Such is the demand for user acquisition in mobile games that PapayaMobile has now come into the market.

However, unlike other providers, the Android-focused social network is taking what it calls a cleaner approach to the problem.

It's come up with AppFlood, something it describes as the first premium cross promotion network exclusively for Android developers.

Free to play

Completely separate from Papaya's Social SDK, any developer can sign up to use the network for free.

Everyone who joins now gets a 1,000 installs to use, with further installs earned as the ad banners and/or interstitials in your game encourage gamers to download other companies' games within the network.

Of course, developers and publishers can also purchase installs if they want to, although Papaya doesn't take any cut of such campaigns, with the cash going directly to the developers who provide the installs.

Equally, in terms of the user, there's no incentives - such as virtual currency - to encourage them to download games. Hopefully, this will ensure the games which are installed are actually played, rather then being downloaded for mercantile reasons.

Up and running

In this way, Papaya's approach is similar to Finnish outfit Applifier's network, which was successful on Facebook but has yet to gain traction on mobile.

But backed by companies such as Frenzoo, Bulkypix, Tatem, dreamfab and Pocket Gems during its private beta, Papaya reckons its network already has critical mass.

"Developers share with us their anxiety over the ever-increasing cost of user acquisition, so we decided to create a solution that compliments any mobile strategy," said PapayaMobile CEO Si Shen.

"We made AppFlood completely free so developers can get their games in the hands of users in a way that's simple, flexible, and fair."

You can find out more from the AppFlood website.