Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Microsoft's xCloud and Xbox Game Pass Not Coming to iOS Due to Apple's Restrictions [Updated]
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
You have Steam Link and Shadow. Those are allowed in the App Store because its systems under your direct control.
An app is an executable that is installed (via the App Store in this case) onto the user's device. Please explain how a game that is streamed through an app is itself an app (while a film that is streamed through an app is not).
There were licensing issues in addition to the app review issues. Halo: The Master Chief Collection was the only game on the initial xCloud list that met App Store licensing requirements.
Repeating the same lie 50 times doesn't make it any more truthful.
Hint, what do you think generates the video streams for Netflix and Disney+? Apps.
So, we have:
Netflix app: Displays video stream generated by Cloud App. Responds to input by user.
xCloud app: Displays video steam generated by Cloud App. Responds to input by user.
I jumped to the Apple side of things earlier this year after many years of Android. I wanted security and privacy. I must say it amazes me how some people treat Apple as a religion and feel the need to defend it no matter how egregious Apple's behavior gets. Its a BUSINESS. Its NOT your friend. If it suits your needs then use it. If it does not, then don't. But don't twist yourself into knots defending something obviously wrong.
Netflix does not respond to input except for the edge cases where you create your own adventure. If you are referring to play/pause/fast forward and those, you are actually controlling the buffer. Test this out yourself, start streaming Netflix, give it about a minute or so to build a buffer, and disconnect your entire internet. You can still pause it. Not because you are sending that action to Netflix to pause some sort of video playback on their servers.
A game is always an app, regardless of whether it's installed on the device or not. Apple doesn't actually ban use of apps through streaming. Apple allows remote desktop apps that can (in theory) allow you to stream games installed on your desktop/laptop. Apple allows game streaming apps that let you play games on a mobile device that are installed on your gaming console. What Apple doesn't allow is the app to provide additional apps for use through the streaming service. That's due to the policy requiring each app to be reviewed prior to being available on the App Store.
Netflix uses Open Connect Appliances with hundreds of terabytes of video files that is directly connected to your ISP. That is what is serving the video stream.
Explain how the policy of requiring apps to be reviewed is anti-competitive. Explain how Microsoft not having the proper licensing for the App Store for more than a single xCloud game is anti-competitive.
How is it anti-competitive? Steam Link and Shadow are allowed. Those allow you to compete with Apple Arcade.
If it is anti-competitive, should Microsoft allow PS Now on Xbox and should Sony allow xCloud on PS5?
Apple Arcade absolutely sucks badger balls
I'm sick of this bulls*t, they can't help themselves and the greed is out of control.
The guy claiming that it's not like streaming a tv show is a complete buffoon, it's EXACTLY the same thing.
It's streamed from another place, there is no extra app your accessing because its content from their servers JUST.LIKE.NETFLIX.
Tim isn't going to give you a free iPhone for being his cheerleader FFS.
I'm sick of this bulls*t, they can't help themselves and the greed is out of control.
The guy claiming that it's not like streaming a tv show is a complete buffoon, it's EXACTLY the same thing.
It's streamed from another place, there is no extra app your accessing because its content from their servers JUST.LIKE.NETFLIX.
Tim isn't going to give you a free iPhone for being his cheerleader FFS.
No, I think it needs to be applied to Playstation and Xbox. Especially if Apple needs to allow multiple app stores. I would much prefer releasing my PS or Xbox game on my website and having people download it then going through the costs of Xbox and PS licensing.
The streaming part is irrelevant. It's whether or not the app that was reviewed through the App Store is itself providing additional apps for use that were not reviewed. A remote desktop app isn't providing any additional apps for use. Those are provided by the user themselves. Same thing is true of a game streaming app that provides access to games already installed on a users console or PC. Apple already allows those forms of streaming.
xCloud is intended to provide access to additional apps itself, and Microsoft hasn't submitted those for review. That's the violation. It's not really difficult to understand. Since Netflix isn't providing access to apps, but rather video files, there's no relevant comparison to xCloud.
I'm going by my usage of Nvidia Now on a good connection, albeit over wifi, which every iPad is going to be using. Wifi adds significant latency, and the worst part is it's not constant, so you can't mentally adjust to it. A few packets randomly take longer and make you lose.
Even BeamNG.Drive was hard to play like that. I'd be driving a car, and halfway through a corner, the steering wheel gets stuck for half a second and makes me hit the wall.
It's interactive content. Netflix is also a competitor of Apple's own services.
... why aren't my comments auto-combining?
I don’t play any video games (they bore me to tears), but this is really bad for us consumers. If Apple continues like this I might be tempted to move away from its ecosystem, not because I want to play games but because of the future. Today it’s games, tomorrow they might ban SSH client apps because they can’t be sure what I might be doing on a remote server.
I think this is essentially the argument we're all trying to make. We aren't trying to necessarily argue that games on xCloud versus movies on Netflix are an apples to apples comparison. It's been pointed out to the person you replied to numerous times by numerous people that its the policy we're questioning. There's no doubt Apple has an App Store policy in place that they're following per their own guidelines. But despite it being pointed out to them numerous times, they keep trying the same point, 5-6 messages in these past couple of pages.