How do Google Play maturity levels affect downloads?

So, finally I uploaded my first app to Google Play yesterday. AdMob, Analytics etc is ready to go. The game is a very simple game that is about reaction time by splatting as many worms as possible as fast as possible. These cartoon style worms lives in your garden and your mission is to defend the vegetables in the garden. After a while, moles start to show up along with the worms. Those moles are not to be splatted, if you do splat them you will get a penalty.

Ok, so far so good. I read about the Google play maturity levels and I found that since this app show an artificial blood splat, that is, some cartoonish violence I didn't set it to no maturity, instead I set it to the second lowest level, where it according to the set rules should be. So what happens? Google decides to set the maturity level to "Medium high" due to the logo, which is a creepy carrot and I got a standardized threat that if this happens again they will ... and that they track everything.

I don't know if I should laugh or cry and initially I thought of re-branding the whole thing since I have another two games coming out really soon, but then I realized that I of course should ask you guys/gals here. You probably know the answer to this:

In what way do the Google Play maturity levels affects downloads? Will it prohibit the youngest kids from downloading this free app if the maturity level is set to "Medium High"? Are there anything else to consider related to the maturity level classification? Will it affect AdMob ads?

Should I re-brand it?

Thank you!

So, finally I uploaded my first app to Google Play yesterday. AdMob, Analytics etc is ready to go. The game is a very simple game that is about reaction time by splatting as many worms as possible as fast as possible. These cartoon style worms lives in your garden and your mission is to defend the vegetables in the garden. After a while, moles start to show up along with the worms. Those moles are not to be splatted, if you do splat them you will get a penalty.

Ok, so far so good. I read about the Google play maturity levels and I found that since this app show an artificial blood splat, that is, some cartoonish violence I didn't set it to no maturity, instead I set it to the second lowest level, where it according to the set rules should be. So what happens? Google decides to set the maturity level to "Medium high" due to the logo, which is a creepy carrot and I got a standardized threat that if this happens again they will ... and that they track everything.

I don't know if I should laugh or cry and initially I thought of re-branding the whole thing since I have another two games coming out really soon, but then I realized that I of course should ask you guys/gals here. You probably know the answer to this:

In what way do the Google Play maturity levels affects downloads? Will it prohibit the youngest kids from downloading this free app if the maturity level is set to "Medium High"? Are there anything else to consider related to the maturity level classification? Will it affect AdMob ads?

Should I re-brand it?

Thank you!

clearly you did not read the 10 pages rules they have

instead of showing blood, (that is so old in games, its to cheesy in my opinion) i wold change the blood effect with carrot juice or a explosion flash like (kapaw and a star behind it ) that's if u want to be rated 12+ if u want 4+ then u have to not show any violence at all not even throwing rocks, because 4+ years old and under 14 they tend to do what they see( monkey see , monkey do) so imagine u have a kid playing you'r game that kills carrots , and then takes a hammer goes outside and hammers his dog or his toes (cause they look like carrots- the toes) whats the result of that? as stupid it may sound, there are many cases of juvenile aggression because of the actions they do in games, heard so many story's u cant believe it, and USA its one of the most country's that have issues like this, kids to spoiled, and USA its Google's market mostly. |And because Google's headquarters are in USA they have to follow some rules, and you have to follow them 2 in order to make money with them in this program they have. cheers hope you really think before you publish something and try to think what is practical and cool for kids , not of what you think it may be cool and what you like.(that's called market research)

i also have some apps on iTunes and Google store, but they are all rated exactly of what the action are about in the game, if its violence i read the rating for it where it might go, if doesn't have i rate it as low as possible . you can send your app to a test to Google, iTunes and ask for a rating before u rate it yourself. iTunes i know for a fact they do that, don't remember about Google, but i guess they have some option like that.

Thanks! (I did read the rating classification)

It's just hard for anyone outside of the USA to even imagine that kids would go out and kill anyone based on a simple splat game. Then again, I live in a country where police officers rarely fire their guns during their whole carreer, unlike in the US where the police officers' guns perhaps even get worn out.

It's also strange to see e.g. tank games where missiles are shot between tanks and yet this is approved with the lowest possible rating.

Again, thanks for your input.

Thanks! (I did read the rating classification)

It's just hard for anyone outside of the USA to even imagine that kids would go out and kill anyone based on a simple splat game. Then again, I live in a country where police officers rarely fire their guns during their whole carreer, unlike in the US where the police officers' guns perhaps even get worn out.

It's also strange to see e.g. tank games where missiles are shot between tanks and yet this is approved with the lowest possible rating.

