Valve’s game streaming service Steam Link won’t be coming to iOS today, despite a successful Android beta launch earlier this month. According to the official Steam Database Twitter account, Apple rejected the Steam Link app over apparent “business conflicts with app guidelines”. Steam Link was first announced for mobile back in March, and the app functions as a remote desktop so users can access their Steam library of PC games from a mobile device and stream them directly for touchscreen play or for use with a Bluetooth controller.
It’s not exactly clear at the moment what the “business conflict” here is, and whether it has anything to do with Apple’s somewhat contentious 30 percent App Store fee for all purchases, in-app or otherwise. It may perhaps be due to the fact that Steam Link allows an iOS user to access another app store, namely Steam, within Apple’s tightly controlled ecosystem. Apple was not immediately available for comment.
If that really is the reason Apple banned the application, they should ban every single remote desktop application.
This is just silly and incredibly stupid of Apple. I’m hoping there will be some backlash so Apple will have to rethink their decision, but unfortunately I don’t think SteamLink is a big enough thing for most people to actually care.
I’m kinda glad I jumped ship from iOS about a year ago, I’m not exactly fond of Android (or Google) but atleast they don’t do shit like this.
fx_,
I despise this as well, however this shouldn’t be news to anyone who’s familiar with apple’s walled garden approach. It’s unfortunate that it’s only when bigger companies are effected that it becomes newsworthy and people take notice, but the reality is that they’ve been blocking users from going to competing stores and apps for a long time. The result is that competing becomes less and less viable. The natural barriers to entry are already difficult enough on their own even without any unfair app restrictions.
Many (but to be fair, not all) of the worlds big companies became successful and then turned around and shut the door behind them.
blocking users from going to competing stores and apps for a long time
Hmm – class-action lawsuit claiming Apple is an anti-competitive monopoly?
I suspect Apple is preparing its own platform for doing exactly the same, and they don’t want competition. They want to invent it this year or next year and people are rushing with their own stuff. That’s mad!