Apple denied approval for Valve's Steam Link app after its initial grant, citing conflicting business interests.
Almost every month we hear about another app that Apple blocks from its store, and most of the time the company provides a proper explanation, or at least a satisfactory one. Usually, conflicts don't arise between Apple and another major company, but this time it has taken on Valve.
The Steam Link app recently launched for both iOS and Android, and it will allow users to stream games from their PC to another device using just their LAN. Valve already has a physical device that can do this, so it's not something entirely new.
Valve issued a statement explaining why the app was blocked from the store, but the reason is far from transparent. The truth is, Apple's reasons are rarely transparent.
“On Monday, May 7, Apple approved the Steam Link app for release. On Wednesday, May 9, Valve released news about the app. The next morning, Apple revoked its approval citing business conflicts with the app guidelines, which were allegedly not made by the original review team. Valve appealed, explaining that the Steam Link app simply functions as a LAN-based remote desktop application similar to many desktop already available in the App Store. Ultimately, the appeal was denied, leaving the Steam Link app for iOS blocked.”
As you can see, Apple is not stating anything, except for business interests. The app is a very advanced remote, since there are no in-app payments. On the other hand, users can use the app to connect to the main platform and purchase applications from Steam.
Since Apple wants 30% of in-app payments, the company may feel like it's not getting its fair share. One thing is for sure. The only thing Apple stands to gain from all of this is a lot of bad publicity.
