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Apple Rejects Valve's Steam Link App Due to 'Business Conflicts'
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I find myself not liking "new Apple" anymore.
I switched to Android a few months ago and I am floored on the daily how there is just SO much more choice. Yes, it is confusing at first to switch, but once you figure it out, you can set things up exactly the way you want to. Don't like the phone dialer app you're using? Download another one! Don't like the music controls, notification style, look of the phone, or what this button does? It's all customizable.
If you're the type who has no idea what's going on and just want to hit the download button and have it work without having to learn anything, maybe stay with iOS. I get that there are legit advantages on iOS for some users.
But if you're familiar with computers and can do some basic things like figure out how a new app works and avoid obvious malware, give Android a shot. It is so much fun to not feel limited by EVERYTHING on my damn phone. The only thing I miss about my iPhone 8+ is the camera, and there are Android phones out there with awesome cameras - I just didn't get one, LOL.
I switched to Android a few months ago and I am floored on the daily how there is just SO much more choice. Yes, it is confusing at first to switch, but once you figure it out, you can set things up exactly the way you want to. Don't like the phone dialer app you're using? Download another one! Don't like the music controls, notification style, look of the phone, or what this button does? It's all customizable.
If you're the type who has no idea what's going on and just want to hit the download button and have it work without having to learn anything, maybe stay with iOS. I get that there are legit advantages on iOS for some users.
But if you're familiar with computers and can do some basic things like figure out how a new app works and avoid obvious malware, give Android a shot. It is so much fun to not feel limited by EVERYTHING on my damn phone. The only thing I miss about my iPhone 8+ is the camera, and there are Android phones out there with awesome cameras - I just didn't get one, LOL.
My best guess is that the rejection was not specific to the basic premise of streaming games from a PC. It's not very likely at all that the initial review team for the App Store didn't realize that it would be used to stream PC games. So switching to the rejection had to be for something that was less obvious than that.
They can join in Europe and file an amicus brief in the US.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Nope. The law can't force a business to do something new unless promises were made for that "new" and then the company wanted to keep the money realized on those promises but not deliver.
For example: Apple HAS promised "stereo-like" pairing of HomePods from the start. There is an obligation on Apple there. HP buyers could make a legal case that they bought HP for that reason. If Apple wasn't willing to give them their money back AND did not intend to ever roll out a software update to enable "stereo like" pairing, lawyers should line up for what would probably be a quick & easy settlement.
In this case, there's no promise to make this app available in the store. Nobody can (easily) make a claim that Apple promised them this functionality and- as a result of that promise- they purchased stuff from Apple in advance of getting to enjoy this particular app. Since this is basically a very new bit of news, anyone who might be able to try to stake such a claim can probably return their purchases right now.
On another level, there might be a little room for some cracks at anti-competitive or a seemingly monopoly-like control angle... but both are probably weak angles. The ultimate card that Apple can play is that nobody is forced to buy Apple hardware. Those who choose to do so know they can only buy software in the app store and agree by clicking to "terms & conditions" acknowledging exactly that.
One other angle might be from Valve/Steam is Apple might have promised them approval for developing this app and thus they could make the case that they spent money developing it with no way to recoup those investments since Apple is refusing to let them release it. But that seems pretty unlikely, probably being something that would be in the story that got this going if Apple had made any such promise to them.
In short: this is very much a "Apple can do whatever it wants. Either like it as Apple chooses to serve it up, or feel free to take your business elsewhere." proposition.
But, while there is probably no legal angle here, from a PR perspective and a customer delight perspective, it's disappointing. Those of us who are long-term Apple consumers probably expect more from Apple. Stuff like this probably tarnishes the halo a bit each time for some of us. It certainly does for me.
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HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Then for the sake of our mutual interests in Apple products- albeit at apparently substantially different levels- I'll hope you are right about that. Of course, something different than the working guess could be rolled out by Apple at least to the Steam team but optionally also to us consumers wound up about this topic. And if it's something specific, the Steam devs could address the issue and still bring this added value to
TV ASAP.For example, it if was- say- a privacy issue or similar, maybe the app was tapping into personal information not necessary for it's functionality- Apple could roll that out and put this issue to bed very quickly, the Steam guys could remove that unnecessary code, and then the app would be approved and bring this functionality to
TV owners that passionately desire it.But why isn't that happening here? It's such an easy way to share as little as a few sentences from Apple to correct any "jumping to conclusions" errors and provide an approvable way to overcome the "business conflicts" so that the app can make
TVs even more desirable products.Instead, a finished, very-desirable app is blocked by rationale that probably could not be more ambiguous and, as such, there's no way for the Steam devs to address the issue, effectively killing the app from ever being able to be released unless Apple clarifies the ambiguity... or Steam devs can magically guess their way into overcoming whatever is blocking it (if not 30% cuts of sales sold OUTSIDE the App store).
