Facebook, Cloud Gaming, and Apple

Companies around the world are working hard to expand their services and Facebook is not an exception. On the contrary, the California-based company is working hard to expand its services. On Monday, Facebook made an important announcement.

The social media giant announced the launch of cloud gaming on its desktop website as well as the Android app. However, Facebook is unable to bring the games to iOS what the company described as Apple’s “arbitrary policies”.

It is worth noting that, Facebook’s web and Android users try free-to-play in seconds. There is no need to leave the social network. Interestingly, users play a game that’s streamed from the social media giant’s data centers without having to first download the game onto their devices. Importantly, this idea is similar to the services offered by Microsoft and Google. However, without the console-quality games offered by those services.

People should take into consideration that, tensions between Facebook and Apple started a long time ago. Interestingly, the war of words dates to a comment by Apple CEO Tim Cook in March 2018. As a reminder, he criticized the way, social media network handled user privacy after the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Importantly, that scandal resulted in the data of 87 million Facebook users being improperly accessed.

People should keep in mind that, the company’s guidelines do not allow applications that act like third-party app stores. Moreover, it prohibits apps that distribute software as the main purpose of the app. Also, it bars code that is offered in a store or store-like interface.

The Cupertino-based company adjusted its guidelines around gaming services. Apps have the opportunity to offer a subscription to multiple games. However, Apple must approve each game and such apps should be offered in its own app.

Facebook and other companies

Let’s get back to Facebook. As mentioned above, the games are not console-quality or even close to cloud-gaming subscription services like Google Stadia, Mircosoft xCloud, and Amazon Luna.

Notably, when it comes to Facebook it offers versions of mobile games, users can already download on a phone or tablet. Moreover, users will be able to play free games using their touchscreens or mouse and keyboards.

It is worth mentioning that, Facebook will be able to make some money from in-game purchases. Notably, when users of this social media network make a micro-purchase through a cloud game. Interestingly, 30% of revenue will go to Facebook and the rest will go to the game developers. However, the social media network will not take a cut on purchases made on Android, and 30% will go to Google.