Delta for free in the regular App Store everywhere but the EU where we have to download a paid app store to install it, so it begins.
No.. no they are not.
They clearly made a policy change and allowed another emulator on the App Store https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/04/apple-removes-the-fir...
I think it is important to point out that clearly there could be improvements to the App Store without opening it wide open.
However, this has nothing to do with my core problem here of now in the EU having no choice but to use an alternative store. When every other country can just download it from the App Store.
My problem here is not that alternative store exist. my problem is that we are already seeing a developer making the choice for me of where I can download the app from.
Which is why I replied with an article, if Apple was just focusing on "making a point" the previous emulator would not have been approved.
- Apple sees emulators as a potential market for alternative app stores and proactively chooses to allow them in the Apple App Store.
- This is a clear example of how competition in the app market place being a positive thing.
- Developer creates an alternative app marketplace, with an emulator as one of its main apps on launch, realizing the competition that forced Apple to update their rules to allow emulators in their own store.
I'm sorry you feel forced to download a separate app store, but don't you see how you in the end are benefitting from this change even without using the AltStore? Give it some time and you will probably have another emulator in the app store you can choose to download.
Not really, so far. Are there any game systems that don't require some level of special hardware to back them up? Dreamcast? I don't think I know anyone who has ever made themselves a 'backup copy' of a game they've purchased, much less then played that backup copy on another device. I'm sure they exist, but in numbers even smaller than linux isos on BitTorrent.
(I’m in the UK so can download from the App Store, finally a benefit of you-know-what lol)
I guess maybe the developer feels it’s their duty to follow the alt store thing through to keep pressure on Apple? Or maybe they stand to make money (either now or in future with other apps) from their store?
The keyword is now allows emulators. They didn't allow it 3 weeks ago. Or a year ago. Or 10 years ago.
Only now, with alternative stores launching and offering this, Apple has finally allowed emulators.
Perhaps the developer doesn't want to be beholden to Apple's whims? Especially after investing a lot of effort into setting up an alternative store?
The rules forbid running arbitrary/user-loaded code and copyright forbids bundling the ROMs people wanted to use.
The new rules have an exception for specifically emulators
https://www.macrumors.com/2024/04/05/app-store-guidelines-em...
> 2.5.2 Apps should be self-contained in their bundles, and may not read or write data outside the designated container area, nor may they download, install, or execute code which introduces or changes features or functionality of the app, including other apps
I.e. "all the code this app ever runs has to be there when the app goes to app review"
This rule change on January 29 allowed for mini games and streaming games
> 4.7 Mini apps, mini games, streaming games, chatbots, and plug-ins: Apps may offer certain software that is not embedded in the binary, specifically mini apps and games, streaming games, chatbots, and plug-ins.
And then specifically this addition on April 10
> 4.7 [...] Additionally, retro game console emulator apps can offer to download games
is what allowed retro game emulators.
This is exactly what I have been worried about and people tried to explain to tell me that, no this doesn't remove choice from me as a user.
When in fact it does, if I was in the EU (and if the US does something similar, likely here) if I wanted to download this I would have to use their store. The choice is being made for me by the developer.
It didn't take long to already have an example of this happening and bigger companies will likely follow suit.
So how exactly does this benefit users again and isn't all about appeasing developers?
Your decision is to pay Apple's fee that they claim is fair, or not use the app. I don't really see how we can shake our fists at the developers and publishers for not sponsoring the distribution of their FOSS app. It's very clearly the Unity-esque installation fee that is the problem here.
They could have put the app on the app store on the EU and on their store. But did not.
Apple only allowed it to be published on the app store TODAY, just the day of the release of the AltStore because they are trying to make a point, the malice is on Apple's side here. But the comments here make it sounds like it works on their all most hardcore fanbase.
I have not seen anything that the release on the App Store was held up by apple and that this wasn't just instead an simultaneous release on both platforms by the developer.
Yes Apple did not previously allow this until they changed their policy recently to allow emulation (which I think was about a month ago).
This does not change the fact that the developer is choosing to put the app on the App Store everywhere except for the EU, and in the EU you have to use their store.
See this commit from 3 years ago[1]! On Delta's Repo:
> Delta was originally developed under the impression Apple would allow it into the App Store. Unfortunately Apple later changed their minds, leaving me no choice but to find a new way to distribute Delta. Long story short, this led me to create AltStore, which now serves as the official way to install Delta onto your device.
