kcentv.com - KCEN HD - Waco, Temple, and KilleenApple Weeds Out Clones And Lays Down The Law In Their App Store

(MSNBC)- The very public war between Zynga and its critics in recent weeks has led many to wonder how and why such blatant copycats are allowed to be part of Apple's App Store, the ecosystem in which they are distributed and thrive, in the first place.

Many assumed that Cupertino would turn a blind eye once again, since such criticism is hardly new. But as of late, Apple has taken a very proactive stance, one that indicates that they're aware of how disgruntled developers have become, along with the tricks that some are employing to take advantage of the system.

Gamasutra recently reported the removal of numerous iOS games that were clearly stealing the spotlight from several popular, well-known titles. All 68 apps were from just one developer, Anton Sinelnikov. The mostly high profile of his offending works was "Temple Jump," which was a blatant rip-off of "Temple Run,", even down to its home screen icon.

Other removed games include "Plant vs. Zombie" and "Angry Ninja Birds," which sounds way too close to "Plants vs. Zombies" and "Angry Birds."

More recently, word began to spread of a company that provides a service that ensures a particular game placement in the top 25. For a fee of $5,000, bots will download a particular's offering repeatedly until it has made its way onto the chart. From there, the newfound visibility should ensure the attention, and resulting downloads, from actual users.

This service was described by someone on the Touch Arcade forums, which was reported by PocketGamer. The anonymous voice goes on to claim that several big name developers are utilizing such means, including Crowdstar, makers of the popular "Top Girl." In the same thread, Crowdstar co-founder Suren Markosian defends his company's success by claiming:

I don't think this post is based on any deep knowledge on how top players are marketing their games in the app store. We all spend hundreds of thousands if not millions promoting our games every month using legitimate advertising channels such as flurry, chartboost, iAds, etc.

Markosian goes on to state that his company does not use bots whatsoever. Meanwhile, perhaps as a result of this recent round of accusations, Apple has just updated its developer's portal with:

Once you build a great app, you want everyone to know about it. However, when you promote your app, you should avoid using services that advertise or guarantee top placement in App Store charts. Even if you are not personally engaged in manipulating App Store chart rankings or user reviews, employing services that do so on your behalf may result in the loss of your Apple Developer Program membership.

The heat is clearly on, and aside from the fear of being called on Twitter, copycat developers may find it even harder to conduct business as usual if policies are more strictly enforced.