at the end it makes no difference.. as mentioned above a def can still gift the app to people for promotion.. and even call thoose expenses in front of tax, so i don't see much of a difference. the only good thing which might come out is that less promo code lurkers scavenge around the board.
Gifting the app earns Apple 30%, and many lurkers couldn't care less about not being able to review the app.
Aren't gift codes still region-specific though? If they took that route we'd go back to the days of having to create an alternate US account just to redeem codes, only this time we'd need an account in every country...
I'm still finishing up my first game, so this is going to become relevant to me pretty quick here...the way I've understood it is that the best way to use promocodes is instead of giving them to friends/family, you're supposed to give them to review sites so game reviewers can easily check out your game and write a review about it on their site. So in THEORY, this doesn't prevent that marketing tactic, because if a large game site reviews your game I would assume they're going to do it on their website as an actual review VS leaving a review on the App Store. If promocodes were eliminated entirely, game review sites would have to pay $0.99 - $4.99 or whatever to check out your game so then as indies we'd REALLY be screwed...but while at first glance this sounds horrible, as I think about it this doesn't seem like TOO bad a situation... - Quickdraw
Yes, the whole purpose of the Promo Codes was for sending to review sites. App Store reviews should be by genuine customers, to help potential customers make an informed decision. Apple have merely closed a loophole that was being increasingly abused. It was bound to happen once projects started for sharing Promo Codes for the purpose of App Store reviews.
I guess they closed it a little too tightly as no reviews are getting through here, paid, gifted, whatever. We have 2 worldwide from before the change. In my home country (UK) no reviews have been allowed...are we as free as we think I must ask! /rant
I know promo codes can be redeemed worldwide, but last I heard gift codes were still region specific, which would ruin the plan of devs gifting their apps to people.
Yes that is correct, gift codes are still region specific. Unfortunately I was only able to find that out after I received an e-mail from a reviewer telling me he could not redeem the code.
Wouldn't ruin it for me. I happen to live in the biggest sales region so I wouldn't be severely affected. I used gift codes once for a contest...maybe 30 of them. It wasn't to gain reviews though, just exposure.
I think this is a bad move on Apples part. This will give a false sense to potential buyers that all the reviews are honest when in fact it is a small price to pay for a developer to pay some "friends" to buy the app and write false positive reviews. This is a win for dishonest developer and a very poor decision by Apple.
Well CRAP WEASELS! I noticed this first with Tikal but having received hundreds of promos before and left reviews I thought this was a unique glitch and the IDIOTIC Apple tech support agent either really didn't know of this change or was intentionally playing dumb. After I explained that I was unable to leave a review for a game I just recently received a promo code for, they provided me with a link to the app I mentioned and told me how one can leave a review (wow, so that is what the "Write a Review" button is for, THANKS!). While I agree this system had been greatly abused, it would have been nice if this change was made big bold and official somewhere and not just something many of us active iTune reviewers had to find out the hard way.
I'm pretty sure a lot of people already had that false sense anyway. As a whole the consumer market isn't an especially tech-aware one, they don't all know the ins and outs of the App Store and most probably don't know what a promo code is.
i think apple is really messing with the review option ! all reviews seem to be deleted ! or atleast from the games i have been checking out.
Purpose of Promo Codes Exactly right, Quickdraw. Now the trick is finding 50 review sites to actually give your game a fair look ... Besides, this is actually a good thing: this way I can tell my friends and family that I need them to spend their own money to buy my game so they can leave reviews, and then I get 70% of their money. Mwhahahahaha. (I'm kidding, by the way.)
Have things returned to normal? I just noticed I'm able to leave reviews for promoed games again! I have had two of my reviews just published in iTunes from a couple of days ago and this morning from two games I just received promo codes for over the last couple of days. Perhaps Apple decided the change wasn't worth all of the nasty flack and have relented...unless this is just some weird window of opportunity that Apple will soon close again. Oddly, though, games I received promos for during the "dark time" I am still blocked from reviewing.
Just tried this for a promo I received tonight and it works for me too, UK store. I wasn't too bothered about removing the ability before, but now that it's back I'd rather it just stays than Apple keeps messing about and confusing everyone.
Promo codes can be reviewed in iTunes if you redeem them ON YOUR PC If you redeem them on your DEVICE (iPhone, iPad, iPod) you CAN NOT review on Appstore. You CAN NOT review apps in iTunes if you redeemed on your device and synced to iTunes.
