According to an antitrust report from the U.S. House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee, former App Store director Phil Shoemaker says Apple Arcade violates the company’s own rules (via Business Insider).
Apple Arcade
Mr. Shoemaker says Apple uses its App Store review guidelines as a “weapon against competitors” and that its Apple Arcade gaming service violates those guidelines. Yet, the same type of service from competitors like Microsoft and Google have been rejected.
Google Stadia and Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass offer games that players can stream to their devices instead of downloading. Apple requires that each game be submitted separately to the App Store instead of competitors offering their own app and game stores on Apple devices.
Given that Apple allows services like Netflix and Spotify without reviewing every piece of content, why not allow a similar service for gaming? The difference boils down to the medium, according to Apple: Games are interactive, unlike music and film, and there are consumer expectations baked into the App Store related to gaming.
Apple will release more defending statements in the near future.