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Apple Updates App Store Review Guidelines to Allow Streaming Game Services That Submit Each Game to the App Store [Updated]

So Apple gave the middle finger to third party game streaming services. Either give me the 30% and I’ll pretende to review the games stream or don’t bother.

I’m starting to wonder if I bought an smartphone or a $1300 gadget at Apple service. There is no way thie reasons for this measure is sustained in quality, safety and security. No way this is about serving me better. They are just lucky for now that I don’t care much games.

But my kids are arriving to that age they want and may need a smartphone. I guess it will not be an iPhone and I’ll stop envagelizing them for MacBooks and iPad Pros. Windows PCs will be. I was thinking about giving my kid an iPad Pro 12.9” even though he wants a Laptop ... I guess that one is sorted ... Windows it will be.

PS: The probability of the upcoming Mac on ARM adopting the App Store only model ... is quite, quite high. It should be the other way around at least partially (Apple signed apps outside the store).

EDIT: I wonder in some distopian world if all major services and apps dropped the App Store due to policy concerns, iOS users could sue Apple for damaging the product they bought. It would be interesting. The market has trusted Apple to do the right thing too much for too long.
 
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4jasontv said:
Yes it does sound reasonable and easily doable.

But that's not the point. It's not a VNC client because I can't run anything I want, only the software that has been licensed to me from the company charging me for access. Since the VNC client and the software are tied together, and because of the nature of the content being provided I see no reason Apple should not work to align it with not streaming versions of other games that are offered on iOS.

I agree that it was a bad move on Apple's part to allow some software to be provided without cost, but again, that was Apple's choice.
Click to expand...

LMAO.
 
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mrclamp said:
I am by no means a real Apple Fanboy (but I do love their stuff), but it is baffling that they wouldn't allow it. This clarifies what exactly they are aiming for and allows ways for these services to come to the devices. It may not be the best solution, but it is a solution.

Personally I love my Xbox and the games I get there and I am happy for xCloud because it means I could use my phone to play games while laying in bed. BUT as everything stood before I could not. I was not interested in buying a new phone or new tablet or new anything just for that. I have sunk too much in to the Apple ecosystem over the years to switch, and that is how they get you. xCloud and Stadia, though, were something I wanted and I gave it a thought of maybe getting an Android phone for that and just that, but why waste the money if I don't plan to use it as a phone too? Sure the Pixel 4a is cheap, but I can't justify the cost for this especially because I am going to be buying an Xbox Series X on pre-order day in a little over a week.

We want choice as users, and we all know that, but we also want safety. We can't have choice and safety all the time, we end up having to pick what is most important to us.
Click to expand...
I have no loyalty to Apple or their ecosystem. And I much rather prefer being able to install whatever I want on my device, even if that means it’s less secure.
 
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MacRumors said:
and Apple says that generic descriptions will be rejected.
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Oh, ok. So how about iOS updates? “Bug fixes and improvements”, generic enough right?
Wonder how those game developers handle all of their “small fixes”.
MacRumors said:
One-to-a-few and one-to-many experiences that involve more than two people have to use Apple's in-app purchase system.
Click to expand...
Why one-to-many be any different than one-on-one?
MacRumors said:
Apps can't require users to rate the app, review the app, watch videos, download other apps, tap on advertisements, enable tracking, or take other similar actions to access functionality, content, use the app, or receive monetary compensation.
Click to expand...
Access content? So how about those “freebies” embedded in games for some random rewards? Does that mean in iOS there will be no game that offer “free” stuff by watching an ad?
 
dguisinger said:
Sunk too much money into the Apple eco-system.... and that there, is the problem. The illusion of choice of switching platforms is only an illusion to many people, not a real choice.
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You don't get a choice with any platform, if you buy android and want to switch to iOS you have to pay for apps again. Switching from Playstation to Xbox same thing.
 
My take on this is Apple has a duty to shareholders to protect App Store revenue. Given the increasingly vital role services revenue is playing in the overall health of the business, Apple has to take a tough line against anything that might threaten to eat into it.
 
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Physicsdummy said:
Oh no, I have to be a parent and tap into one more app to make sure my kids aren't playing anything inappropriate!
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it is because I can monitor his devices usage (iMac and iPad) all from my iPhone. It isn't just about playing inappropriate games, it helps manages his screen time in one location. I enjoy the apple ecosystem because it makes most things simpler, and stuff just works.
 
m7ammed said:
it is because I can monitor his devices usage (iMac and iPad) all from my iPhone. It isn't just about playing inappropriate games, it helps manages his screen time in one location. I enjoy the apple ecosystem because it makes most things simpler, and stuff just works.
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You could still mange the screen time for the xCloud app itself through Screen Time, doing it the way Apple wants would mean you would have to set separate parental controls for every individual game he could possibly play on xCloud of which there are literally hundreds, instead of just controlling one xCloud app.
 
