[ad_1]
Over the weekend, people noticed that Apple finally approved two emulator apps for the iPhone in the App Store for the first time in a while. His iGBA for Game Boy and Emu64 XL for Commodore 64 can emulate your favorite old games if you have a copy.
The major video game companies that make these games are not in this business, so the only reasonable way to emulate them on your iPhone is to download illegal ROMs. To no one’s surprise, Apple removed iGBA for Game Boy from the App Store this Sunday night – presumably after a furious phone call from Nintendo.
I recently learned that Apple’s latest rules regarding emulation apps will allow Nintendo to take advantage of this change to make huge profits from old games from the 90s and 2000s, one of its most lucrative but underutilized assets. I wrote that it should.
While the Big N focuses on Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions, there’s no better way to play Game Boy games than on an iPhone that resembles the Game Boy of the future. However, I believe this emulator app was removed because the Japanese company doesn’t like people using its intellectual property for free.
Will iPhone emulator apps return to the App Store?
By early April, Apple opened an App Store for retro game emulators. Here’s what Apple says about this change:
The App may offer certain software that is not embedded in the binary, specifically HTML5 mini-apps and mini-games, streaming games, chatbots, and plugins. Additionally, retro game console emulator apps may offer game downloads.
These rule changes appear to be in response to antitrust lawsuits brought by the U.S. Department of Justice in addition to the availability of emulator apps to European Union users, but emulator apps are difficult to allow and most It ignores the fact that when people use emulator apps, they pirate games. .
What’s interesting about iPhone emulator apps is that Riley Testut, one of the most popular developers in this space, hasn’t released the Delta emulator on the App Store yet. His app has been approved within third-party app stores for EU users, but was not available on Apple’s App Store.
Here’s what Testut wrote on Threads following the news of the iGBA emulator’s release:
So apparently Apple has approved a copy of GBA4iOS, the predecessor to Delta I created in high school, in the App Store. I didn’t give anyone permission to do this and now it’s sitting at the top of the charts (despite being filled with ads and tracking). I’ve bitten my tongue so many times over the past month with this guy…but this really annoys me.I’m so glad App Review exists to protect consumers from scams and rip-offs like this
And when Apple removed the app, he posted this:
My frustration stems entirely from the fact that Delta Airlines has been preparing to fly for the last month. This whole situation could have been avoided if Apple hadn’t delayed approval until they changed the rules that allow emulators. However, to Apple’s credit, they recognized this issue and took it seriously. So I don’t believe this is malicious at all. It was just an unfortunate situation for everyone involved.
summary
Will emulator apps return to the App Store? Will Delta ever fly legally? Will Nintendo take on Apple? There are several unanswered questions at this time. Still, I don’t think the future of iPhone emulator apps is that bright. The only way to resolve this would be for Nintendo or other gaming companies to release their own emulator apps, but that doesn’t seem to be happening anytime soon.
However, even if Apple allows emulator apps in the App Store, they may not be able to reach their full potential.
BGR We’ll let you know if Apple releases a statement or if the company allows new apps in its store.
[ad_2]
Source link
