Apple removed 29,800 apps from its Chinese app store
Apple has removed a large number of games and apps from the App Store in China, a research firm has determined, with almost 30,000 apps taken down in the middle of a crackdown on games that don’t have the required government licensing to allow for in-app purchases.
Apple has been warning game developers to acquire licenses from Chinese regulators if they wish to have their products in the iOS App Store for some time, with the potential for removal from the digital marketplace if the order isn’t adhered to.
Apple in February gave app developers an initial June 30 deadline to prove they had a license for their games, and the company last month froze updates for thousands of iOS mobile games lacking an official license.
Apple on July 8 reportedly warned developers of app removals should their apps not meet regulatory requirements.
Apple sent a reminder to game developers July 8 about its plans for the removal if they didn’t meet regulatory requirements for payments by the end of the month, Qimai said, citing an email from the iPhone maker.
China is one of Apple’s largest markets for selling digital goods and services, with the iPhone maker typically taking a 30% cut from such transactions. The Cupertino, California-based company’s culling efforts highlight a more forceful stance from the Chinese government when it comes to gaming.
Before the takedown, it was thought the China App Store had around 60,000 games that required either an upfront payment or an optional in-app purchase, factors which would require the acquisition of a license. By contrast, only 43,000 licenses have been granted by the regulator in the last decade, and less than 1,600 were issued in the last year.
Online advertisers like Tencent Holdings Ltd. and ByteDance Ltd. are likely to also suffer a blow, as they can expect to lose a chunk of their gaming ad buyers.
