Following the removal of tens of thousands of unapproved games from Apple’s Chinese App Store in July, foreign media are reporting that more games are likely to be taken down.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Dec. 23 that Apple is moving to take down thousands of video game software from its platform as the Chinese Communist government tightens restrictions on certain pay-to-play games.
Four years ago, the Chinese Communist government began requiring video games to be licensed in order to be eligible for distribution, but game developers can circumvent that requirement through the Apple App Store. Some overseas software developers have lamented the change because they say they have had difficulty getting licenses in China.
The Chinese Communist Party’s demand that Apple take down more games comes at a time of increased regulation of the Internet and tighter content control and censorship, including the removal of more than 100 other software titles such as Tripadvisor.
This capitulation by Apple to the Communist Party’s policies shows that the company is walking a tightrope between trying to appeal to Chinese consumers and meeting official demands, Hua Ri reported.
Earlier this month, Apple told game developers in a memo that in order for their paid games or games with in-app purchases to be available on the App Store in China, they need to enter the game version number and support files on the games page of App Store Connect and submit updates to App Review by Dec. 31. after Dec. 31, games that do not meet the Games that are not submitted as required will not be available on the App Store in China.
Rich Bishop, CEO of ChinaInApp, said, “As far as we know, only a small percentage of games are actually able to get licenses.” He said trade tensions between the Chinese Communist Party and the United States and other countries have made it more difficult for foreign developers to obtain licenses.
Apple’s China app store, which had 272,000 games last year, removed 94,000 games in 2020, far more than the 25,000 game apps removed last year, according to Sensor Tower, a global firm that tracks the app business.
While the full scope of the software removal is unclear, Apple’s game revenue in its China store has slowed, with Sensor Tower estimating $13 billion in China as of November this year, up 14 percent from the same period in 2019, but up 21 percent in 2019 from 2018.
Critics have questioned Apple’s decision to comply with the Chinese Communist government’s demands, saying it runs counter to Apple CEO Tim Cook’s self-proclaimed support for “freedom of speech, privacy and human rights.
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