I’m glad to see emulators on the App Store. But it also feels like we lost 15 years for… nothing? Back in 2009, the attached was released – a superb C64 emulator for touchscreens. But the creator got sick of Apple rejections and demands that gradually nerfed the app’s utility. So it died. But imagine it hadn’t and this app had received 15 years of updates and refinement… (And we still have no idea whether iDOS would be allowed now or would still get rejected.)
@craiggrannell I still don't really understand why current emulator rules on the AppStore are limited (at least on paper?) to "retro GAME CONSOLES”? Like, from all of emulators - those are the most „controversial” ones (thx Nintendo)
Emulating computers were always far less controversial, but maybe Apple doesn't want their iPads or iPhones running Windows 95 or some other weird reason? 🤷♂️
@craiggrannell The arbitrary nature of the app review process takes all the fun out of releasing apps. It was a factor in pulling my apps, and none of mine were as "contentious" as an emulator! It's impossible to quantify the opportunity cost.
@sdarlington Indeed. I get that guidelines are necessary, but Apple’s have so often been absurd. I remember Papers, Please was initially banned for ‘pornography’. A complete lack of understanding about gaming.
And it kills risk. Why would someone spend months and months on an exciting but innovative new app, if there’s a real possibility Apple as a sole gatekeeper will just say no?
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