out the smaller guys there too.

I'd love to have an Indie / Small Developer section and just get rid of the overall Top 25.

[GameViewPoint]

Originally Posted by digdugjones

It's not just "crap apps" using bots / server farms, there are plenty of mid- to larger size companies with well made apps using this technique as it's really just a form of advertising to them.

What Apple will likely do (assuming they do anything at all) will be to punish a few tiny developers by banning them. They won't ban or punish any of big companies because it's not in their best interest to do so. At most they'll ban the practice and tell the bigger guys "don't you do that again".

It's too bad it's all come to this, but if Apple really wanted to have a better market, maybe those approving apps should be a bit more diligent as well. I see games/apps all the time in category X when clearly they are category Y but said big developer(s) want to push out the smaller guys there too.

I'd love to have an Indie / Small Developer section and just get rid of the overall Top 25.

Indie / Small Developer section is a good idea.

[Rombos]

Originally Posted by slyv

fighting with cheaters by just removing them from app store is not a good way. Apple must change their ranking algorithm. # position in ranking must be associated with installation of app on real devices, not just download. If one user removes app from his iphone, app rank goes down. If another installs it - app rank goes up.

yes!

[mr.Ugly]

Thats silly. So first you ask apple to spy on your app usage to determine the apps ranking?
Then you need to keep an app on a device to count too? Whats with users who frequently delete apps and dont horde them, do their sale count less because they get rid of unused apps? Makes no sense to me.

Apple should monitor the rankings for possible frauds and not spy on their users.
They have the ultimate access to all generated numbers and should be able to see if an app rises normal in ranks or is getting pushed by specific accounts who can be flagged and properly checkes if they are part of such crowd downloads.

[Rombos]

Originally Posted by mr.Ugly

Thats silly. So first you ask apple to spy on your app usage to determine the apps ranking?
Then you need to keep an app on a device to count too? Whats with users who frequently delete apps and dont horde them, do their sale count less because they get rid of unused apps? Makes no sense to me.

Apple should monitor the rankings for possible frauds and not spy on their users.
They have the ultimate access to all generated numbers and should be able to see if an app rises normal in ranks or is getting pushed by specific accounts who can be flagged and properly checkes if they are part of such crowd downloads.

This was already around the press in spring last year (e.g. here: http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/ne...tent/9870.html), and it makes absolutely sense to me. The required usage data is probably availabe anyway. Ranks should help users to spot useful apps. If it's sold, but never or rarely used, this information is of no use to others and should not or less influence the rank.
What you are asking for is have sell more apps just based on the fact that already lots were sold. There is no point in that (except for that particular developer, of course).

[dso]

lol sounds like GTEKNA

dang this is all over pocketgamer and etc... i thought this was common knowledge, not earth shattering news. Anyways, i'm glad apple is taking a stand.. we contemplated using this service as well but in the end it just didnt seem to be worth it.

[axoniclabs]

There are 2 steps to making financial success in the App Store. Make a great product and then tell everyone about it. I have worked very hard to make a good app but I, like others, have difficulty with the latter. I have tried many marketing strategies and was also tempted with bot promotions. I struggled with the decision for many days and decided to not do it because I answer to a higher power and it is against Apple policy.

Artificially promoted apps are only 1 example of the problems with the App Store. There are a lot of junk ad supported app rings that cross promote each other and they maintain themselves in the top of the rankings.

Apple cares about money and it's users. You can argue that it only cares about it's users because it cares about money. The bottom line is Apple doesn't care about developers but it will care if it affects their money or their users. The current App Store rankings works pretty well for Apple. It assumes popularity (ie downloads) equates quality. Apple doesn't care if your awesome quality app is not on the top, it just cares that there is an awesome quality app from someone on the top. Everyone one is happy, except for small guys like us.

I am not sure how serious Apple is about fixing this but the right way to fix it is to align the rankings properly, like others have suggested. Number of downloads does not equate quality and can be gamed. Incorporating usage would be better but you will need some way to normalize between frequently used social apps and less used utility apps. You could also usage to simply block the bot driven and junk ad apps but that doesn't solve the bigger ranking problem. Apple could beef up App Store Genius recommendations or even incorporate recommendations from friends into the App Store. Ping for apps or something.

I hope Apple takes this seriously and really improves the App Store with the same kind of drive as they do in all of their products. While hopeful, I do understand the realities of who their customers are and their priorities. Thanks for reading.

[pklee]

I'm also indy developer who has been trying very hard (in Hong Kong, pushed out by 'Dream Cortex/Outblaze/Animoca/Sanrio Digital' botters) to be noticed... Maybe we can really start a dialogue and brainstorm some ideas that Apple might take notice to help us out against the 'big players/botters'.

I like the above idea about indy developer section(s) and I hope at least we can support each other in the indy community by NOT supporting the cheaters and calling out foul play when there is.

One last thing that made me chuckle doing a google on dream cortex...

[willzeng]

Originally Posted by axoniclabs

The current App Store rankings works pretty well for Apple. It assumes popularity (ie downloads) equates quality. Apple doesn't care if your awesome quality app is not on the top, it just cares that there is an awesome quality app from someone on the top. Everyone one is happy, except for small guys like us.

I don't think so. Quite a percentage in the top list are garbages now, and it's still increasing. As quality matters less and less, few developer would care about it any longer.

[fishgames]

Originally Posted by pklee

I'm also indy developer who has been trying very hard (in Hong Kong, pushed out by 'Dream Cortex/Outblaze/Animoca/Sanrio Digital' botters) to be noticed... Maybe we can really start a dialogue and brainstorm some ideas that Apple might take notice to help us out against the 'big players/botters'.

I like the above idea about indy developer section(s) and I hope at least we can support each other in the indy community by NOT supporting the cheaters and calling out foul play when there is.

One last thing that made me chuckle doing a google on dream cortex...

It's not really news around Dream Cortex/Outblaze/Animoca - all their games (you guys can check out AMP) are just basically reskin of it's Pretty Pet Salon title, even the UI is the same! They just changed the graphics and launch it as a new game.

Yet they still attracts VC to invest in them.

http://www.animoca.com/en/2011/11/ou...and-idg-accel/

“With dozens of top-ranked apps and more than 40 million downloads worldwide, in just ten months we have built Animoca into one of the – if not the – largest app game companies in this part of the world. We expect continued growth as we further expand our business on all fronts,” - by bots?