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> In Western markets, Apple and Google use app moderation to forbid apps from doing too many different things at once, so as to preserve their platform advantag

by pcl 4y ago

> In Western markets, Apple and Google use app moderation to forbid apps from doing too many different things at once, so as to preserve their platform advantage. I’ve never heard about this before. Is this an official policy of either company? Do you have any citations to share for more reading?

digitaLandscape 4y ago
noahmasur 4y ago
I've mostly seen this for game platforms on iOS: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/05/valve-apple-wont-let-the-steam-link-app-on-the-ios/ https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/05/valve-apple-wont-let-... I think it's waffled back and forth on game streaming: https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/6/21357771/apple-cloud-gaming-microsoft-xcloud-google-stadia-ios-app-store-guidelines-violations https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/6/21357771/apple-cloud-gamin... https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/9/22826297/microsoft-xbox-xcloud-streaming-exclusives-iphone-ipad-gamepas https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/9/22826297/microsoft-xbox-x... Netflix also has to offer their games as separate packages: https://www.whathifi.com/news/netflix-games-will-reportedly-only-be-available-to-download-individually-on-ios https://www.whathifi.com/news/netflix-games-will-reportedly-...
- jagged-chisel 4y ago
  I don’t think these examples fit under “doing too many different things” but rather “loading apps by a method of which we do not approve.”
revolvingocelot 4y ago
Er, do you think that Apple and Google are going to come out and say "half of the point of our respective app stores is to be able to strike down app-based competitors and reave 30% of their take"? It may not have even been Apple and Google's intent to have app stores serve thusly, but it's clear that that's what's happening. >Do you have any citations to share for more reading? I suggest the works of Stafford Beer, a cyberneticist known for the quote "the purpose of a system is what it does".
- 7speter 4y ago
  I imagine theey also don’t want to have to deal with these super apps eating up significant resources on their devices, and even ultimately, having to make their devices serviceable (both technically and ideologically ) to one or a few pf these super apps.
makeitdouble 4y ago
It’s part of the more generic “decide of its own destiny” direction Apple has been taking since the new Steve Jobs area. Apple had a huge problem maneuvering its platform when it was at the mercy of two giant companies: Microsoft and Adobe. Microsoft was in “friendly” terms and tremendously helped save the platform by bringing in IE and Office, but Adobe was a tougher rodeo (TrueType, Carbon, Flash etc.) That’s in reaction to that history that the iPhone won’t give away the browser setting over its dead body, or competing App store where banned from the start (if it was just for the money, taking a cut of each transactions would be enough…)

by pcl 4y ago

digitaLandscape 4y ago

noahmasur 4y ago

I've mostly seen this for game platforms on iOS: https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/05/valve-apple-wont-let-the-steam-link-app-on-the-ios/ https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/05/valve-apple-wont-let-... I think it's waffled back and forth on game streaming: https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/6/21357771/apple-cloud-gaming-microsoft-xcloud-google-stadia-ios-app-store-guidelines-violations https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/6/21357771/apple-cloud-gamin... https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/9/22826297/microsoft-xbox-xcloud-streaming-exclusives-iphone-ipad-gamepas https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/9/22826297/microsoft-xbox-x... Netflix also has to offer their games as separate packages: https://www.whathifi.com/news/netflix-games-will-reportedly-only-be-available-to-download-individually-on-ios https://www.whathifi.com/news/netflix-games-will-reportedly-...

jagged-chisel 4y ago
I don’t think these examples fit under “doing too many different things” but rather “loading apps by a method of which we do not approve.”

revolvingocelot 4y ago

Er, do you think that Apple and Google are going to come out and say "half of the point of our respective app stores is to be able to strike down app-based competitors and reave 30% of their take"? It may not have even been Apple and Google's intent to have app stores serve thusly, but it's clear that that's what's happening. >Do you have any citations to share for more reading? I suggest the works of Stafford Beer, a cyberneticist known for the quote "the purpose of a system is what it does".

7speter 4y ago
I imagine theey also don’t want to have to deal with these super apps eating up significant resources on their devices, and even ultimately, having to make their devices serviceable (both technically and ideologically ) to one or a few pf these super apps.

makeitdouble 4y ago

It’s part of the more generic “decide of its own destiny” direction Apple has been taking since the new Steve Jobs area. Apple had a huge problem maneuvering its platform when it was at the mercy of two giant companies: Microsoft and Adobe. Microsoft was in “friendly” terms and tremendously helped save the platform by bringing in IE and Office, but Adobe was a tougher rodeo (TrueType, Carbon, Flash etc.) That’s in reaction to that history that the iPhone won’t give away the browser setting over its dead body, or competing App store where banned from the start (if it was just for the money, taking a cut of each transactions would be enough…)