Microsoft introduced new rules detailing the bulk submission of apps, noting that “in recent weeks, a handful of companies have individually published hundreds of apps in a matter of a few days.” The company said that by doing this, the “new” category fills quickly, pushing out other new apps and “reducing the diversity of the shopping experience.” To prevent this from happening, developers will be limited to a maximum of 20 app certifications in a single day, to enable Microsoft to “retain a balance of choice and customer experience by enabling customers to see a broader and more representative assortment of new apps from the developer community.”

The company said that developers can still submit multiple apps, but that they will be certified at a maximum rate of 20 per day rather than all-at-once. It also said it will be “reaching out” to bulk app publishers, to “explore how they can better take advantage of the Windows Phone platform to improve the functionality of their apps and reduce the need for large numbers of similar apps.” Microsoft said that it is “committed to create and share additional guidance and best practices in the near future to help developers create compelling apps that offer localised or targeted experiences, without having to create dozens of unique apps.”

It was recently reported that Microsoft is intending to focus its Windows Phone Marketplace on higher value (and therefore higher-price) apps, rather than chasing bulk through large numbers of low value products. While Windows Phone has been in the market for around nine months, Microsoft has already generated a catalogue of 20,000 titles – a figure that is likely to increase as momentum grows now that Nokia is also a part of the WP ecosystem.