Tra i tanti cambiamenti che quasi mensilmente vedono protagonista il Play Store, Google ha deciso di chiudere definitivamente il programma Top Developer che da anni permette ad alcuni sviluppatori di avere un badge di riconoscimento sulla propria applicazione.

Con una mail Google annuncia la chiusura di questa iniziativa entro i prossimi 30 giorni con la rimozione dell'indicazione visiva. Come si legge dalla mail a seguire, il gigante della ricerca vuole spostare l'attenzione sulle singole applicazioni, premiando quindi i software e non gli sviluppatori. Non è infatti detto che uno sviluppatore abbia solo applicativi top.

The Google Play Top Developer program was created to recognize partners who developed top quality Android apps and games

Every day developers like you are hard at work creating apps and games on Android. Whether you’re updating an existing app or building something new, we’ve seen an incredible increase in the level of polish and quality in so many fun, entertaining, and useful apps. We want to make sure more people find the great experiences you are creating.

The Google Play Top Developer program launched many years ago to recognize developers who created high quality Android apps and games. We conducted research, with both developers and consumers, and observed a clear value and preference for the recognition of individual apps and games, instead of entire organizations.

After taking a look at our existing app recognition programs, the Google Play editorial team has decided to focus its efforts on recognizing high quality and innovative apps and games. As a first step, we will be closing the Top Developer program and removing the badging from the Play Store within 30 days. We have exciting plans to recognize more of the great apps and games you create and will be sharing updates soon.

We thank you for your continued commitment to Android and Google Play.