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Apple continues to loosen its restrictions on its app store, the App Store. The company's latest move was greatly welcomed, especially by retro game lovers. In an announcement on Friday, Apple announced that game emulators may be available globally on the App Store and offer downloadable games. However, Apple emphasized that the games offered must comply with “all applicable rules” and underlined that applications that provide pirated content will be banned.
This development will make it possible for retro console emulators already available on the Android platform to migrate to iOS. Game emulators, which have been banned on iOS for a long time, have forced iPhone owners to resort to various methods such as jailbreaking. With the introduction of third-party application stores in the European Union, this has become an alternative way for iPhone users. However, Apple's latest change aims to prevent this trend.
App Store offers new flexibility to super apps as well as game emulators
Apple also updated its rules around super apps like WeChat. According to the new rules, mini-games and mini-apps within such applications must use HTML5, which means they cannot be native applications and games.
This change seems to have been made regarding the antitrust lawsuit filed against Apple in the USA. This lawsuit alleges that Apple is trying to eliminate both cloud game streaming apps and super apps. Apple recently started offering cloud streaming services such as Xbox Cloud Gaming and GeForce Now on the App Store.
Outside the US, Apple appears to be responding to pressure from the European Commission. In another rules update on Friday, the company said it will now allow music streaming apps in the European Union to direct users to out-of-app links for external purchases and provide pricing information. It will also allow developers to invite users to provide their email addresses in order to send a link to the developer's website to purchase digital music content or services.
After the European Commission called Apple's anti-referrer rules “illegal,” Spotify tried to roll out an app update that included links to its website for subscription purchases, but failed to get approval from Apple for weeks. However, Spotify is not happy with Apple's latest change. Apple plans to continue charging commissions for purchases made through external links, despite EU Commissioner Margrethe Vestager saying music streaming apps should be allowed to communicate “freely” with users. “Complying with the law is not optional, but Apple continues to challenge this decision,” Spotify spokeswoman Jeanne Moran said. He said and stated that the Commission could start non-compliance proceedings and impose daily penalties as of April 6. This shows that it is time to take decisive steps to give consumers a real choice.