Apple set to remove thousands of games from Chinese App Store in license crackdown

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Back in February, Apple “reminded” iOS developers in China that they needed to obtain licenses prior to publishing, now the iPhone maker has explicitly said that games without a license by June 30th will be banned and removed from the local App Store. This could have far-reaching implications on the gaming industry in the country, given China’s strict rules on permitted content. Titles based on gambling, China’s imperial past or those featuring blood and corpses are not allowed, for example — and that’s a lot of games.

The move follows a similar decision by Sony, which closed its own backdoor earlier this month. As Bloomberg reports, there are some 60,000 games on China’s iOS App Store that are paid-for or offer in-app purchases, and at least a third of them don’t have a license. It’s not known how long it will take to remove these unlicensed games.

It’s also not clear exactly why it has taken Apple so long to decisively move on this matter, although as the target of multiple regulatory clampdowns and as one half of a very tenuous Apple-China relationship, the tech giant is clearly keen to avoid drawing unwanted scrutiny. It may also be trying to appease officials that took issue with a number of podcasts flagged in its App Store earlier this month.

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