Microsoft has no plans to bring its Xbox Cloud Gaming app to the iOS platform any time soon, as there is no room for monetization on the platform, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said in an interview with The Verge.
Spencer was asked if the recent app ecosystem changes in the European Union make “room” for Xbox Cloud Gaming on iOS. He replied that monetization was an issue and that the EU’s Digital Markets Act forcing Apple’s updates does not “go far enough to open up competition.”
There’s not room for us to monetize Xbox Cloud Gaming on iOS. I think the proposal that Apple put forward — and I thought Sarah Bond’s comments on this were right on — doesn’t go far enough to open up. In fact, you might even say they go the opposite direction in some way, but they definitely don’t go far enough to open up competition on the world’s largest gaming platform.
We will continue to work with regulators, and Apple and Google, to create a space for alternative storefronts. I’m a big fan of how Windows works, and you’ve got a Microsoft Store on Windows, you’ve got Steam, you’ve got the Epic Games Store, you’ve got GOG. You have alternatives, and I think alternative ways for people to buy things creates goodness for consumers and creators. I think the largest platform for gamers, which is mobile, should have the same.
The European Union, the Digital Markets Act requires Apple to allow for alternative app marketplaces and alternative payment methods. However, all apps will also be subject to a “Core Technology Fee” of 0.50 Euro per the first installation of an app annually, waived for the first million installs.
Apple’s new rules have already gleaned quite a bit of criticism from outsiders. Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney called the changes Apple is putting into place an “anticompetitive scheme rife with junk fees.” Sweeney also called Apple’s plans, “more hot garbage.”
Apple also changed its App Store policies around cloud gaming apps. Apple now allows streaming game apps on the App Store worldwide, with the apps able to offer a selection of games from within a single app. Previously, cloud gaming services were not allowed in the app Store, and were only available via a web interface.
(Via MacRumors)