Apple Removes Subscription-Based iPad Gaming App from App Store

[MacRumors]

Just yesterday, a report surfaced regarding Big Fish Games' plans to launch a subscription-based gaming service on the iPad. For a monthly fee initially set at $4.99, the service would allow users to access a number of Big Fish-distributed games through a dedicated app.

The app had actually been available since last week, although new subscriptions had been disabled ahead of the official launch due to high demand, according to the developer. But with the Bloomberg report from yesterday and a press release from Big Fish Games this morning, the new service appeared to be up and running.

The offering did not last long, however, as Apple quickly pulled the app following the official launch. According to a new report from Bloomberg, Big Fish Games claims to be in the dark about Apple's reasons for removing the app.

[Big Fish Games founder Paul] Thelen said he was surprised by the move because Big Fish had worked with Apple for several weeks to ensure that it met the requirements for recurring monthly charges made through the App Store, a method most commonly used by magazines and newspaper publishers.

"It was officially approved," Thelen said. Apple had even seen the app's press release before it went out earlier today, he said.

Apple declined to comment to Bloomberg on the app's removal and has not yet responded to Big Fish's requests for explanation, leaving questions about whether Apple will indeed allow subscription-based gaming services on the App Store and about how to reconcile the app's removal with Big Fish Games' claims that it worked rather closely with Apple to ensure the approval of the app.

Article Link: Apple Removes Subscription-Based iPad Gaming App from App Store

 

[Rhett3]

Hm odd.

 

[iRCL]

Apple again trying to scare developers off for mysterious reasons..

 

[ChazUK]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.3.7; en-gb; GT-I9100 Build/GRJ22; CyanogenMod-7) AppleWebKit/533.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/533.1)

Apple Giveth, Apple also Taketh Away.

I wonder what's up with it?

 

[MultiMediaWill]

When is iOS 6 coming out?

 

[echo2011]

when is ios 6 coming out?

lmao

 

[wikus]

I wonder what's up with it?

They're control freaks. Also, apple has yet to adopt the word 'choice' into the company's philosophy.

 

[iDuel]

Apple is up to something

 

[Caharin]

Wait for it ... waaaaaaitt for it ....

"This smells fishy!"

/flee

 

[sigjuice]

Renting?

So instead of selling me some game which I can play forever, they want to charge me rent every month? As a consumer, why should I care about subscription games?

 

[slrandall]

So instead of selling me some game which I can play forever, they want to charge me rent every month? As a consumer, why should I care about subscription games?

I agree. I'd much rather own a game than rent it. Who cares about subscription games?

 

[qtx43]

So instead of selling me some game which I can play forever, they want to charge me rent every month? As a consumer, why should I care about subscription games?

Theoretically I could see the value of a wide variety of puzzles and games, maybe ones being updated periodically (e.g. Crossword puzzles). Unfortunately, they're probably $1 games for $5 per month.

 

[EBSkater]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/9A405)

So instead of selling me some game which I can play forever, they want to charge me rent every month? As a consumer, why should I care about subscription games?

I'm glad about this. The freemiums are bad enough, subscription gaming would be almost as bad.

I wasn't too impressed to see the Chaos Worlds, or whatever it's called (the World Of Warcraft-esque game) on the app store, but if subscription gaming came into play, then the AppStore would just go downhill.

 

[Sandman1969]

Seriously... Come on Apple...

 

[haruhiko]

Subscription based game will not get my money anyway. But this may be a potential problem for parents.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

While I dislike the product and idea, I don't see a reason for Apple to take it down.

I expect we'll see it back up soon (although the price is definitely going to come down, no way their game is worth that much to own, let alone rent,) especially because Apple makes a 30% cut every time the company charges $5 for the rent (or $1 for rent come spring next year.)

 

[travis64]

thats not right

 

[lilo777]

When is iOS 6 coming out?

It's already out. It's called Android 4.0

 

[Shackrat]

Not surprised...

I can see a couple big reasons for apple to pull this. The biggest one is that they are essentially creating their own App Store. Secondly, this allows additional binary code to be downloaded and run on a device, without prior apple approval... Another big no-no. I am surprised that it got as far as it did.

 

[Sandman1969]

I can see a couple big reasons for apple to pull this. The biggest one is that they are essentially creating their own App Store. Secondly, this allows additional binary code to be downloaded and run on a device, without prior apple approval... Another big no-no. I am surprised that it got as far as it did.

That could be the case, however I would think Apple would have to approve each app that was added to the Rental Queue.
If not yeah, definitely that is a bad idea.

 

[DarkJello]

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It's probably because the money for the subscription wasn't going through the app store keeping apple from getting its share from the app sales (in this case the monthly $5)

 

[Justim]

Good. A subscription to something that doesn't provide new content within the app itself seems stingy.

Then again I've always been against paying monthly for gaming. Like Xbox live. So maybe that's my reasoning for not liking the concept. Charge me for the game, not for the gameplay.

 

[vitzr]

Apple is up to something

Apple is... up to something nefarious in order to show who's in control. Easily thrilled playing the bully.

 

[SandynJosh]

Oh, just some low-level trainee that didn't get the memo...it will be back. Nothing to see here folks, move along or get a spray of a food derivative.

 

[Winni]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; U; Android 2.3.7; en-gb; GT-I9100 Build/GRJ22; CyanogenMod-7) AppleWebKit/533.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile Safari/533.1)

Apple Giveth, Apple also Taketh Away.

I wonder what's up with it?

Apple certainly is not good, so we don't need to use biblical language here.

Anyway. Acts like this are --THE-- reason for small software developers not to make their existence dependent upon Apple's arbitrary will. A company that behaves like this is not a business partner, it's the worst imaginable enemy that a small business can have.