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How does YouTube and Netflix get approved since Apple can’t verify every video on their platform, including videos that have yet to be published? This reasonin

How does YouTube and Netflix get approved since Apple can’t verify every video on their platform, including videos that have yet to be published? This reasoning is beyond absurd.

mimsee 6y ago
Maybe their thinking goes along the lines of "an installable game, whether local or not, is considered like an app, wheter it adds its own icon to the homescreen or not, and since it's considered as an app, it must be held to apple app store policies. now unlike youtube and netflix which primarily host video content that don't act like an app, even though you can download content for offline use in both apps."
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- philjohn 6y ago
  Along the same vein then they would need to remove any remote desktop apps, of which there are many.
- joenathanone 6y ago
  But the games aren't installed, just streamed.
- Wowfunhappy 6y ago
  Netflix has games that work on the iPhone. Why is that allowed?
  - escardin 6y ago
    They're not though? The interactive stuff doesn't work on an Apple TV at least.
    - monocularvision 6y ago
      They work on iOS devices.
- warp 6y ago
  Remember Netflix has interactive shows. I just checked, and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is playable on my iPhone. Games like Late Shift or The Complex on Xbox are very similar.
- spenczar5 6y ago
  I think it's more likely that their thinking goes along the lines of "game installs are a ton of revenue for us; game streaming services give iPhone users a way to pay someone else for games without us getting a cut, so we have to stop that because we are a business and we like money."
  - SilasX 6y ago
    Very analogous to (anti-net-neutrality) ISP reasoning about video streaming services that compete with what they offer.
  - Bombthecat 6y ago
    Or they want there own gamestream service in the future.
    - m-p-3 6y ago
      That wouldn't sit well in terms of antitrust if they blocked all their competitors.
coldtea 6y ago
If you mean your reasoning, yes. They don't need to "verify every video" because a video is a video. It's all about the codec, security etc wise, not the content. With dynamic code, like a game or app, it's obviously different.
- swinglock 6y ago
  Game streaming is video.
- sjs382 6y ago
  On Stadia (not sure about xCloud), the games are not run locally on the user's device. The Stadia app just captures controller input, sends it to Google's servers and returns a video stream of the gameplay (either VP9, h264, or AV1).
  - wayneftw 6y ago
    Can’t the web browser be used as the client here? Safari iOS has websockets as well as WebGL, if local rendering were needed. I’m surprised Google didn’t develop it that way to begin with.
    - sjs382 6y ago
      It can—that's how you used to be able to use Stadia on non-Google/Pixel Android devices before general availability. iOS Safari isn't supported, however. Not sure if it has something to do with gamepads, video codecs, or what...
      - m-p-3 6y ago
        Call me paranoid, but I'd bet on Apple intentionally crippling Safari features of progressive web apps just to make sure it doesn't become a viable alternative to their walled garden.
    - rainbow-road 6y ago
      Yes, the web browser can be used as a client. https://support.google.com/stadia/answer/9598981?hl=en https://support.google.com/stadia/answer/9598981?hl=en
justinzollars 6y ago
This is a good question. Maybe consumer demand? Perhaps consumers will move away from iphone because of this gaming platform?
stalfosknight 6y ago
The difference is that a game is executable code and a streaming video is not. If Apple allows this store within a store then everyone will have one and use it to run arbitrary unreviewed / unsigned code and Apple's ability to defend platform security and user privacy would be seriously compromised. As a user, my privacy and device security is much more important than allowing a new gaming service.
SilasX 6y ago
By Netflix having market power.
santraginean 6y ago
TFA mentions in-app purchases as a differentiating factor, and personally I suspect that's what's really driving this. Streaming a video doesn't expose a way to make purchases that circumvents Apple's getting a cut, but since a game is executable code, there's no way to guarantee that on a gaming platform. (Which is not to absolve Apple of unethical behavior, but it is one way in which the analogy doesn't hold.)
- crowbahr 6y ago
  However if you get your subscription through the app they will demand 30%.

