Bummer. I was hoping to buy a new iPad this fall and use it to play halo MCC and maybe GEARS. It's the only things vaguely tempting me about Xbox. Now I'll just shrug and upgrade to a PS5 and have my switch for gaming, and xbox gets nothing from me.
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Microsoft's xCloud and Xbox Game Pass Not Coming to iOS Due to Apple's Restrictions [Updated]
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Do you get it? Apple doesn't have an individual review policy for movies or TV shows. Never have. They do have one for apps. Apple is saying that allowing unreviewed apps in the streaming service to compete for customers with reviewed apps is not a level playing field within the App Store.
Yes it does, and Apple provides a simple explanation for the difference: they want a level playing field for developers and allowing unreviewed apps to compete with apps that went through the App Store review process is not a level playing field.
Am I missing something here ?
What is to stop a reputable game publisher from publishing their game to Apple Arcade as well as MS Xcloud and whatever Google calls their service ? Far from criticizing Apple from restricting what gets on the App
Store, IMHO they are allowing too much garbage now. I don't trust Microsoft and certainly not Google to do a better job.
What is to stop a reputable game publisher from publishing their game to Apple Arcade as well as MS Xcloud and whatever Google calls their service ? Far from criticizing Apple from restricting what gets on the App
Store, IMHO they are allowing too much garbage now. I don't trust Microsoft and certainly not Google to do a better job.
Out of curiosity, what is streamed to the device with this service? Is any part of an actual game app downloaded as part of the experience of playing a game or only the visual bits like streaming a movie and the entirety of the game engine runs on the server? I can see the MS app as being a generic graphics rendering engine working with some sort of gaming protocol over the network.
Apple Arcade is not a streaming service in that you do have to install each game locally; it just functions as a subscription service, to my knowledge.
Apple Arcade is not a streaming service in that you do have to install each game locally; it just functions as a subscription service, to my knowledge.
I am a huge Apple fanboy: I currently own at least one of (nearly) every device they sell (the exception is the Homepod - but that post is for another day)... but this is pissing me off.
I've been using Google Stadia for the last ~5 months. It makes me angry that I have to switch from my AppleTV to a Chromecast Ultra to be able to play... and I know that it is all Apple's fault. It also sucks that I can't play on my iPad or iPhone.
I've legit been considering getting an Android phone _just_ for playing Stadia... it's ridiculous.
I've been using Google Stadia for the last ~5 months. It makes me angry that I have to switch from my AppleTV to a Chromecast Ultra to be able to play... and I know that it is all Apple's fault. It also sucks that I can't play on my iPad or iPhone.
I've legit been considering getting an Android phone _just_ for playing Stadia... it's ridiculous.
"It's designed to be like Netflix for games."
Correction: it's designed to be like Apple Arcade, a subscription service for games.
Correction: it's designed to be like Apple Arcade, a subscription service for games.
I appreciate Apple's 'walled garden' in a lot of ways, but this doesn't make much sense.
Streaming Xbox/PC games doesn't compete with App Store games at all. Meanwhile, streaming Prime/Netflix/HBO/etc apps actually do and Apple allows that, even integrates them into the TV app.
Not at all.
Streaming Xbox/PC games doesn't compete with App Store games at all. Meanwhile, streaming Prime/Netflix/HBO/etc apps actually do and Apple allows that, even integrates them into the TV app.
Not at all.
By Apple’s logic, they should also block:
Safari, can’t review every website.
Mail, can’t review every email.
Photos, can’t review every picture.
Phone, can’t review every number and voice mail.
iWork and iLife, can’t review every creation.
Calculator, can’t review every number (58008 - teehee. Also 420.69.)
Stocks, can’t review all of those.
Weather...
actually, it’s probably easier to list what Apple will approve:
App Store
Apple Music
Apple TV+
Apple Arcade
Apple Store
Apple Books
Apple News
Compass
Tips
From my understanding, there is nearly no data on your phone. The client sends the input to the server and somewhere in a MS datacenter a Server running an Xbox instance processes the game. You then simply receive the "game" as sort of an interactive video stream.
And it really feels contradicting to me that Apple sells the MS Xbox Controller on their store with a "Made for iPhone" sticker.
And it really feels contradicting to me that Apple sells the MS Xbox Controller on their store with a "Made for iPhone" sticker.
I find that explanation very unconvincing.
By the same logic, one could argue that Apple should ban from Safari and ask all browser apps to also ban access to online news publications because they compete with news apps on the app store. The restriction to apps alone at least seems random and specifically tailored to avoid competition in a very specific subset of applications.
Desktop streaming is not banned, and I can stream all the OpenOffice I want on my iPad through remote acces, which is an even more direct violation of App Store policy.
As it stands, I can currently purchase Xbox games through the Xbox app available on the app store (without even paying a fee to Apple), but cannot ‘view’ them even though MS is willing to provide a solution for that. I wonder what Apple would say if MS were willing to let users subscribe to Game Pass through the app store.
its called exclusive titles, thats why halo is not on playstation, and final fantasy is not on xbox.
On iOS games are apps. With Apple Arcade, each game is its own app. So even if Apple did allow xCloud, it’s allowing any app MS allows on its service to be streamed to a device, bypassing app review.
I don’t think Apple cares about Arcade enough to ban this app. Wouldn’t they ban every game on the App Store if they really wanted Arcade to be the only offering?
I don’t think Apple cares about Arcade enough to ban this app. Wouldn’t they ban every game on the App Store if they really wanted Arcade to be the only offering?
It really depends on how Microsoft is implementing the service. If each game has a bit of custom code that is downloaded and executed on the device then this is where they are having trouble.