Again, thanks for your input.

well yes but the game if its about tanks lets say, the title is something about tanks, but no blood, no chopped heads, its just mechanical parts that explodes, they aren't living beings

kids don't know that humans drive tanks

This would depend on what the kids have been taught. In my experience any child capable of playing a mobile game is also aware that tanks are made by and driven by people - and if they don't perhaps you should take away the mobile device and give them a book to read.

asking people to click on u'r ads its illegal

This might be contrary to the contract but it is definitely not illegal...

Illegal and unlawful have slightly different meanings, although they are often used interchangeably. Something that is illegal is against the law, whereas an unlawful act merely contravenes the rules that apply in a particular context. Thus handball in soccer is unlawful, but it is not illegal.

they (google?) are more focused on quality

Google are totally NOT focused on quality - it's a numbers game so the standards are set very low - if you buy a rubbish game they don't care - you already paid and there are no refunds for rubbish.

Your whole response to this guys questions is a bit on the rude side - in my opinion.

You seem to think that Google is like this big, generous internet wizard who's doing us all a favour by providing their 'service'. They have this one-sided (solely to protect their image) 'contract' which they have decided that they can change at a moment's notice at their whim and if you step outside of their terms they instantly cut you off without any kind of appeal - forever. Google is a machine designed to suck up money, but don't expect them to spend any of that money on quality control or arbitration. Google is bad for games. Period.

Most of the games that are churned out are absolute crud that are simply vehicles for adverts.

Google is bad for games. Period.

I should extend this to cover all the other 'app stores'.

/rant.

clicking your own ads or asking people to click your ads its illegal by the terms of advertising companies rules /whatever banner companies don't allow u to do that, not sure where u ever read that any advertising network allow u to ask people to click ur ads, you should read more rules pages my friend blackcrypt

As for quality yea they where not focused on quality , till now, check their latest updates, they will change their rules on how an app will be accepted , to many low quality apps, that are possible also bad intended , so they want to clean those up, as for how it was till now, yes they did accepted everyone with anything, they needed quantity over quality, but they have enough quantity. and lately allot of people are arguing why their accounts are getting banned , why stuff happens, well i just told u why, you don't need to put me at wall and shoot me /rant. lol

and if you think google only sucks money and that's it, then your one of the conspiracy guys that thinks Illuminati is real. ... if that is the thing im checking out of this post... so sorry...

Ok, timeout.

I have never said anything about clicking my own ads or telling someone to do it. Google changed the rating from "Low maturity" to "Medium high", at the same time they said that the app contained "graphic violence" which itself should result in, if I read the rules correctly, a "High maturity" rating. Whether I think that is wrong or not, is not interesting. I just have to abide by their rules whether I understand them or not . However, it will be hard not to receive another standardized threat mail from them since I don't know why THEY have changed the rating to "Medium maturity" when, at least when they themselves say that it contains "graphic violence", should be "High maturity".

I have received some of the answers I asked for. I would perhaps expect a little more friendly tone in doing so like blackcrypt mentioned, but all people are different, so I just have to live with that I guess. In all, both of you have given me more of your efforts (time to write etc) than I would expect, so I thank you for that.

I can understand that Google wants to get rid of those automated spam like apps generated by different web based app creation tools. In my case, although having a simple idea for a game, this is not the case (I believe in simple ideas because with more advanced games you won't bring your mobile up in the subway, bus etc for a quick game). The graphics alone have taken some time to create, then the "development" using Construct2 (which I by the way is very impressed by and also by the helpful community here) and on top of that testing the app, getting kids and adults (=my wife ) to review it, getting their opinions on what to alter etc.

Despite of this, it is a bit worrying if Google will demand "quality". What IS quality? Do they have a set of rules for what "quality" is or is it up to the specific reviewer at Google? This together with "Blocking unknown sources" in the Android OS, is to me quite disturbing, yet I can do nothing about it. I can just conclude that it's time for the authorities to have a look at how companies act. Hmmm... This is EXACTLY what the EU is doing.

No matter what, this is completely another discussion.

Thank you for your thoughts and your input.

clicking your own ads or asking people to click your ads its illegal by the terms of advertising companies rules /whatever banner companies don't allow u to do that, not sure where u ever read that any advertising network allow u to ask people to click ur ads, you should read more rules pages my friend blackcrypt

You are confusing the terms in a civil agreement ("a contractual set of conditions") with terms laid down in statute (the laws by which we are governed). Breaking the law is illegal. Breaking the terms of a contract is not illegal - you will not be hauled before a judge and jury.

Before you read any more 'rules pages' AND offer your advice as fact to others you ought to learn the difference.