Apple the great dictator...

Loaded

http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/10/apple-banning-apps-social-sharing/?ncid=rss_truncated

http://toucharcade.com/2014/06/09/apple-is-cracking-down-on-rewarding-players-for-ad-views-and-shares/

Loaded

What are peoples thoughts? I'm kinda pleased they seem to be moving back to the paid model.

LumpApps

I can only hope it stops people like Mateen. Although he probably knows other tricks to boost his apps.

Armelline

Does this not completely invalidate the ads GS insert into games made with the free version of GS?

BBEnk

My guess is they want a piece of the pie. I might be wrong but I would guess using Chartboost or Revmob, ETC cuts them out of earnings and I bet they don't like that.

Armelline

Reading this reddit thread about it there's this quite brilliant quote that I think sums up so much of what's wrong with the modern game market:

Honestly, developers like this are the reason why I have such distain for many within the IT world - assholes out there thinking they're an entrepreneur by being a full-time asshole.

The last word is ***'d by the forums it seems, but it starts in ass and ends in oles.

Edit: And now it's not ***'d... this is like the attachement issues Vanilla has some kind of bi-polar disorder...

Thunder_Child

This seems kind of weird considering iAds has allowed coupons, videos and even games to be viewed and played within the app ad.

Maybe I mis understand their rules and intensions

Armelline

@Thunder_Child, they're not preventing you from showing videos etc., they're stopping the incentivising of it. "For 30 free coins watch this video!"

jamie_c

We'll see how it plays out and what exactly gets to be allowed or disallowed but my initial feeling is its a good thing for leveling the playing field a little.

Armelline

@jamie_c said:
We'll see how it plays out and what exactly gets to be allowed or disallowed but my initial feeling is its a good thing for leveling the playing field a little.

Maybe. Or maybe it just gives an even bigger advantage to companies with deep advertising pockets.

jamie_c

Yeah I guess time will tell.

imGua

"Apps that display Apps other than your own for purchase or promotion in a manner similar to or confusing with the App Store will be rejected"

Does that mean, that apps with chartboost\revmob will be rejected now?

Armelline

@imGua said:
"Apps that display Apps other than your own for purchase or promotion in a manner similar to or confusing with the App Store will be rejected"

Does that mean, that apps with chartboost\revmob will be rejected now?

I read that more as don't offer a mini App Store-type environment in your own app.

jamie_c

@Armelline agreed, but I do wonder if it would affect the free members 'get more games...' ads from Gamesalad?

imGua

@Armelline said:
I read that more as don't offer a mini App Store-type environment in your own app.

Do you mean that apps with chartboost will probably be approved?

Armelline

@jamie_c said:
Armelline agreed, but I do wonder if it would affect the free members 'get more games...' ads from Gamesalad?

I would assume they'll have more of a problem than RevMob/Charboost. Displaying an ad is very different from displaying a list of games with icons.

@imGua said:
Do you mean that apps with chartboost will probably be approved?

I would assume so. Apple treads much dodgier ground denying other advertising networks.

Loaded

"Thinly veiled slot machines" is another quote I like from the reddit thread.

I hate the freemium model, I personally feel that it takes the soul out of a game. Social walls, pay walls are not for me... I just want to enjoy the game.

Hopefully this will lead to richer development and less throwaway titles.

SlickZero

Seems pretty clear that they will deny advertising of other games that aren't the developers...

"As an app reviewer told one developer who received a rejection notice: "You can advertise your own games via the standard ad networks. However, when you have a 'More Games' or 'Other Games' you should only market your own games."

Armelline

@SlickZero said:
Seems pretty clear that they will deny advertising of other games that aren't the developers...

"As an app reviewer told one developer who received a rejection notice: "You can advertise your own games via the standard ad networks. However, when you have a 'More Games' or 'Other Games' you should only market your own games."

"Standard ad networks" definitely implies RevMob etc. will still be allowed, as long as it's a traditional advert and not a list of games. GameSalad's adverts definitely appear to be disallowed now.

Anyone on the GS team that can weigh in? Would seem to be information that's vital for the community/userbase to know. @ForumNinja

ookami007

If they cut out other ad networks, you can be sure Anti-trust lawsuits will spring out of the woodwork... HOWEVER... they can make the restrictions so ridiculous that other ad networks "don't qualify"...

We'll have to see how this plays out.

scottharrrules43

Does this mean I should take of the Tweet sheet on my game?

Armelline

@scottharrrules43 said:
Does this mean I should take of the Tweet sheet on my game?

No - but you may be rejected if you incentivise using it (e.g. "Tweet about the game and get 50 coins!").

tenrdrmer

I don't think gamesalads ad network is an issue at all.

They are banning ads that reward the user for clicking the ad or install an app etc...

Essentially they want to kill the Mateens who buy there way to the top of the App Store. The GS ad simply gives a view if a couple apps that someone has paid for. You have no control over the physical ad. It's an ad network. If they where banning the GS more games they would have to ban every single ad network that displays ads for other apps.

scottharrrules43

@Armelline said:
No - but you may be rejected if you incentivise using it (e.g. "Tweet about the game and get 50 coins!").

Can we give an incentive for rating an app?

Armelline

@tenrdrmer said:
I don't think gamesalads ad network is an issue at all.

They are banning ads that reward the user for clicking the ad or install an app etc...

That's only one part of it. As @imGua noted, part of what they're banning is "Apps that display Apps other than your own for purchase or promotion in a manner similar to or confusing with the App Store". They don't want games making little app stores for other people's apps within their games. If the GS ads will fall foul of that I don't know, but they might)

It seems to be aimed primarily at apps like AppGratis (see their blog for lots more about their experiences) but there have also been reports of games being rejected simply for advertising games that are not their own.

@scottharrrules43 said:
Can we give an incentive for rating an app?

Apparently not.

The way I see it is telling someone to do something in exchange for currency is an incentive. Giving currency when they do it off their own back, without mention of any recompense, is a reward. I doubt Apple will agree with me, though. But saying "Rate this app and get 50 free coins!" is definitely out.

scottharrrules43

@Armelline said:
The way I see it is telling someone to do something in exchange for currency is an incentive. Giving currency when they do it off their own back, without mention of any recompense, is a reward. I doubt Apple will agree with me, though. But saying "Rate this app and get 50 free coins!" is definitely out.

Ah, poop

tenrdrmer

If that's the case then admob and everyone else would be banned. Because it's a ad for a game that is not your own.

Armelline

@tenrdrmer said:
If that's the case then admob and everyone else would be banned. Because it's a ad for a game that is not your own.

If they push the policy to the extreme, maybe. But their focus seems to be apps/games advertising scrollable lists of apps.

The_Gamesalad_Guru

Those links in the gamesalad ad link to apps in the App Store.

motorcycle boy

All I think is that whatever you current strategy is you will have to tweak it if you use any of these things. Adapting to the times is the best skill to have really. I personally don't see the harm in prompting people to share or what have you for coins etc but whatever. Just get creative and think of something you can do that will get the job done. Adapt!