Wed, Apr 29, 2009 | 14:11 BST

iPhone app site asks for cash for “expedited” game reviews

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iPhone app review site Appcraver is apparently asking developers for cash in return for “expedited” game reviews.

Trixel developer Dan Boutros contacted the site to get his now-released iPhone puzzler reviewed. He got this in response:

Thanks for sending over the information about your new app. Please note that due to the number of inquiries and review requests we receive daily, it may take a while to get to your app.

We have several other additional options for you to make sure your app gets seen by AppCraver readers.

We can provide an expedited review for a $50 fee. This will get your app reviewed by our staff within 6 business days. However, just because your app is reviewed doesn’t guarantee that the app will be published.

While paying the expedite fee cannot guarantee you a positive review, we will guarantee that if our reviewers don’t approve your app we will refund your fee and not proceed with the article. After all — our readers are not interested in negative reviews — they are looking for us to highlight the best and most interesting apps out there.

Read the full thing here.

Team17′s Martyn Brown’s told TechRadar today that developers should “probably boycott” AppCraver because its editorial policy on game reviews was “all shades of wrong.”

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6 comments

G1GAHURTZ
29/04/09, 2:23 pm

Press asking for cash for reviews?

So what else is new?

_S_E_R_G_
29/04/09, 2:37 pm

cash, i need more cash!

Superfrog
29/04/09, 3:16 pm

Um, AppCraver makes its “policy” publicly available in its online FAQ section:

http://www.appcraver.com/faq/#faq9

As long as you can’t buy review scores it’s not a big difference to other professional review websites…

BaconMonkey
29/04/09, 4:28 pm

Sadly the text suggests if you BUY an ad, you get an expedited review as part of the deal, so YES, reviews ARE being sold.

Superfrog
29/04/09, 5:41 pm

Yes, but not review SCORES. For example, it’s not an advantage for the developer if his/her game gets a low rating early.

Also, just look at how many online magazines accept “site takeover” ads and banners in combination with the corresponding game being reviewed extensively. That’s not a big difference to me.

BaconMonkey
29/04/09, 6:12 pm

Review scores are not being explicitly sold, no.

The issue is, that this policy creates an economy within that company, whereby eventual success will lead to big ads, big ads sold by a few agencies and then financial reliance on a few money givers who will be in a position to sink the ship if certain things aren’t done.

I’ve experienced the negative side of this first hand, on the journo side. It’s very unpleasant