Apple is NOT Allowing “Emulators” on App Store!

I debated waiting until Monday to explain this as to not rune your weekend but I decided it’s half over and don’t want you to start Monday on a bad foot.

Guideline changes for Apple Developers were first brought to light by 9to5 Mac. The Apple Developer Guidelines Update doesn’t say what you think it does. The reasoning behind the changes in section 4.7 in Apples New developer guidelines are to and I quote “support updated policies, upcoming features, and to provide clarification.” If you try to read what’s not between the lines this could get confusing. This will allow vendors to use an individual emulator to emulate their own catalog. For example Sega already has games on the iPhone but each game runs on an individual emulator to make the rom run. They own both the rom and the emulator. With this update a company like Sega or Nintendo through NSO or any other publisher could offer ROMs from their library to be downloaded into an emulator which can house multiple games.

It states in section 4.7 “software that is not embedded in the binary” examples then “retro game console apps can offer to download games” followed up with “such software complies with Guidelines and all applicable laws”.

We know emulation is legal it’s what you emulate that creates an unlawful operation. These Retro Game Console apps are allowing the downloading of ROMs for emulation. You will have to be the owner of the property you are allowing others to download and emulate. What I see coming from this is publisher stores similar to EPIC opening up allowing and you to emulate from their library of ROMs for you to purchase games then play those games within their emulator.

This rule change only allows the emulators every Retro Gamer wants to think it does if you only read “retro game console apps” and leave out the rest of the policy including the end of the sentence that states “can offer to download games”. Apple loves making their own rules and doing whatever they want. That being said I’m sorry to say they aren’t even brazen enough to violate the policies of publishers they continually work with.

Sorry to drop the bad news next to the mic.

GameOn

Tech Crunch:

Apple changes App Store rules to allow retro game emulators globally | TechCrunch

9to5 Mac:

App Store guidelines now allow game emulators; more

Engadget:

Apple officially allows retro game emulators on the App Store