Microsoft launched the world’s first game streaming service Xbox Game Pass with a built-in game library. You can stream more than 100 games to smartphones and tablets. But it cannot be used on Apple’s iPhone and iPad.
According to former Apple App Store director Phil Shoemaker (Phil Shoemaker), the reason is that Xbox Game Pass and Apple’s own subscription service Apple Arcade are direct competitors.
According to a new antitrust report from the House of Representatives, Shoemaker stated that “Apple’s game service Apple Arcade is an app that has been’not allowed to enter the store’, but Apple allows its own apps to enter the store, even if it violates existing The [App Store] Guidelines’ .”
Apple Arcade is a subscription-based service that provides users with an instant library of games across Apple devices: iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apple has repeatedly refused to list Microsoft’s similar applications, including Xbox Game Pass, and Google Stadia.
An Apple spokesperson said in early August that applications for these services are not allowed because Apple cannot audit every game in their library.
Given that Microsoft’s services operate like Netflix or Spotify, users can access a built-in library, and submitting each game in the library to Apple’s review process is very time-consuming. In addition, each of these games needs to be able to achieve in-app purchases through Apple’s payment system, and each game must be ranked on the App Store rankings. Every developer needs a paid Apple developer account.
In short, this will be an extremely cumbersome process, just as Netflix must seek Apple’s approval for every movie and show on its service.
Shoemaker stated that the company did not do so in order to protect users, as Apple claimed, but implemented “arbitrary” and “dissenting” App Store approval criteria and used its control of the App Store “as a fight against competition.” The opponent’s weapon”.
The former App Store director told a subcommittee of the House of Representatives that Apple “has been working hard to use the App Store as a weapon against competitors,” and it does exactly that on services such as Xbox Game Pass and Google Stadia.
Naijatechnews learned that Shoemaker’s statement was released as part of an antitrust report compiled by the House Antitrust Subcommittee this week. The report mainly targets Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google. All four companies condemned the report.
Since Apple allows services like Netflix and Spotify without censoring every content, why not allow games to have similar services? Apple believes that the difference between the two ultimately lies in the medium. Games are interactive, unlike music and movies, and consumer expectations for games are also embedded in the App Store. For example, in-app payments cannot be made through Apple’s built-in services, and there is no series of content such as App Store ratings. An Apple representative said the company plans to defend itself in more detail in the coming days.
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