Apple updated its App Store guidelines to allow game emulators, but quickly removed the iGBA emulator, citing violations of copyright and spam policies, without providing further details.
The recent release of the Game Boy Advance emulator iGBA on the App Store generated significant interest, quickly rising to the top of the charts. However, the emulator faced criticism for being a subpar copy of the open-source GBA4iOS, developed by Riley Testut, and for its heavy reliance on advertisements. The emulator’s short-lived presence on the App Store highlights the challenges developers face in navigating Apple’s policies around emulators and copyrighted content.
In a social media post, Riley Testut, the developer of the open-source GBA4iOS emulator, expressed his disapproval over the approval of a copycat version, iGBA, on the App Store. Testut noted that he did not authorize the creation of this emulator, which has risen to the top of the charts despite being filled with advertisements and tracking. He sarcastically remarked on the App Review process, which failed to protect consumers from such “scams and rip-offs.”
Testut has also developed another Nintendo game emulator, Delta, which is currently distributed outside of the App Store through the AltStore platform. It is still uncertain whether Testut intends to bring Delta to the App Store after the recent rule changes.
The iGBA emulator allows iPhone users to play Game Boy games by downloading free ROMs from the internet, with popular franchises like Pokémon and The Legend of Zelda being common choices.
Nintendo’s customer support website in the US explicitly states that downloading pirated copies of its games is illegal. It’s unclear if Nintendo filed a complaint against iGBA, which may have influenced Apple’s decision to remove the emulator.
The reasons behind Apple’s removal of iGBA from the App Store are not entirely clear – it’s uncertain whether it was due to the emulator being an unauthorized clone of GBA4iOS or a complaint from Nintendo. Users who had already installed iGBA on their iPhones can continue using the app.
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