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It wounds me to say it but I completely agree with you here
This could have been THE killer app for the Apple TV but oh no.... can't have people actually gaming...
My gaming machine is actually a late 2013 iMac on bootcamp so its not like Apple are not selling me the hardware or losing any business.
I would play it on my Apple TV 4!
I would play it on my iPad!
I would play it on my freaking £1000 iPhone X!
But no, Apple say I am not allowed to use my devices the way I want to and I just don't understand why - Apple simply will not lose money to Valve because Valves games are utterly better than crappy iOS ones.
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A thousand trillion recommends for your post.
I am actually really sulky with Apple right now or at whoever made the decision to ban the "Game changing app" in the reviewers words. They could have sold a boat load of Apple TVs on the back of this app alone!
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Your well-reasoned analysis won't stop the lawyers.
Of course. But I was talking more to "winning" the case than just filing one.
With that in mind, everyone can file against everyone else for pretty much anything. In fact, I want to sue Apple for not making faceID remove any wrinkles & imperfections from my face with any scan.
Everyone using it in their commercials looks young & beautiful, so clearly I am reasonable to expect such functionality too.And I've tried to cast a thousand spells with my "magical" iDevices, mouse and trackpads but I can't even make a candle light. Where's the d*mn magic I was promised?
Furthermore, I've pushed and pushed on the walls of my home and they will not push out to give me substantially bigger, colorful and well-lit spaces, as clearly illustrated by an Apple commercial.
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Good thing about being private, is you can say no to buyers.
Apple are not interested in platforms on top of their platforms. Especially if you can buy products on top of that platform that can supplant/replace products you would buy on the host platform. They figure that if it wasnt for the risk they incurred in building a viable platform in the first place Steam or whoever wouldnt be in the position to make money this way.
So if they were going to let it happen they should a) get compensation (i.e. the 30%) or b) stop it if they think it undermines the platform they have built over the last 2 decades.
No one wants a trojan horse...
Also people forget that Apple's stance on restricted software etc.. i.e. a curated platform, is the only way they feel they can guarantee a good experience for their users. Unlike samsung or google, Apple can pretty much guarantee their hardware and software will run in a certain way all the time. No one else can say that. Not MS, not google, no one. Only iOS because they can 100% control what is on that platform.
And that is the basis of their success. Control, curation and detail. Its the reason they can have genius bars and online support way beyond any of their competitors. It is a competitive advantage. Its why they can make sure 80% of their users upgrade to the latest OS in a few weeks and not years!
So if they were going to let it happen they should a) get compensation (i.e. the 30%) or b) stop it if they think it undermines the platform they have built over the last 2 decades.
No one wants a trojan horse...
Also people forget that Apple's stance on restricted software etc.. i.e. a curated platform, is the only way they feel they can guarantee a good experience for their users. Unlike samsung or google, Apple can pretty much guarantee their hardware and software will run in a certain way all the time. No one else can say that. Not MS, not google, no one. Only iOS because they can 100% control what is on that platform.
And that is the basis of their success. Control, curation and detail. Its the reason they can have genius bars and online support way beyond any of their competitors. It is a competitive advantage. Its why they can make sure 80% of their users upgrade to the latest OS in a few weeks and not years!
If they are selling games in the app like you claim then I can understand Apple rejection, it would be like having a shop and allowing someone using some of your shop space to setup another little shop selling the same as you, what were they thinking Apple will never allow it
No, it is like the government owning liquor stores and banning other ones in the country.
So why do I have Parallels running on my iMac which Apple sell in my local Cambridge Apple Store which runs both High Sierra and Windows at the same time? Oh noes Apple... I could potentially use Internet Explorer or buy a game to run in Windows.
Why does Apple allow my iMac to Bootcamp and run Windows natively so I can play my Steam games? Oh noes Apple... I am spending money on Windows Steam EXACTLY THE SAME AS I WOULD BE USING THE APP.
I am totally triggered. Totally.
That's not iOS thats macOS.
Totally different.
macOs is a pc operating system and has from the go allowed for an infinite level of development.
Its not meant for grandma's who dont know what they are doing.
iOS is meant for anyone. Thats how they sell it. Has been like that since its release.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
yeah, that speed demon of a VM that can run games at 60fps over the wire..
right!!!
lol...
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Moving the goalposts.
You just posted that Parallels as an example was irrelevant because it's for macOS and iOS is not made for such programs. So there's Parallels for iOS, approved by Apple to basically run the largest of all computing platforms- Windows- on iDevices.
You just posted that Parallels as an example was irrelevant because it's for macOS and iOS is not made for such programs. So there's Parallels for iOS, approved by Apple to basically run the largest of all computing platforms- Windows- on iDevices.
I hate phone games. I was actually going to buy an iOS game controller for this which would have made me buy more iOS games! This is really a terrible decision in my opinion.
I think this decision has me more angry than any that Apple has ever made. Can someone start a Change.org petition on this one?