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Apple Rejects Valve's Steam Link App Due to 'Business Conflicts'
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Apple should be specific about why Apps are rejected so they can be resubmitted. I don't like how they seem to randomly reject apps at times. Apple doesn't know how to communicate effectively with the app makers. App makers spend billions of dollars and resources making apps work for Apple platforms. They deserve better than a note saying "rejected: business reasons".
This is so sad, I was excited for the first time that I was going to be able to play real games on my Apple TV for once instead of the crap that they have on there. I have had Apple TV for years and there is never anything worth purchasing as far as games and I look week after week but nothing so this was truly a wonderful thing when I heard about it, oh well I guess I will continue to stick with my consoles and PC gaming until Apple finally learns. :-(
It looks like Valve's planned Steam Link app for iOS devices isn't coming after all, because Apple has rejected the app due to "business conflicts."
In a statement, Valve said that Apple initially approved Steam Link for release on May 7, but ultimately decided to reject the app because of conflicts that had not been recognized by the original review team.Valve's appeals have not been successful at the current point in time, and the company is now hoping that media attention may spur Apple to change its mind.
The Steam Link app for iOS, which was announced on May 9, is designed to allow Steam users to play their Steam games on an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV using either a 5GHz WiFi network or a wired Ethernet connection to a host PC or Mac.
Valve was planning to launch the Steam Link app this week, and Valve had worked to add Steam Link support for the Steam Controller and Made for iPhone controllers ahead of the app's debut.
Earlier this week, our sister site TouchArcade was able to go hands-on with the Steam Link app and said that it works so well that "it feels like there's some kind of actual wizardry powering it all." In what might have been a bit prescient, TouchArcade editor-in-chief Eli Hodapp said he was "dumbfounded" Apple was allowing it given how good the gaming experience was.As Valve says, there are many other remote access-style apps available in the App Store, so the reasoning behind Apple's decision is unclear. It is not known if Apple will ultimately end up reversing its position on the Steam Link app given the media attention, which has happened in the past, but we've reached out to the company for a comment.
Article Link: Apple Rejects Valve's Steam Link App Due to 'Business Conflicts'
I don’t think so. It’s not like the Steam games are native. You still need a gaming machine. The app is more or less a fancy screen sharing app. There are many apps that allow you to remotely access a PC or Mac and use apps on those machines. If getting around the App Store was Apple’s reason, none of those apps would be available either. This is just weird anti-competitive behavior on Apple’s part. It’s also a clear reminder/example of the pitfalls of a controlled, non-competitive marketplace. Apple giveth. Apple taketh away. And there’s nothing you as a customer can do about it.
I gotta wonder why people who don't use Apple products post here. Yea Yea I get some used to use Apple but don't anymore but all I see is complainng and apparent shilling for the others.
I certainly think they are due for criticism on this and other issues but I still am amazed that's all.
So Apple has a Steam competitor? Interesante!
This isn't the hill to die on, IMO. It's a silly restriction and is about control, period. No real basis or threat to Apple's lovely profits.
I am only posting to say what a terrible choice by Apple. Each choice like this take me closer and closer to taking my multiple thousands of dollars each year I spend on Apple products and services and moving on (which I'm really close to). I believe in the walled ecosystem as a way of protecting consumers and producing quality products. This does neither of those things. It is simply ignoring the best interests of the people who purchase your products.
I agree. I’ve been holding out on new Apple purchases for a while now. Part of the reason is the lack of compelling Mac hardware. The main reason, however, is Apple’s overall philosophy when it comes to who controls MY machine. Can I do what I want? Or do I have a big nanny corporation telling me what I can and cannot install, where I can buy my apps, etc? It’s bad enough on iOS. Will the Mac be like this one day? I just don’t trust Apple any longer to keep my best interests as their customer in mind. Today’s Apple is all about control and lock-in. That seemed like a good idea at first. No viruses or malware. But now I’m not so sure. I value freedom and choice and Apple, frankly, doesn’t.
I was hoping that this app would spur Microsoft to create a full control type app to allow an iPad/tvOS to remote play with an Xbox One system. (Right now the official IOS app does not do remote play.)
Microsoft's official app on Windows 10 will do remote play, and somebody created an unofficial app to allow macOS to do remote play as well (OneCast).
Of course, I would prefer native games over remote play, but it's clear the economics of iOS does not allow $60 first run games, at best we get warmed over ports years later, which are sometimes pulled soon after release (BioShock iOS...)
Microsoft's official app on Windows 10 will do remote play, and somebody created an unofficial app to allow macOS to do remote play as well (OneCast).
Of course, I would prefer native games over remote play, but it's clear the economics of iOS does not allow $60 first run games, at best we get warmed over ports years later, which are sometimes pulled soon after release (BioShock iOS...)
