4 ms·

Is the reason EA aren't doing this on iOS because it's against an App Store policy or they're afraid of being removed/rejected?

zabraxias 13y ago
Very good question. Quite interested in this too and I get the sense Apple would nuke the app even if they didn't specifically write a rule against this.
andyjohnson0 13y ago
It arguably contravenes the Google Play Store policies too. "Developers must not attempt to change the placement of any Product in the Store, or manipulate any product ratings or reviews by unauthorized means such as fraudulent installs, paid or fake reviews or ratings, or by offering incentives to rate products." [1] [1] http://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html http://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html
- MAGZine 13y ago
  What they're doing violates none of the aforementioned clauses.
  - illumen 13y ago
    They clearly "manipulate any product ratings" by dishonestly filtering their users which would rate the game well, and those that wouldn't. This manipulates the product ratings by only letting 5 star ratings go through.
    - eli 13y ago
      It's not like they're preventing you from rating the app however you like from the app store -- same as any other app. They just aren't actively pushing unhappy users there. It's dishonest manipulation to ask happy users to rate you and unhappy users to email you?
      - arrrg 13y ago
        Of course it is. What else could it be? It’s dishonest, highly immoral manipulation.
        eli 13y ago
        I guess we just disagree. If someone came up to you in person and said they loved your app, would you not perhaps ask them to rate it? And if they say it sucks and crashed, would you not ask them to provide more detail so you can try to fix it?
        MAGZine 13y ago
        I don't think that asking for feedback is highly immoral, but that's just imo.
        arrrg 13y ago
        Asking for feedback? Oh, that’s a terribly nice way of framing it. This is a dishonest filtering mechanism that is deliberately set up to manipulate people. To refer to this as merely asking for feedback is highly disingenuous. You are missing the point. Asking for feedback is ok. It might be annoying for users to be disturbed by a dialog, but morally there is nothing wrong with it. I don’t think anyone was arguing that. But this dialog is not merely asking for feedback. It does manipulative filtering.
      - DanBC 13y ago
        People A/B test the colour of a button to try to improve conversion rates. With the Dungeon Keeper example we have one button leading directly to the play store rating system, and another button that adds several steps to that process. Which button do you think results in more ratings at the play store? It is a deliberately chosen ploy to manipulate the ratings. It is scummy. Email feedback from uses can be achieved in some different way. "We'd love it if you would rate this game [go to playstore] And we really want to hear from you if you're having problems or have ideas for improvement[send us email]"
  - rhizome 13y ago
    They are providing an incentive.
- timje1 13y ago
  I don't see them contravening any of those specific things here. Possibly the iOS app store has (better worded / better enforced) guidelines.
- eponeponepon 13y ago
  This seems more like a disincentive to rate the product, which, as others have said, doesn't contravene the letter of the law - one would hope that Google would amend their terms to close the loophole though.
- oneeyedpigeon 13y ago
  Until/unless google specifies what the authorised ways of manipulating product ratings are, all this policy does is prevent three specific behaviours. Unless you define 'incentive' quite strangely, I'm pretty sure EA aren't (unfortunately) in violation.
uptown 13y ago
Apple has put EA up on stage to demo their games at many of their keynotes. I really doubt they'd ever get removed without a discussion taking-place beforehand.

zabraxias 13y ago

Very good question. Quite interested in this too and I get the sense Apple would nuke the app even if they didn't specifically write a rule against this.

andyjohnson0 13y ago

It arguably contravenes the Google Play Store policies too. "Developers must not attempt to change the placement of any Product in the Store, or manipulate any product ratings or reviews by unauthorized means such as fraudulent installs, paid or fake reviews or ratings, or by offering incentives to rate products." [1] [1] http://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html http://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html

MAGZine 13y ago
What they're doing violates none of the aforementioned clauses.
- illumen 13y ago
  They clearly "manipulate any product ratings" by dishonestly filtering their users which would rate the game well, and those that wouldn't. This manipulates the product ratings by only letting 5 star ratings go through.
  - eli 13y ago
    It's not like they're preventing you from rating the app however you like from the app store -- same as any other app. They just aren't actively pushing unhappy users there. It's dishonest manipulation to ask happy users to rate you and unhappy users to email you?
    - arrrg 13y ago
      Of course it is. What else could it be? It’s dishonest, highly immoral manipulation.
      - eli 13y ago
        I guess we just disagree. If someone came up to you in person and said they loved your app, would you not perhaps ask them to rate it? And if they say it sucks and crashed, would you not ask them to provide more detail so you can try to fix it?
      - MAGZine 13y ago
        I don't think that asking for feedback is highly immoral, but that's just imo.
        arrrg 13y ago
        Asking for feedback? Oh, that’s a terribly nice way of framing it. This is a dishonest filtering mechanism that is deliberately set up to manipulate people. To refer to this as merely asking for feedback is highly disingenuous. You are missing the point. Asking for feedback is ok. It might be annoying for users to be disturbed by a dialog, but morally there is nothing wrong with it. I don’t think anyone was arguing that. But this dialog is not merely asking for feedback. It does manipulative filtering.
    - DanBC 13y ago
      People A/B test the colour of a button to try to improve conversion rates. With the Dungeon Keeper example we have one button leading directly to the play store rating system, and another button that adds several steps to that process. Which button do you think results in more ratings at the play store? It is a deliberately chosen ploy to manipulate the ratings. It is scummy. Email feedback from uses can be achieved in some different way. "We'd love it if you would rate this game [go to playstore] And we really want to hear from you if you're having problems or have ideas for improvement[send us email]"
- rhizome 13y ago
  They are providing an incentive.
timje1 13y ago
I don't see them contravening any of those specific things here. Possibly the iOS app store has (better worded / better enforced) guidelines.
eponeponepon 13y ago
This seems more like a disincentive to rate the product, which, as others have said, doesn't contravene the letter of the law - one would hope that Google would amend their terms to close the loophole though.
oneeyedpigeon 13y ago
Until/unless google specifies what the authorised ways of manipulating product ratings are, all this policy does is prevent three specific behaviours. Unless you define 'incentive' quite strangely, I'm pretty sure EA aren't (unfortunately) in violation.

uptown 13y ago

Apple has put EA up on stage to demo their games at many of their keynotes. I really doubt they'd ever get removed without a discussion taking-place beforehand.