My company has been producing casino games for a long time - both mobile and desktop. Our customers now have to bundle our code in an app that is submitted to Apple. This way they can vet the code and we can't change it after review. In our case this makes a lot of sense because we are talking about monetary transactions.
These requirements were made known a couple of years ago and Apple has pushed back the compliance date a couple of times. It is nothing new but it is just starting to be enforced. So if Microsoft has downloadable content per game then it would have to follow the same rules.
This is where things are different than streaming a movie. It all depends on how executable code is handled.
My company has been producing casino games for a long time - both mobile and desktop. Our customers now have to bundle our code in an app that is submitted to Apple. This way they can vet the code and we can't change it after review. In our case this makes a lot of sense because we are talking about monetary transactions.
These requirements were made known a couple of years ago and Apple has pushed back the compliance date a couple of times. It is nothing new but it is just starting to be enforced. So if Microsoft has downloadable content per game then it would have to follow the same rules.
This is where things are different than streaming a movie. It all depends on how executable code is handled.
Everything. xCloud, Stadia, and GeForce Now aren't for mobile games. They're for AAA PC/console games. They would not run on a phone or iPad.
Actually, you don't need an Xbox for xCloud games. They stream from Microsoft's server, not from your home Xbox.
Nope, the publications don't run each article by Apple before publishing.
Ummm - Apple does review Movies AND TV Shows... also Music. Ever heard of the iTunes store (now Music and Movies)?
By your own same logic: how is it fair that any movie can be shown by Netflix - but the movies in the iTunes store have to go through review by Apple?
Not allowing game streaming, while allowing movie streaming is directly hypocritical. Consider: Google Stadia (their streaming service) has a mode where the controller connects directly to Google over wifi... and all the screen is doing is showing a streaming movie from Google's server. Tell me how that's SO very different from Netflix?
Hell - Netflix even has _interactive movies!_ What is the line between an interactive movie and a "game"?!
I can say that for Stadia... nothing is downloaded and nothing executed locally. It is literally a video stream.
By that guy's logic, every remote desktop app needs to be banned because Apple hasn't vetted every app on someone's computer.
Why can't Apple just enable a little option in Settings to show all content? There's already Explicit filters so one step beyond isn't that far fetched is it? Something along the lines of a "Disable Life-is-like-Disneyland Filter" would be nice so at least more serious gamers can at least stream some games. Let people choose if they want the "Apple Safe Cuddly App Store" or "Open to more Content App Store". I know they want to push Apple Arcade but for more serious gamers Apple Arcade is like playing with baby toys as an adult - on a subscription. Plus if console streaming is at least allowed then there is assurance that the title is legally licensed surely?
This logic doesn't hold any water. They don't review everything else on the App Store that serves up content from the web or from a streaming service or what have you. This is something worth looking into if the US Government wants to launch an antitrust probe. Apple is falling behind the times with policies like these. The competition will have a leg up. Maybe Microsoft should revoke the ability to pair Xbox Controllers with Apple TV and iOS devices now!
There go my dreams of pulling out my iPad Pro and Xbox Controller when enduring a long weekend at my mother-in-laws house. Although right now it's not like we're doing any traveling. Hopefully this is sorted out before the pandemic is over so we can use it on the go. I was also interested in using this on the Apple TV to stream games upstairs. Down in my studio I have an Xbox One X, but I suppose I could replace that with a Series X and then use the Xbox One X upstairs as a client for xCloud.
Are they at least going to make it available on the Mac? I only have a 5K iMac right now so it's not much use but I plan to get an Apple Silicon 16" MBP, hopefully next year.
There go my dreams of pulling out my iPad Pro and Xbox Controller when enduring a long weekend at my mother-in-laws house. Although right now it's not like we're doing any traveling. Hopefully this is sorted out before the pandemic is over so we can use it on the go. I was also interested in using this on the Apple TV to stream games upstairs. Down in my studio I have an Xbox One X, but I suppose I could replace that with a Series X and then use the Xbox One X upstairs as a client for xCloud.
Are they at least going to make it available on the Mac? I only have a 5K iMac right now so it's not much use but I plan to get an Apple Silicon 16" MBP, hopefully next year.
To boycott Apple a bit more, I moved over to Spotify few mins ago. Lets see what I’ll do next, researching on Tablets and Android Phones now. I already own a 4.5k Ryzen Workstation with AMD 3900X, Nvidia, 2080S, 64GB RAM ... not missing my iMac at all, my wife got my iMac. Kinda have enough of Apple. Sadly i bought a iP11ProPlus and iPad Pro 12.9 (2020) 2-3 months ago.
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Well, technically speaking, a Netflix movie or a Kindle book or Spotify doesn’t run arbitrary code that’s being streamed to the device.
Apple’s POV is probably that the code that you submit for review should be the code that’s in the app, without having code pulled in from elsewhere and run. Games kind of stretch the boundaries of this - when you pull in a new set of levels, is that new code, just new graphics/content? It’s a bit murky.
I believe this is why, for instance, they shut down emulators (like Apple II emulators or NES emulators) - because they involve pulling in and running code that’s not part of your submission. They do have a point here. Sandboxing does a LOT in terms of the safety of iOS devices. However, Apple does a lot of automated code review when you submit your app through review. That really does do quite a bit in terms of catching private API usage or anything that might be sketchy.
So I disagree that this is being done for anticompetitive purposes. It stems from, like so many other moves, Apple’s maniacal obsession to control every aspect of the user experience.
Well they better change this policy a bit or I’ll be moving on from my iPad. I travel for work and this is a huge deal for me being able to game remotely