iOS Redux

[shadowpanda]

While I fear this is a battle long since surrendered, the recent news around Apple’s App Store has reawakened my passion for Afghanistan ’11 and the wrongs done to it in the iOS store. Apple, rightly so in my opinion, has taken some hits recently for its opaque and self-serving App Store policies. I think it’s time for Slitherine and Every Single Soldier to rearm and take the fight back to them. The reasoning behind the withdrawal of A11 was always fuzzy, given the number of historical battle games still available in the App Store. There is also Rebel Inc, by the makers of Plague Inc, which seems to be an almost identical game in it’s stated goals and methods, except in name and reference.

In response to Basecamp and the EU’s recent complaints, to quote the Economist: “Apple, for its part, has dismissed the complaints as mere moaning from companies keen to get a “free ride”, though it did quietly make a few small concessions, such as promising to loosen restrictions on non-Apple web browsers, music-streaming apps and other software, and letting developers appeal when their products are said to violate App Store rules.”

I think it’s worth re-appealing on the basis of the numerous games referencing historical, and some could say still active, parties and political organisations, (eg the communist party is still active in China, Russia & Vietnam) but nobody complains about those historical war games. And the spotlight is on Apple right now. The reality is there’s nothing stopping people downloading this game on any other platform so why should it be different on iOS except Apple is the gatekeeper and disagrees. One might almost suggest that’s unconstitutional!

Unfortunately Apple has morphed from a champion of creativity to the gatekeeper that it’s own adverts denigrated back in the 1980s. I hope that Slitherine and ESS have sniffed the wind and take the opportunity to redress past wrongs!

[U235]

You do realize that Afghanistan ’11 has been abandoned, right? If they won't patch the PC version, I doubt they will show any love for the mobile app. I've stopped buying until I can be reasonably sure the Dev's are committed to quality.