iOS Are Bogus “Reviews” Killing Good Apps?

[DarkNight79]

I’m amazed that so many of the top selling paid apps have bad reviews simply because they’re NOT free. A high percentage of the extremely harsh reviews are simply based on price alone. It seems that some people- probably kids- think EVERYTHING should be free. They don’t see the blood, sweat and tears that goes into building a really good app, not to mention that occasionally developers have to eat. Other apps are slammed because “it sounds like a dumb idea” from someone who hasn’t even tried it. Doesn’t it make sense to require people to actually download apps before they can review them? Check out the ratings in the Top 25 Paid Apps:

Solitaire, Super Monkey Ball, Tetris, 300 Bowl and Scrabble (3 stars)
TouchScan, Rotary Dialer and Drum Kit (2 ½ stars)
Color Tilt and Air Hockey (2 stars)
iBeer (#6) (1 ½ stars)

Doesn’t it seem fishy that apps popular enough to make the Top 25 are getting such a low rating? What about all the other apps that aren’t in the Top 25, and may never get there based on bad reviews? By allowing people to write negative reviews of apps they haven’t downloaded, it’s undermining the review system and potentially punishing good apps. Apple really needs to fix this.

 

[dukebound85]

id rather read criticisms of good apps than say people boasting awesome reviews on really poor programs

 

[BrentT]

I have sold used books for years through Amazon. I am always amazed how few people bother to leave a review, even though they are prompted by Amazon. Those who really love or hate something are more inclined to write.

My apps have several "this should be free" or "why would anyone want this" reviews. I've gotten over those. It seems clear from sales that those who want the app will pay for it regardless of those types of reviews. I guess there could be lost sales from those who only look at the star ratings. Over time, as more folks download and try applications these moronic ratings will fade in relevance to the total score.

My bigger concern is for reviews that say the app doesn't work when it is clear from their review they don't understand what it was supposed to do. I can't figure out why someone who is having trouble with a program just doesn't write to the support address and describe the difficulty.

I at least hope Apple quickly makes changes to the rating system. The addition of a "comment without rating" option may help. It would give the whiners a chance to vent without rating a product they haven't even tried.