Apple has removed a large number of games and applications from the Chinese application store, with nearly 30,000 applications and games without permission due to government requests. According to AppleInsider, data research company Qimai announced after a warning in June that Apple downloaded a total of 29,800 applications from the Chinese version of the App Store on Saturday, including more than 26,000 games.
Game deletion began on July 1. For unlicensed applications, the device must stop updating the application in the application store so users can use it. According to Reuters, Apple scanned more than 2,500 applications and games in early July, including games from large companies such as Supercell and Zynga.
Apple has been relatively slow to comply with the rules, allowing games to work in the App Store despite regulatory requirements to restrict access to licensed games. In contrast, the Google Play Store has restricted access to storefronts since 2016.
The possibility that all games taken down from the App Store get a license from the regulator is very fragile because the application process is relatively difficult and expensive for non-Chinese companies, with The game also needs to follow a number of rules, from avoiding political topics to the appearance of the character.
Prior to the takedown, analysts said that the Chinese App Store had about 60,000 games that require prepaid payments or in-app purchase options, which require re-licensing. In contrast, only 43,000 licensed apps and games were issued by the regulator over the past decade, with fewer than 1,600 last year.