Xbox Live Indie Games rating manipulation under investigation

Microsoft is investigating Xbox Live Indie Game rankings manipulation after suspected shenanigans last week.

The XNA Community Twitter announced a "possible misuse" of games rankings and promised more information soon.

Gamasutra reports the investigation may have been spurred by a scandal over College Lacrosse: The Video Game.

After the developer requested fans rate the game at five stars to drive it up the charts, other top-ranked XBLIG titles began to receive multiple low ratings.

Fan-favourite Cthulhu Saves The World plummeted 14 positions down the charts after more than 300 negative ratings in rapid succession, drawing outspoken developer Robert Boyd's ire and bringing the matter to public attention.

The creators of College Lacross have since requested friends and fans refrain from handing out low rankings on other titles.

Xbox Live Indie Games can be rated from Xbox.com by anybody with a free account, making it easy to rapidly damage or inflate the reputations of games the user hasn't played or purchased.