Earlier this week Xbox announced their new xCloud upgrade for Game Pass would drop in September, for Android. Now we know why Xbox Game Pass won’t come to iOS, Apple won’t allow it. Apple made a statement to Business Insider and here is what they said.
“The App Store was created to be a safe and trusted place for customers to discover and download apps. And a great business opportunity for all developers. Before they go on our store, all apps are reviewed against the same set of guidelines that are intended to protect customers and provide a fair and level playing field to developers.”
“Our customers enjoy great apps and games from millions of developers, and gaming services can absolutely launch on the App Store. As long as they follow the same set of guidelines applicable to all developers. Including submitting games individually for review, and appearing in charts and search. In addition to the App Store, developers can choose to reach all iPhone and iPad users over the web through Safari and other browsers on the App Store.”
Essentially Apple are saying that Xbox Game Pass cannot come to iOS because each game would have to be submitted for review. This practice would simply not work with Game Pass as games come on and leave monthly at times.
RELATED: Xbox Game Pass xCloud Upgrade Gets A Release Date
Plus, as Microsoft pointed out to The Verge, the games have all been categorized and certified before they are available for release anyway.
“Apple stands alone as the only general purpose platform to deny consumers from cloud gaming and game subscription services like Xbox Game Pass. And it consistently treats gaming apps differently, applying more lenient rules to non-gaming apps even when they include interactive content. All games available in the Xbox Game Pass catalog are rated for content by independent industry ratings bodies such as the ESRB and regional equivalents. We are committed to finding a path to bring cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to the iOS platform.”
There is probably another side to this. If Xbox Game Pass is available through iOS, would customers play Apple’s own games from their apps? If you don’t think that’s a factor here then you are being a little naïve. Apple has a long history of making sure their products are independent and use their own proprietary systems. Why is the process for games so different to that of TV and movie content. I have an iOS device, and I can access Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime from it. Xbox Games Pass is a gaming version of what those companies do, nothing more.
I’ll say this. I have three iOS smart phones in my house, and I subscribe to iTunes family. And I am seriously considering changing to Android phones and Spotify once my contracts are all up. This news about Xbox Game Pass might just be the extra shove I needed to make that move?
What do you think about Apple’s reasoning for why Xbox Game Pass won’t come to iOS? Leave your thoughts below as always.
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SOURCE: Business Insider, The Verge
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