Oh wow. I had no idea they were actively telling people to spam their game on our games. Here are some alleged quotes from the developer's chat with some android users:
Pocket Play is the publisher of this game: [4/18/2010 9:05:40 PM] Pocket Play: Could use some help advertising our game on the market. I'll reward anyone who helps with 200 gems. [4/18/2010 9:07:20 PM] Pocket Play: Basically, I need some people to go to apps and post >>one time<< per app about our game. [4/18/2010 9:07:24 PM] Pocket Play: So we can spread the news. [4/18/2010 9:07:51 PM] Pocket Play: Not every app needs to be done but just some. [4/18/2010 9:08:43 PM] Pocket Play: Just post something like.. [4/18/2010 9:09:14 PM] Pocket Play: "Want an awesome online medieval war game? Search up Pocket Empires in the market. 40,000 and counting." [4/18/2010 9:12:52 PM] Pocket Play: You have to rate it first [4/18/2010 9:12:56 PM] Pocket Play: Rate everything you comment on 5 stars [4/18/2010 9:26:02 PM] Pocket Play: all good. [4/18/2010 9:26:10 PM] Pocket Play: Theres your 220, keep up the good work The quotes are from here - http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Android+Market/thread?tid=173b4c35501e9893&hl=en&fid=173b4c35501e98930004852c8fa46a93 On Apr 28, 11:19 am, Ralf Schneider <li...@gestaltgeber.com> wrote: > The referall system together with users spamming other apps seems to work > very well. > If google is ok with it - How long until other developers will follow? > > 2010/4/28 jasont <tomlinson...@gmail.com> > > > > > > > The game itself is quite good, it is very disappointing they have > > resorted to spamming the Market and "cheating the system" > > > On Apr 26, 11:12 pm, cyxb <cyxb.andr...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > I just came across this on the Market support forum. Looks like the > > > developers are rewarding users that spam the Market: > > > >http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Android+Market/thread?tid=173b4... > > > > On Apr 26, 8:47 pm, polyclefsoftware <dja...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > You also have the option to flag an app as inappropriate, which might > > > > not be a bad idea. > > > > > On Apr 26, 8:06 pm, Zsolt Vasvari <zvasv...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > When you unistall the game in Android Market, you have the option to > > > > > mark it as spammy and give a reason why. Instead of complaining on > > > > > here, perhaphs being a bit more proactive could be helpful. > > > > > > On Apr 27, 4:29 am, Mike <michaeldouglaskra...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > > I agree with Robert. I really hope Google will take a serious look > > at > > > > > > this as it undermines the trust of the rankings and ratings > > associated > > > > > > with any app in the market. > > > > > > > It bothers me that the spamming seems to have started more than 10 > > > > > > days ago, and nothing has been done. PE is now the number 9 ranked > > > > > > game in the market. This just shouldn't have happened, but it did. > > > > > > > Can anyone at Google that can speak to this please do so? > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > > > > - Mike > > > > > > > On Apr 26, 1:19 pm, Robert Green <rbgrn....@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > Ok, just like how telling people to click on your ads is against > > the > > > > > > > ToS, I believe that telling users to give you a 5 star rating for > > any > > > > > > > reason should also be. > > > > > > > > On Apr 26, 12:57 pm, Ralf Schneider <li...@gestaltgeber.com> > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > I installed the game. After installation there was a text box > > "suggesting" > > > > > > > > to give 5 stars for the game to be the first game to have a 5 > > star rating. > > > > > > > > I gave 1 star. I don't like to be "manipulated" to giva a good > > rating. > > > > > > > > Uninstalled it. > > > > > > > > > 2010/4/26 Mike <michaeldouglaskra...@gmail.com> > > > > > > > > > > Hey Zero, > > > > > > > > > > Any idea on how Pocket Empires has managed to go from a zero > > in the > > > > > > > > > rankings to number 25 in less than a few weeks? Seems a > > little > > > > > > > > > questionable to me based on the amount of spam being left on > > all of > > > > > > > > > the other top 50 apps and games promoting your game. More > > > > > > > > > questionable still is the near constant amount of positive 5 > > star > > > > > > > > > feedback being left on Pocket Empires itself with nearly the > > same > > > > > > > > > content. I'll stop short of accusing the own Pocket Empires > > team of > > > > > > > > > purposely manipulating the Android market ratings system in > > order to > > > > > > > > > promote the game, but it seems very suspicious and, might I > > say, a bit > > > > > > > > > slimy and underhanded. > > > > > > > > > > - Michael > > > > > > > > > > On Apr 1, 10:03 pm, ZeroCool <zero...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Big thanks to Android Team. > > > > > > > > > > I couldn't have done it without the help of you guys. > > > > > > > > > > If anyone is interested, search 'pocketempires' or 'pe' in > > Android > > > > > > > > > > Market. > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the > > Google > > > > > > > > > Groups "Android Developers" group. > > > > > > > > > To post to this group, send email to > > android-developers@googlegroups.com > > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > > > > > > > android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<android-developers%2Bunsubs > > > > > > > > > cr...@googlegroups.com><android-developers%2Bunsubs > > cr...@googlegroups.com> > > > > > > > > > For more options, visit this group at > > > > > > > > >http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the > > Google > > > > > > > > Groups "Android Developers" group. > > > > > > > > To post to this group, send email to > > android-developers@googlegroups.com > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > > > > > > android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<android-developers%2Bunsubs > > > > > > > > cr...@googlegroups.com> > > > > > > > > For more options, visit this group athttp:// > > groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the > > Google > > > > > > > Groups "Android Developers" group. > > > > > > > To post to this group, send email to > > android-developers@googlegroups.com > > > > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > > > > > android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<android-developers%2Bunsubs > > > > > > > cr...@googlegroups.com> > > > > > > > For more options, visit this group athttp:// > > groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > > > > > > Groups "Android Developers" group. > > > > > > To post to this group, send email to > > android-developers@googlegroups.com > > > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > > > > android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<android-developers%2Bunsubs > > > > > > cr...@googlegroups.com> > > > > > > For more options, visit this group athttp:// > > groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en-Hidequotedtext - > > > > > > > - Show quoted text - > > > > > > -- > > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > > > > > Groups "Android Developers" group. > > > > > To post to this group, send email to > > android-developers@googlegroups.com > > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > > > android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<android-developers%2Bunsubs > > > > > cr...@googlegroups.com> > > > > > For more options, visit this group athttp:// > > groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en > > > > > -- > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > > > > Groups "Android Developers" group. > > > > To post to this group, send email to > > android-developers@googlegroups.com > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > > android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<android-developers%2Bunsubs > > > > cr...@googlegroups.com> > > > > For more options, visit this group athttp:// > > groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en > > > > -- > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > > > Groups "Android Developers" group. > > > To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<android-developers%2Bunsubs > > > cr...@googlegroups.com> > > > For more options, visit this group athttp:// > > groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > > Groups "Android Developers" group. > > To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com<android-developers%2Bunsubs > > cr...@googlegroups.com> > > For more options, visit this group at > >http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "Android Developers" group. > To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com > For more options, visit this group > athttp://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Android Developers" group. To post to this group, send email to android-developers@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to android-developers+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/android-developers?hl=en
