It's a tale as old as the App Store itself: Apple introduces a rule change, Apple doesn't warn anyone that said rule change is coming into force, developers get mightily annoyed.

As with all such shifts in the App Store's terms and conditions, very few people take issue with Apple's desire to protect is marketplace.

The act of dodgy developers swapping out app screenshots for bogus ones is one that needs to be halted, and – on the surface – Apple's decision to tie any changes to said pictures to an app update makes sense.

What set the web alight yesterday, however, was the fact that Apple introduced the new rule without dropping even a cursory email into the collective inboxes of its development community.

Ruling power

This, of course, is nothing new.

Apple has notable form when it comes to dropping rule changes onto developers without a moment's notice – rule changes that often can majorly impact on the way those studios operate.

Putting that issue aside, however – and we've pleaded with Apple to open up to its community before – this latest rule change throws up other problems.

Firstly, there are legitimate reasons why a developer may want to swap screenshots around in between updates to their title. Screenshots, like app icons, are a somewhat tricky science, and it's understandable that many developers won't get things right the first time out.

Now, screenshots are locked in, and we may well find studios churning out all kinds of menial updates purely so they can alter the images attached to their titles if things aren't working out.

One size won't wash

The follow on point from this is that Apple's rule change applies to everyone. All developers, big or small, legitimate or shady.

Apple and its supporters may say that, firstly, this rule change already applies on most of the App Store's rivals and, secondly, it's important that all developers be treated equally.

But, we already know that the second point is null and void: Apple pushes certain apps to its consumer base, and undoubtedly has a closer relationship with some studios than it does others.

It's important that we dismiss the notion of App Store equality right now. It doesn't exist.

What's more, the App Store is something of a special case. It's the biggest, most active app marketplace on the planet, and thousands of businesses depend on it in a way that, currently, they just don't on Google Play, Windows Phone Store or BlackBerry App World.

Uniform rules aren't necessarily the right approach for a marketplace that is this important to the industry.

So, I say, isn't it time to employ some sort of hierarchy?

Basing any 'league of developers' on earnings would be a mistake and would wrongly penalise indies or smaller outfits, but shouldn't developers of any size that have proved they play by the rules, have fostered trust amongst consumers and generally have a strong track record on the App Store be rewarded?

Times are changing

Shouldn't Apple be looking to ensure that good, honest businesses aren't wrongly hit because of the illegitimate activities of the few?

At some point, Apple's attitude that it's entitled to do what it wants when it wants with its own marketplace just isn't going to wash any more. While I've played up the current importance of the App Store, its position as top dog is, in the years ahead, increasingly going to come under threat.

For starters, when I first started on PocketGamer.biz in 2010, getting any developer to complain about any decision Apple had made was like getting blood from a stone. Now, studios readily take to Twitter in floods to pour scorn on the actions of the Cupertino giant.

Developers have lost the fear and, eventually, when Google, Microsoft et al are able to offer comparative platforms, they'll ultimately lose their loyalty too.

Apple cannot afford to treat the development community as a featureless mass. It needs to make friends and listen to those making the most valuable contributions to its marketplace, and it needs to do it fast.