How does YouTube and Netflix get approved since Apple can’t verify every video on their platform, including videos that have yet to be published? This reasoning is beyond absurd.

mimsee 6y ago

Maybe their thinking goes along the lines of "an installable game, whether local or not, is considered like an app, wheter it adds its own icon to the homescreen or not, and since it's considered as an app, it must be held to apple app store policies. now unlike youtube and netflix which primarily host video content that don't act like an app, even though you can download content for offline use in both apps."

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
philjohn 6y ago
Along the same vein then they would need to remove any remote desktop apps, of which there are many.
joenathanone 6y ago
But the games aren't installed, just streamed.
Wowfunhappy 6y ago
Netflix has games that work on the iPhone. Why is that allowed?
- escardin 6y ago
  They're not though? The interactive stuff doesn't work on an Apple TV at least.
  - monocularvision 6y ago
    They work on iOS devices.
warp 6y ago
Remember Netflix has interactive shows. I just checked, and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch is playable on my iPhone. Games like Late Shift or The Complex on Xbox are very similar.
spenczar5 6y ago
I think it's more likely that their thinking goes along the lines of "game installs are a ton of revenue for us; game streaming services give iPhone users a way to pay someone else for games without us getting a cut, so we have to stop that because we are a business and we like money."
- SilasX 6y ago
  Very analogous to (anti-net-neutrality) ISP reasoning about video streaming services that compete with what they offer.
- Bombthecat 6y ago
  Or they want there own gamestream service in the future.
  - m-p-3 6y ago
    That wouldn't sit well in terms of antitrust if they blocked all their competitors.

coldtea 6y ago

If you mean your reasoning, yes. They don't need to "verify every video" because a video is a video. It's all about the codec, security etc wise, not the content. With dynamic code, like a game or app, it's obviously different.

swinglock 6y ago
Game streaming is video.
sjs382 6y ago
On Stadia (not sure about xCloud), the games are not run locally on the user's device. The Stadia app just captures controller input, sends it to Google's servers and returns a video stream of the gameplay (either VP9, h264, or AV1).
- wayneftw 6y ago
  Can’t the web browser be used as the client here? Safari iOS has websockets as well as WebGL, if local rendering were needed. I’m surprised Google didn’t develop it that way to begin with.
  - sjs382 6y ago
    It can—that's how you used to be able to use Stadia on non-Google/Pixel Android devices before general availability. iOS Safari isn't supported, however. Not sure if it has something to do with gamepads, video codecs, or what...
    - m-p-3 6y ago
      Call me paranoid, but I'd bet on Apple intentionally crippling Safari features of progressive web apps just to make sure it doesn't become a viable alternative to their walled garden.
  - rainbow-road 6y ago
    Yes, the web browser can be used as a client. https://support.google.com/stadia/answer/9598981?hl=en https://support.google.com/stadia/answer/9598981?hl=en

justinzollars 6y ago

This is a good question. Maybe consumer demand? Perhaps consumers will move away from iphone because of this gaming platform?

stalfosknight 6y ago

The difference is that a game is executable code and a streaming video is not. If Apple allows this store within a store then everyone will have one and use it to run arbitrary unreviewed / unsigned code and Apple's ability to defend platform security and user privacy would be seriously compromised. As a user, my privacy and device security is much more important than allowing a new gaming service.

SilasX 6y ago

By Netflix having market power.

santraginean 6y ago

TFA mentions in-app purchases as a differentiating factor, and personally I suspect that's what's really driving this. Streaming a video doesn't expose a way to make purchases that circumvents Apple's getting a cut, but since a game is executable code, there's no way to guarantee that on a gaming platform. (Which is not to absolve Apple of unethical behavior, but it is one way in which the analogy doesn't hold.)

crowbahr 6y ago
However if you get your subscription through the app they will demand 30%.