Apple: Games without version numbers will be removed from the App Store in China starting August 1

Starting from July 31, Apple requires that game apps in China must enter the version number issued by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, otherwise they will be removed from the shelves. Apple has recently sent an email to developers to explain the relevant situation.

According to an email Apple sent to developers recently, according to Chinese law, games in the App Store must obtain a version number from the General Administration of Press and Publication of China. In order to make developers' paid games or in-app purchase games available on the App Store in mainland China, please enter the version number and supporting documents in the application information section of the game page in the App Store, and then submit the update in the App. Apple will re-examine on July 31, and after July 31, games that have not submitted an approved version number will be removed from the App Store in mainland China.

Recently, the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television issued a "Notice on the Management of Mobile Game Publishing Services". From July 1, mobile games that have not been approved by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television shall not be published and operated online. The upgraded works and new expansion packs of mobile games that have been published will be regarded as new works and need to be re-approved.

At that time, Apple revised the regulations to state that "according to Chinese law, games must obtain an approval number issued by the General Administration. Please provide the approval number of any paid games or games that can provide in-app purchases released in the mainland before June 30, 2020."

It is reported that Apple has long had a rule that a game must be licensed before it can be released. In 2016, Apple stipulated that according to the "Notice on the Management of Mobile Game Publishing Services" issued by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, mobile games must be approved before they can be released. However, when some games are released in other overseas regions, they can simultaneously check the "release in China" option, and they can be released in the Chinese App Store without a license. In the future, this practice will no longer work.

According to reports, Apple has frozen updates for thousands of mobile games in the Chinese App Store. In addition, there are more than 200,000 games on the Apple App Store, but only more than 20,000 games have been approved over the years. In other words, a large number of game apps may be removed from the App Store by then.