Windows Phone Marketplace will soon reach 23k Apps along with recent cool apps like IM+, Evernote, Hydro Thunder Go as well as some Spam-Apps, Bulk-Apps, Crap-Apps etc. MSFT replied that they all passed the certification requirments and they have to publish it to the marketplace.
But I just found an App which didn't suffice the Marketplace Submission Requirments and is availabele in the Marketplace. Its about the Screenshots to be submitted with the App.
There is the chrome of Windows Phone Emulator visible in the screenshots, but according to the Marketplace Submission Requirements:
- Locate the application screenshot files.
- Verify that each screenshot shows a direct capture of the phone screen or emulator when the application was running.
- Verify that each screenshot does not contain emulator chrome.
- Verify that each screenshot is not graphically-enhanced.
- Verify that each screenshot is 480 x 800 pixels, and is a non-transparent PNG file.
After altering some Brightness / Contrast you can clearly see the emulator chrome.
Either the developer were not aware about the requirements or they were careless about it, but we should surely blame the App testers who just accepted the submission which really didn't met the requirments.
This could be considered as a mistake but the same App Sms2All paid version and lite version are available in marketplace with same screenshots. Also, the paid version has 2 copies in the marketplace, which means the screenshots passed the test thrice!
So the only question arises "Are Marketplace Submission Requirements Compromised?". Is this also a reason behind sudden accelaration in Marketplace App count? I am a Windows Phone developer too, and really want to see the Windows Phone Eco-system to develop, compete and surpass other platforms. But I don't want it to happen with this hush & push that the quality of the Apps, Marketplace and Windows Phone Platform is compromised. Everyone is waiting for Mango and we want it to have spotless solid background! I really hope that this is not the case and the App screenshots are changed as soon as possible.
