Developers claim that PlayStation is particularly difficult to work with

Independent game developers have bemoaned the difficulty of working with PlayStation over Xbox and Nintendo.

Iain Garner of independent game publisher Neon Doctrine recently posted a tirade on Twitter where he suggested that getting prominent promotion on the store of a “very successful console” that “does not have Games Pass” (i.e not Xbox, and presumably meaning PlayStation) costs at least $25,000.

Video game publication Kotaku first published the story and...

2 July 2021 | Gaming

App Annie reveals the most popular SDKs following iOS 14.5’s release

Mobile data and analytics experts App Annie have shared the most popular SDKs following the release of iOS 14.5.

iOS 14.5 delivered significant new protections for user privacy which have drastically limited access to user-level data. A report from Flurry Analytics earlier this month discovered that 96 percent of iOS 14.5 users in the US are blocking ad tracking.

As to be expected, App Annie found that Apple’s own SDKs lead by unique iOS installs globally—taking the...

27 May 2021 | Developer

Class-action lawsuit could force Apple to compensate users for app prices

A class-action lawsuit filed in the UK wants to force Apple to compensate users for potentially inflated app prices.

Until recently, Apple took a 30 percent commission on all app sales. Most app developers feel the cut is unjustifiable and critics believe that it’s an abuse of Apple’s market dominance.

Apple claims the legal action is “meritless”.

Similar criticisms have been made about other app stores but Apple’s grip over its operating system means...

11 May 2021 | App Stores

Google looks set to finally release the Tiles API for WearOS

Google appears to be gearing up to finally release the Tiles API for its WearOS wearable platform.

Compared to Apple’s WatchOS, developments for WearOS are so few and far between that it often feels that Google has given up.  However, it’s clear Google hasn’t fully thrown in the towel when it comes to its wearable platform.

In 2019, (yes, 2019…) Google announced ‘Tiles’ for WearOS. Tiles are essentially widgets which offer glanceable information to the...

5 January 2021 | API

Apple refutes US antitrust report saying devs are ‘primary beneficiaries’

Apple has issued a statement in response to a US House Judiciary report which accuses the company of running a monopoly.

The report (PDF) specifically takes issue with the App Store and echoes concerns from lawmakers and developers around the world that Apple’s practices are anticompetitive.

Here is Apple’s statement in full:

"We have always said that scrutiny is reasonable and appropriate but we vehemently disagree with the conclusions reached in this...

7 October 2020 | App Stores

Huawei’s replacement for Google Mobile Services is coming along nicely

huawei android google alternative hms 5 huawei mobile services

Building a replacement to Google Mobile Services (GMS) is a gargantuan task, but Huawei is doing a rather good job.

US sanctions, as they stand, means that Huawei will no longer have access to American hardware and software going forward.

The hardware side presents challenges, but Huawei already makes important components like chipsets in-house (and they're impressive, too.)

Losing access to Google's services and having to build an ecosystem which competes with...

29 July 2020 | API

Microsoft decides games can be exclusive to Xbox Series X

Microsoft has decided that developers can make games just for the Xbox Series X, including those from first-party studios.

One of Microsoft's most debated policies for the upcoming generation is that games must also run on the PC and older Xbox One consoles. In recent weeks, that policy appeared to have softened so that third-party developers could decide what hardware to support.

First-party studios, however, still appeared to have to develop games for all the Xbox One...

24 July 2020 | Gaming

Sony games chief says next-gen is a ‘paradigm shift’ as PS5 unveiled

Sony has finally unveiled the PS5's design along with a host of games that will kick off a new generation described as a "paradigm shift".

The internet has had its usual fun with the physical design of the upcoming console. Many have pointed out that it looks like an obnoxious router, while others have likened it to a "new expensive campus," the eye of Mordor, and even an aircraft...

12 June 2020 | Gaming