I don't see how any ads could make such a drastic mass-buying overnight (especially when the app itself already half year old), also considering both games actually not outstandingly visually appealing or that much fun, compared to the other top 10 materials.
When you consider possibility of a giant advertising campaign - there's one thing that really doesn't fit here As far as I know - there is no way to create an AppStore link that points only to a single AppStore. It (always?) checks which AppStore you are registered too and directs you there, right ? So how the heck did they manage to promote Stealthbomber to Top 1 Paid Game in US and not be ranked ANYWHERE else ? And I'm not saying just Top Games - I checked game subcategories via Majic Rank in all 100 or so AppStores. And they only place they were ranked was US How do you achieve something like that using an ad campaign ? And keep in mind, that in most AppStores a SINGLE download will give you a place in some ranking This part I just cant find any explanation for
They could simply just not be serving the ad outside the US. With Ad Mob you can target regions, so it wouldn't be hard to limit it to certain areas with whatever system they are using. I agree it still seems weird though. The lack of reviews seems the oddest thing to me, and simply promoting the game to sell more would seemingly generate more reviews.
But so precisely ? I understand checking it via IP, but at any given moment in time there has to be some tourists in US who just happen to see the ad, no ? My understanding is - you can make a targeted app, but it is not possible to make 100% targeted app. And there was NO trace whatsoever of their app anywhere outside US. I understand that it would be a targeted campaign if it was visible here and there on some lower spots. But no - it was not visible anywhere at all
It's still completely nonsense suppose they put ads for stealthbomber, and lets says its a freak of nature that thousands of people buys it... But it doesnt make sense that the second ads for snot rocket does exactly the same impact, considering they must be showing that ads to the same audience, people are not robots and buy everything they offered through the ads. Advertising different products will always yield different result.
I see these pretty rapidly dropped out of the top 10 (and even the top 100). So apparently buying your way onto the list only gets you so far if your apps don't really have much appeal. --Eric
Another Federal Bureau of App's app has done this, big button pro or something. This is like the fourth time I've seen FBoA do this
I wondered how two crappy games were sent up the charts... The thing to consider now is if this becomes a service to offer developers and the developer has created something that truly belongs at the top, then using this service to boost the game on the first few days of release would get it noticed in the App Store. And because the game deserves to be there it will stay there. For a small price of investment the game gets noticed and because it's a good game sustains sales. This method is far more effective than marketing and would probably cost the same - been in the top ten is the best marketing to have. Is this wrong to do this. In my mind yes. But money in the end does the talking in the world we live. I guess this happens in the music industry and I guess it's going to happen in the App Store and the publishers with the most money will manipulate the charts.
I'm glad you guys finally noticed this! I had the displeasure to work for jirbo/epictilt/fubii/adcolony/quvy or whatever new secret co they go by today. You are all right on the money. They def operate with shady tactics and they should be ashamed of what they do. I'm glad I I'm out of that mess and am free to speak my mind. I could go on for pages about the bs but I won't bother since you all are figuring it out yourselves. There is also inside favoritism from apple goin on here too. I hope every one of you complains about this bs and ask apple to start logging the ip addresses the purchase/review/ratings come from so they can see what kind of shady bs is going on. Also the network of 100 apps by ad colony is really all apps by their own co. Calling yourself a client is a little misleading :/ Another 'trick' is regularly pushing updates to apps that do nothing just so every user who has it will dl it. These app updates are still reported in iTunes connect as a dl even though they have no price associated with them. So that's where these high "download" counts most doubtedly come from they feed potential clients. Btw, wasn't there some co doing the same stuff and apple banned them from AppStore and the developer program completely? The part that upsets me the most is how people see all these "fake" reviews and assume the app is worth buying, only to realize what they really bought and then leave an honest 1 star review. Then mysteriously these real reviews are voted down and followed up by a handful of fake 5 star reviews. look at the graphs on page 1. http://www.topappcharts.com/search.p...arch&price=any these are very ODD trends that seem to repeat across all these 'top apps'
Indeed it is... The charts are based on average sales from (in the uk) 350 shops scattered around the country. Most of the record labels know which shops these are, and apparantally it's entierly possible to get any single into the top 10 with £5000 of purchases over a weekend. Guess the same thing is just happening here...
