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Apple bans rewarded actions: "I think it wants to own app discovery," says source

Developers caught in the crossfire between Apple, Google and Facebook

Apple bans rewarded actions: "I think it wants to own app discovery," says source

Further to the news that Apple is rejecting apps based on a reinterpretation of Developer Guildeline clauses 2.25 and 3.10, we've been speaking to one of the many companies affected.

Talking of the record, it said the issue started bubbling up last week and it has since become clear that this isn't a couple of apps being rejected.

"It starts off looking random but it's happening to developers all over the world. This is now policy," they said.

However, there's been nothing official from Apple in terms of a wider reinterpretation, merely an increasing number of rejected apps.

Bad developer, no twinkie

The core of the issue appears to be rewarding users with in-game currency for actions, whether viewing video adverts from other developers - adverts from non-app brands seem to be okay - or sharing high scores, screenshots etc on social networks like Facebook and Twitter.

"It's a real shame, because these sort of video ads are a great source of revenue for developers, the players really like them, and they present advertisers within a great user experience," our source commented.

"Developers are being caught in the cross-fire between Apple, Google and Facebook."

An iAd gap

Indeed, taking a wider view, it seems likely that Apple's move comes due to the pressure it's feeling from the rise of Android as an rival mobile OS, combined with Facebook's rapid rise to become the #1 app discovery platform in the west.

"I think Apple wants to own app discovery, which is an incredibly lucrative market. But the problem is it's taken away something that works really well," adds our source.

"It has to give something back to the industry. Unfortunately, everyone knows iAd is terrible."


Contributing Editor

A Pocket Gamer co-founder, Jon is Contributing Editor at PG.biz which means he acts like a slightly confused uncle who's forgotten where he's left his glasses. As well as letters and cameras, he likes imaginary numbers and legumes.