You're going to want to use controllers so that negate the portability of a tablet. Might as well get a ~$35 Raspberry Pi 3 running Recalbox/Retropie connected to big screen TV that does about 55 different retro systems up to Amiga and most PS1 and N64. If you still want to do retro gaming on a tablet pretty much any decent ones will do like the $150 Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 (spend a few minutes to side load Google Play Store on it since by default it only comes with Amazon App Store) and start with free Retroarch app.
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I'm really hoping that by removing the Steam store-front options for iOS it'll be allowed in the Appstore. It's weird how they allow the other Steam app - which you can happily buy steam games in.. I guess that's because you couldn't actually access that game content within the iOS ecosystem itself so it was just like going to any old website and buying something unrelated to the device.. I wouldn't be surprised if they have to block the original app/get them to change it if they eventually allow this app.. (jeez.. Way to make things complicated for yourself Apple..)
Very disappointing news - A potentially great feature.
Don’t really understand Apple’s logic - Obviously streaming screens is allowed and I can’t see how it would realistically eat in to any store sales.
Not great PR for Apple (from tech enthusiasts/gamers anyway) and the atv suddenly would have been a lot more tempting.
Most importantly, us consumers lose.
Don’t really understand Apple’s logic - Obviously streaming screens is allowed and I can’t see how it would realistically eat in to any store sales.
Not great PR for Apple (from tech enthusiasts/gamers anyway) and the atv suddenly would have been a lot more tempting.
Most importantly, us consumers lose.
That’s what the internal documents say.
Microsoft had a monopoly on the desktop browser, that’s why they got taken to court.
You’re really trying to stretch the definition of monopoly.
My point was more about how this isn’t some big bad authoritarian thing like China or Cuba do on a daily basis.
And only Microsoft approved software can run on the XBox.
Would you try to argue in court that Apple has a monopoly on iOS and how quick do you think you’d be laughed out of the room?
I'm pretty disgusted by this, but not surprised at all. Apple pretending that PC games are eating into their app store revenue are disingenuous, and will drive people away to their competitor. These same hacks led by Tim Cook misled their customers with bendgate when they knew that the IP6 was susceptible to it. They'll do anything to keep their profit machine churning.
Not in the slightest just pointing out what it means as well as referencing examples of monopolies that of happened and pointing out that despite it being a monopoly it most likely won't be taken care of because of the way the legal system works
I really think you're just assuming I mean antitrust litigation which as I mentioned is not likely to ever happen it's not the same as a monopoly only tangentially related
Except it isn’t a monopoly. Microsoft decided what software went on the XBox, Sony with the PlayStation, Nintendo for the Switch. You can’t load apps on your SmartTV that haven’t been approved.
You can’t have a monopoly on one tiny product within a market. McDonalds doesn’t have a monopoly on what’s sold in their stores, they just own the stores and you can choose to buy something they’re or not.
Edit: I’m not assuming you mean litigation. I’m just assuming monopoly is a legal term that you’re not realizing doesn’t apply here.
As I said, I think the poster could argue that Apple has a monopoly on iOS apps.
And indeed, a US Appeals Court has ruled that Apple can be sued by those who claim it does.
Court Rules Apple Can Be Sued for Monopolizing iPhone App Market
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That doesn’t speak to who is right or wrong and you know it. They just said the case can proceed. We all know Apple is going to win this one.
Other platforms like what? PC gaming is already mainly Windows anyways, and Valve doesn't sell Android games through Steam as far as I know.
Apple also doesn't make money off of Mac games sold through Steam, so there isn't much incentive for Apple to even pay attention to Steam on the OSX side. I suppose it may hurt them slightly if it meant people stopped buying Macs to play games on, but that assumes there are enough people buying Macs and playing Steam games on them for it to make a difference, and that percentage relative to the PC gaming market has always been very small. There are even people (like me) who game on Windows PCs but use Macs for more daily/work stuff, so Apple isn't losing much in that case either. Worst-case scenario, Mac games get moved to the App Store and Apple directly benefits from the sales, if not still sell the Mac games via other departments, since Steam isn't the only other game-sales platform.
Valve killing Steam for Mac would be hurting their Mac customers more than they would hurt Apple, much like how Apple removing the Steam Link app hurt a lot of their iOS customers.
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Even if Apple won the case all that would show is that the judge did not believe Apple was abusing their monopoly it doesn't mean Apple doesn't have a monopoly
I called 1-800-275-2273 (Apple Care) to lodge a complaint. If you are so inclined, it might help.
Update: The Apple Care person recommended that I submit feedback via https://www.apple.com/feedback/appletv.html.
Update: The Apple Care person recommended that I submit feedback via https://www.apple.com/feedback/appletv.html.
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