Microsoft’s xCloud service, announced two years ago is designed to allow subscribers to stream a library of games to a number of different devices, including mobile devices. So if a user is in the middle of a game on a computer, they could seamlessly transition to playing on your mobile device, carrying over their game’s progress.
Jared Nelson for Touch Arcade:
[This week], Microsoft officially ended the xCloud iOS beta test prematurely and announced that they’d be focusing solely on supporting Android for the service’s launch on September 15th.
Apple has spoken out about the matter and states that the main point of contention for allowing the Game Pass app into the App Store is that Apple requires that each individual game be reviewed by them prior to being available in the store. Here is an official statement that Apple provided to BusinessInsider:
“The App Store was created to be a safe and trusted place for customers to discover and download apps, and a great business opportunity for all developers. Before they go on our store, all apps are reviewed against the same set of guidelines that are intended to protect customers and provide a fair and level playing field to developers.”
“Our customers enjoy great apps and games from millions of developers, and gaming services can absolutely launch on the App Store as long as they follow the same set of guidelines applicable to all developers, including submitting games individually for review, and appearing in charts and search. In addition to the App Store, developers can choose to reach all iPhone and iPad users over the web through Safari and other browsers on the App Store.”
MacDailyNews Take: And, there you have it. Perhaps Apple and Microsoft are working on an xCloud solution behind the scenes.
Each individual game shall be reviewed prior to being available in the store (on it own merits), and no gateway shall be provided to another system with Apple store being used as a temporary side stop. In short no freeloading.
I guess MS can’t have a store within a store, which makes perfect sense. Release games on iOS and you’ll be fine MS.
I’m sorry, but this is a dumb argument. You have to sign into your MS account to play these games, so you know what you are playing – things you’ve already paid for and stuff from your own Xbox. Since it’s streaming, there is zero difference between this and streaming Netflix other than the interactivity. Then again, Netflix has interactive shows… should they be policed?
Browser fine a direct executable program no.
But, but, but, Microsoft can be trusted to provide virus free software without any oversight. Just look at their history. 😐
Wait a sec. I’m still enjoying Microsoft Olympic Decathlon on my Apple ][+. Is this affected?
This is stupid, it’s no different than Netflix… what’s next, Apple requires review of every new piece of content Netflix adds to their library?
At no point does an xCloud game run locally, it’s streamed over the internet.
I’m usually pro Apple policies, but in this case Apple is meddling too much. Apple should not treat their users as babies.
When comes to executables they should, Windows and Android can run on their own hardware. The same with gamers systems/stores. The game should run native on iOS or nothing.
I think the short-term thinking that pervades finance types has had a significant impact on many of apple’s products lately.
The push to make expensive products effectively disposable flies in the face of sustainability that Cook champions. Soldering storage onto laptops and desktops saves a few cents per device but permanently limits the usefulness of them after they leave the factory. Or how about riveting the keyboard onto the laptop chassis to the point where swapping out a single keyboard was a very destructive process? Sustainability is about recycling but it’s also about making your products last longer.