The main reason why you “have not seen anything that the release on the App Store was held up by apple” is that because you did not want to see it, because it goes against your believes (believes that have been manufactured by Apple's propaganda machine).
> Yes Apple did not previously allow this until they changed their policy recently to allow emulation (which I think was about a month ago).
And guess why their changed their policy? Because of DMA put them in an untenable posture.
> This does not change the fact that the developer is choosing to put the app on the App Store everywhere except for the EU, and in the EU you have to use their store.
That's a genuine “fuck you Apple” move, which is understandable given how much “fuck you Delta” Apple gave them before, but it's also a bit of a problem. But here again this is 100% on Apple! They can 100% ban this kind of things by adding a policy to the app store that says “If you want to distribute on the App store outside of the EU, you have to provide your software on the app store in the EU as well” even if that doesn't prevent the release on an alternative store. The main reason why they don't do that, is because it would ruin their FUD about this exact situation.
You are being manipulated by a trillion dollar company, that not only hate your individual freedom, but also wants to make sure you hate it yourself so you never ask for it. And unfortunately that propaganda keeps proving highly effective…
[1] https://github.com/rileytestut/Delta/blob/abd7338a08a4948c55...
I really feel like it should be obvious that I am talking about since apple made the policy change regarding emulators. It is well understood that before about a month or so ago there was a policy against emulators.
I am talking about since that policy change went into effect and the software was in place for it (as in the iOS version was rolled out).
Apple had allowed am emulator on the App Store within the last couple weeks, which doesn't line up with your conspiracy theory that the only reason this one was allowed was because of their own store.
And no this is not 100% on apple. The developer could have put it on the App Store in all regions. Again, Apple approved an emulator recently.
Literally, tell me you have never heard of Delta without telling me you've never heard of Delta.
The only reason this app exists is because of alternative App Stores. It is not a conspiracy theory, you can ask me, saurik, or any other iOS user that used the Altstore to attain basic functionality on their phone.
> And no this is not 100% on apple. The developer could have put it on the App Store in all regions. Again, Apple approved an emulator recently.
Yep. This is 100% on you. You are the only person that continues to enable and apologize for this behavior. So naturally, you are the only person that deserves to suffer on behalf of the users. I really hope you never sideload, and you get to watch the App Store become the same barren husk it is on MacOS while you desperately beg developers to pay for distributing their Free Software. Surely, those high-and-mighty developers will descend from their ivory tower and delete their altstores so that 'nerdjon' from Hacker News won't keep pissing and moaning about how his iPhone sucks now. Yes, that will fix it.
And the irony is that they had to develop the entire store just so that they could bypass the walled garden.
And unless I am missing something it wasn't available on this alternative store until today. What does that change about the conversation?
> And the irony is that they had to develop the entire store just so that they could bypass the walled garden.
Clearly not since it is available on the Apple App Store in every country other than the EU.
See the sibling response.
> Clearly not since it is available on the Apple App Store in every country other than the EU.
As of… TODAY! Day of the release of the alternative store. What a marvelous coincidence for an emulator that has been submitted years ago on the App store and blocked by Apple for all this time!
Yes, Apple recently changed their policy about emulators … as a result of the exact same Digital Market Act that allowed this alternative store to exist. Again, this isn't a coincidence, it's just how the consequences of the regulation are unfolding and how Apple is trying to cope with it (in a surprisingly clumsy way).
You can blame Apple here, by adding a fee per install, if you choose to go outside the appstore, you pretty much have to remove the free appstore option otherwise why would anybody use the other one?
The weird economics Apple has created discourages using both.
Give users that choice, that is all I am asking for here. Actually give users a choice instead of removing the choice from them. Which at this point in time, that choice is being removed from the user.
Sure they could create a paid appstore option only in the EU (if that's not against the appstore guidelines somehow, I don't know) but that might not align well with their strategy.
Additionally I also feel it would kind of be a bad PR on their side as well to charge more on the appstore in the EU.
Alternative app stores have to pay the CTF for every install starting from the very first one. Apps distributed in alternative app stores have to pay the CTF for every install after the first 1m.
The CTF is an annual fee.
In this instance, the app store developer is the same as the app developer, so the yearly fee for the store is being used to cover both sets of fees.