In response to demands from Chinese authorities, Apple has reportedly purged thousands of games from the country s local version of the App Store in 2020, and there are likely more on the chopping block.
Following previous warnings to China s iOS developers, and suspending updates, Apple has reportedly now removed a large but unspecified number of videogame apps from the region s App Store.
According to the
Wall Street Journal, the titles affected are chiefly paid gaming apps. Reportedly, the China government revised its laws in 2016 to say that such titles must be officially licensed by the authorities before they can be sold.
Provided by Dow Jones
By Tim Higgins Apple Inc. is booting thousands of videogame apps from its platform in China as the government clamps down harder on such content, illustrating the tech giant s vulnerability to state pressure on its business. The iPhone maker this month warned Chinese developers that a new wave of paid gaming apps are at risk of removal from its app store, according to a memo viewed by The Wall Street Journal, after the company removed thousands of such apps earlier this year. The Chinese government four years ago began requiring videogames to be licensed before being released, but developers were able to skirt the requirement in Apple s app store. Apple hasn t said why the loophole existed or why the company began closing it this year. Foreign software developers lament the change, citing difficulty securing approval in China for their games.