Up till now, developers could get their apps to be featured higher in the new category by simply releasing an update. Higher positions meant better sales, but also a dishonest business practice Apple hopes to stop with this decision.
Second, Apple has changed the review policy, reducing significantly the number of possible reviewers. Customers must download or purchase the program in order to be able to write and post a review about it.
This is a double edge policy: first of all, Apple makes sure that no app on its Store will benefit from a flood of negative reviews. You may recall that Spore receive this harsh treatment on Amazon due to the fact that the game also featured the much-hated SecuROM DRM.
In addition, the new rule will prevent shady developers from boosting up the score of their “merchandise”.
Whether this will be enough to calm down critics or not, that remains to be seen. The measures aren’t bad at all, but they still allow everyone to consider Apple a control freak.