Apple has once again rejected the Facebook Gaming app on the iOS App Store, reinforcing that the company is not as open to competition. The app was being reviewed by Apple for the past few weeks, but now the company has decided to definitely reject it.
A new report from the New York Times details how the Facebook team is not surprised by Apple’s decision, as they have been trying to launch the Facebook Gaming app on the App Store unsuccessfully since February.
Facebook Gaming offers a complete gaming platform with a dedicated social network and the ability to live stream gameplay. Furthermore, the Facebook platform also offers its own games inside the app, which would be the main cause for Apple not approving the app.
People familiar with the matter told the NYT that Apple continues to claim that the App Store rules do not allow third-party apps to distribute games as a separate platform. The report mentions that the Facebook Gaming app was rejected by Apple at least five times before the final decision.
The reason behind this, of course, is related to the fact that Apple doesn’t want its own App Store and Apple Arcade business to be affected. By allowing other companies to offer their own games stores on the iPhone and iPad, Apple would certainly lose a considerable amount of money.
Facebook Gaming may also have been hurt by appearing to compete with Apple’s own sales of games, two of the people said. Games are by far the most lucrative category of mobile apps worldwide. Apple’s App Store, the only officially approved place for iPhone and iPad users to find new games and other programs, generated about $15 billion in revenue last year.
Facebook’s story comes at the same time Apple is being accused of anti-competitive behavior for restricting the App Store business model. This week, the “Hey” email client was banned from the App Store for offering access to a subscription service that could only be subscribed to via an external website, so Apple could not charge the 30% fee for each subscription.
Apple has not yet commented on the decision not to approve the Facebook Gaming app on the App Store, but Facebook expects Apple to rethink the rejection.
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