Games publisher AppyNation has taken to its blog in order to expose what it believes are the "dark corners" of the internet: mobile games review sites that charge developers for coverage.
The firm is calling on developers to highlight sites that require a fee from studios in order to review their titles, claiming that said websites "are not journalism, they can't be objective" and fail to "give consumers all the info."
The list
"Charging for reviews - or for 'consideration', or to cover 'administration' fees - is a tactic that raises our hackles, gets our goat, boils our blood and generally makes us want to shout," details comms manager Andrew Smith in the entry.
"So, rather than shouting, we thought we'd create a permanent - and often updated - list of these websites. And for anyone wondering, we've linked to them so that a) you can see theyre real and b) their advert revenues go up and they can stop charging for reviews."
So far, three sites have been highlighted by AppyNation, but the publisher is looking for contributions from the wider industry in order to provide a comprehensive list.
A question of balance
"If any of the sites or organisations we call out here would like to engage in some discussion about the practices, then please do not hesitate to contact us," concludes Smith.
"Similarly, if you can show us that you've stopped these practices, then well happily remove you from this list."
AppyNation adds that it also plans to publish a list of websites known for "treating developers fairly" in order to keep the balance.
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With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.
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