Duplicate apps with different developers, same description and screenshots?

thron

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Apr 29, 2014
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I just noticed this today: Search results for "ninja turtles" | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)

This afternoon, there were two different versions of Ninja Turtles Fight. and Ninja Turtles Fight FREE. Now, I only see one (one by BoomKa Studio, the other by a different developer, but both had the same info; one 5MB, the other 18MB).

However:
School Games: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)
School Game LLC: .Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)
Nutty Games & Apps: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles FREE | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)

So, which is legit? Is there any logical reason behind this?
 
None are legit. On Google Play, it says the publisher is Nickelodeon. The reason is that Microsoft unfortunately doesn't do much about these things unless someone complains first.
 
So all of these are insecure apps?

Why are there copies of the same apps with different filesizes; what is the incentive?
 
I wouldn't day insecure, but they're definitely not legit.

And the reason for different file sizes is because of how they're choosing to trick you. They may include a lot of fake content or they may have tried to duplicate the game themselves.
 
Fake content, like what?

I mean, a game uploaded by anyone but Nintendo for Super Mario (for example) is *clearly* not legit.. But if its simply formatted with an emulator for WP with no other junk/spyware, I don't have an issue installing it to my phone.


So how does one keep themselves safe when downloading apps (short of the obvious: Being paranoid & refraining from downloading at all)

No known viruses exist for WP, but I also don't want rogue apps doing weird stuff to my phone.
 
Yeah but apps using emulators are doing the platform a service imo.

Though it is difficult to tell which are harmless copies and which have ulterior motives.

I've only seen duplicated apps like this under the games section, so far.
 

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