A new Apple policy that seeks to improve the content of the app store It has upset some independent developers, as they have been informed that games that have not received an update for more than 2 years will be removed from the store. Although the purpose is to remove abandoned applications from the App Store, the developers consider it somewhat unfair.
This change in Apple’s policy with its App Store was announced a few days ago, when Protopop Games shared the email it received from Apple informing it that Motivoto was going to be removed from the App Store. “This is not OK. There are console games from 2000 that are still for sale,” the developer said.
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The email the developer received from Apple says the app will be removed from the App Store because it “hasn’t been updated in a considerable amount of time,” so it would be removed in 30 days. If Protopop wants to keep the app on the App Store, then it needs to submit an update for the next 30 days.
Protopop isn’t the only developer to complain about this, as in the comments on his post Merlijn Van Holder said that two of his games were pulled for the same reason. In both cases, the developers say they don’t have the time or energy after their work to update their old creations.
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Although Apple’s policy might make sense in theory, any game that wasn’t designed as a service that needs constant updates would be pulled within 2 years of being published, which has its developers dissatisfied. So far Apple has not said whether exceptions can be requested for certain games or applications.