Chartboost Interstitial is BROKEN, will get you banned

I have been using the Chartboost extension to show interstitial ads. I have not yet released my project, but occasionally I forget to re-set the ads to test mode (because it changes back after a while) and so I see an ad. I have seen a lot of test ads, and a few real ones, but for the first time, today I saw an interstitial ad that had NO CLOSE BUTTON and NO WAY OUT of the ad. Back button presses and other functions worked normally on the app, which was behind a dark overlay with the interstitial ad on top. The ad remained across all frames while navigating back and only disappeared when I left the app. There is nothing wrong with my code - it is all just very standard stuff and every way that the user could possibly get out of the ad has been covered - this is either a bug in the way it is implemented in Fusion2.5, or this is a bug in the Chartboost SDK itself. Either way, this will get apps banned from Google Play IMMEDIATELY if it gets reported or if it happens while Google is testing it.

I recall seeing someone else post recently about having an app banned because Google said their interstitial ads needed to have a close button, etc. but everything seemed fine in their app. I think I have just reproduced that problem, but I can not get it to happen again. This is a MAJOR FLAW and needs to be addressed immediately, even if it is just some sort of hacked safeguard against this. Unfortunately I haven't narrowed it down at all and it seems to be very sporadic since I have only seen it once, and as far as I know, it has only been reported one other time and only because that person had their app banned from Google Play. Google has a very, very screwed up policy for banning users based on little-to-nothing and 3 strikes of any kind, even all at once, will result in immediate account termination and you will be banned forever from making any new accounts. Will someone please look into this and let me know what is happening here or if there can be some kind of safeguard implemented in case it is the fault of the SDK? I will continue to be testing this, and I will update this with any information. If I find out this is a false alarm and I have overlooked something I will make sure to post that here also. I was building with Android API 15 when this happened, but I am using 19 now, hoping that will fix it.

This is exactly why the Chartboost should not be left with a third party developer and also be considered a top priority by CT.

With the many OS and Ad network updates, I can only imagine that this type of plugin is a nightmare to support. It's probably also really boring work, so I bet this is a very hot potato at CT. Why not pass the monkey around? Each month a new CT programmer is in charge of supporting chartboost. This way everyone is familiar with the code and nobody feel like quitting their job.

Just taking a guess.

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This is exactly why the Chartboost should not be left with a third party developer and also be considered a top priority by CT.

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who made Chartboost extension?

Who did make the Chartboost Extension? I though it was probably you, Fernando.

Yeah but Fernando its from Clickteam, and I thing of Clickteam that I never doubt is: Fernando you fix this like he fix everything on Android Exporter.

I have my concerns about the ios exporter, but android no.

100% sure Fernando will look this.

I'm not having any problems, can you post an example to see how you are doing it? :D

I just post yesterday on the post "how-to chartboost" http://community.clickteam.com/threads/84242-Chartboost-Extension-Step-by-Step-How-to-document/page8 the same problem. I did test last week and It happen to me the same problem, lots of ads have no close button. I had to swipe to other application and return to make the ads diseapear. I post a screenshot on the other post. I had this problem inside a scene where I load a reward video too, not sure if it did something.

Hi,

I just tested the chartboost object and everything seems to work, even the error, not to returning the correct location.

please be warned that maybe some ads are changed by promoters and can have some issues also chartboost is working hard in their sdk.

my personal comment from what is was, and what is now, the change is great so, nothing to complain.

The beta 284h have the latest libs from Chartboost with date 10-12-2014
Version 5.1.0 (Dec. 10, 2014)

thank you fernando, i will check if I have the latest version. I posted a ticket to chartboost this morning with a screenshot to see if they have information about this problem.

Nice , let us know their answer.

Wolkam, I see your post is talking about a fix for portrait mode so I just wanted to clarify that this happened to me while in Landscape mode, so this isn't isolated to Portrait mode. I'm not sure if that matters, since I don't know how the source code handles that, but I thought I should mention it.

I will post my build error on the post dedicated to apk build. I don't think it have a link with chartboost extension

never had a problem like that..
it's most likely Chartboost itself with a messed up ad ?

It does sound like a chartboost SDK error, but since I don't have source codes, I have no idea how any of that stuff is handled. I would guess the SDK takes care of all that and the extension simply gives the app a place to put the Chartboost content inside of. That is why I mentioned a possible safeguard against it, but hopefully if it is a Chartboost error, they will have it fixed soon.

All I do it load intest... "" and destroy. unless he is using the latest Android exporter.. cause I saw that you need to have API 10 (?) installed for that.

I installed the api 10 who missed, probably something who ask that in the last beta, but I don't think it was specially for Chartboost. Anyway I can build the application, I have to see now if I have the problem with close button. Neildo, you have the problem all the time or sometimes the button is here ?

I have only seen the problem one time. Just once, there was no close button, and the back button acted on the Fusion2.5 frame, not the ad. Almost all ads are fine and there is a good chance this would be overlooked by most developers without extensive debugging.

URBAN LEGEND = API 10 Change something.

they are not even related.

API 10 is to build the Google play service libs for admob, gmaps, and the future extension from google, now is full and take also the resources so any answer will be translated to the corresponding language, again not by us from the Google lib.

ok I am confused... in the readme from the download, unless you meant Google Play services..
But it sounds like you need to have API-10 for Admob.

================================================== ==============
AdMob: does require android api-10, so please check if you have installed by opening in android sdk directory, sdk manager.exe and check for api 10 in case you don´t have it please download it.
================================================== ==============

yes correct, but not for chartboost.

I don't know why we are on the subject of API 10 or Admob or Google Play Services because none of those have anything to do with the Chartboost extention or Chartboost SDK in the context of this problem.

ugh... not my day today.... Think I need some sleep ;D Chartboost/Admob/Google Play.... I can't take it anymore......... lol