Apple Faces Criticism for Blocking Game Apps

Apple has been under fire for prohibiting major gaming apps from being launched on the App Store. According to Apple, the restricted gaming apps from Microsoft and Facebook provide access to third-party games that were not reviewed or approved by the company. Before apps are launched on the App Store, Apple’s guidelines require developers to submit each third-party game for review and approval. However, the two companies failed to submit each game for review, so Apple blocked the apps. Because of the restrictions, Microsoft decided to launch its latest gaming service exclusively on Android devices. A company representative criticized Apple’s policies that prevent iOS users from enjoying Microsoft’s services. Microsoft also accused Apple of being unfair to gaming apps because they are subjected to strict regulations, while non-gaming apps are governed by more lenient rules. Facebook, likewise, condemns Apple for its restrictive policies. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg said the company had to entirely remove games from the Facebook Gaming app for it to be launched on the App Store. Sandberg added that because of the reduced features, iOS users have an inferior experience compared to Android users. In response to the criticisms, Apple clarified that developers can publish their gaming services on the App Store as long as they adhere to the company’s guidelines. The tech giant also explained that games are different from other services, like music and video streaming, because users have higher expectations of gaming apps than other types of services on the App Store.