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CarlJ said:
Which movies and/or TV shows on Netflix contain executable code that will be run when they are viewed?
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Netlix uses a client (= executable code) to show the videos. Streaming games (also xCloud) use a client (= executable code) to show the video stream of games. Essentially both are video players, one more interactive than the other. Even Netflix is more or less interactive (start/stop/rewind etc.). A streaming game is basically an interactive movie with a bit more control (left/right/forward etc.).

So, to answer your question: They all use executable code to show you the streaming content. Even the video format is exactly the same between NetFlix and xCloud. Technically there is almost no difference. Probably you are confusing stand alone games (you have to download those) with streaming games.
 
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AndyMacAndMic said:
Netlix uses a client (= executable code) to show the movies. Streaming games (also xCloud) uses a client (= executable code) to show the stream of games. Essentialy both are video players, one more interactive than the other. Even Netflix is more or less interactive (start/stop/rewind etc.). A streaming game is basically an interactive movie with a bit more control (go left/right/forward etc.).

So, to answer your question: They all use executable code to show you the streaming content. Even the video format is exactly the same between NetFlix and xCloud. Technically there is almost no difference. Probably you are confusing stand alone games (you have to download those) with streaming games.
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What's even crazier is if you take into account Stadia and their special controller, which connects to wifi itself and goes directly to Google's servers, the device is literally doing nothing else but displaying the video, so not even reading inputs in the app.
 
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Just going to put this out there didn’t Netflix do an interactive episode of Blackmirror which worked on Apple platforms. So where is the line drawn between a tv/film and an interactive game. I would argue that it’s a bit blurry. Will Apple require Netflix to have an dedicated App for each interactive episode?
 
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camsoft said:
Just going to put this out there didn’t Netflix do an interactive episode of Blackmirror which worked on Apple platforms. So where is the line drawn between a tv/film and an interactive game. I would argue that it’s a bit blurry. Will Apple require Netflix to have an dedicated App for each interactive episode?
Click to expand...

It worked on iOS, but not tvOS. So you’re right that Netflix’s decision to keep it off Apple TV was not a decision imposed by Apple.

Apple’s justification for allowing streaming movies, but not streaming games is indefensible IMO.
 
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Microsoft not pleased. All Apple did was put their game streaming reservations into an App Store policy. Allowing it with all kinds of restrictions that won’t make anyone want to do it.

“This remains a bad experience for customers,” says a Microsoft spokesperson in a statement to The Verge. “Gamers want to jump directly into a game from their curated catalog within one app just like they do with movies or songs, and not be forced to download over 100 apps to play individual games from the cloud. We’re committed to putting gamers at the center of everything
we do, and providing a great experience is core to that mission.”

And Marco Arment documents how IAP works with these changes. What a convoluted mess. I’m not one to invoke Steve Jobs but no way in the world he would sign off on this mess.

In-App Purchase Rules – Marco.org

marco.org marco.org
 
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Useless twiddling to make it look like they're doing something when they're not.

But probably a sign that Apple are afraid. The end of the app store is coming. Rightly.
 
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0092762 said:
This is total BS, how is game streaming any different than Netflix? Does Apple require Netflix to submit each movie/show separately, of course not.

Apple seems adamant in not wanting anyone to play games on their devices that are not in the App store. Which is fine, when you buy Apple, you know you will never get a good gaming experience anyway so there's nothing new there. I use Apple for all my non gaming needs, and use a proper PC/consoles for gaming. It's a shame there is no alternative to the Nintendo Switch for portable gaming though.
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Why would you want an alternative? The switch is perfection. Many other companies have tried to compete with Nintendo and they just fail miserably at it, even Sony. Even Apple. And yes, I consider iOS as a failed handheld gaming alternative.
 
69Mustang said:
Netflix and XCloud are H.265 streams. They are fundamentally no different. Both are streamed from a remote server and interactions are controlled via a remote or controller. XCloud games just have more frequent interaction.
Click to expand...

If Netflix and Cloud are essentially the same, what is all the fuss about? Just stream a game from Netflix.
 
On the one hand this doesn’t really concern me because playing games on my phone is something I loathe. On the other, it really puts a bad taste in my mouth to see Apple continue to be so bullish to other game developers, yet at the same time, offer absolute crap when it come to a gaming service. This would all make sense if Apple offered a gaming service at the same level of quality as Sony, Microsoft, or Valve. But they don’t. Maybe they have an interest in doing this in the future and are protecting their interests? If so hurry up, or get with the program and work more collaboratively with developers. Big Apple fans are now becoming wary of you, Apple, and no amount of safety is going to stop people walking away when they can’t get the services they want on your platforms.
 
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