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Lots of gacha game (Fire Emblem, FF) iOS updates blocked, seemingly due to insufficient rate listing

Nirolak

Nirolak

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,660
So, today, a bunch of games were getting their regularly scheduled updates, but only the Android versions actually went live, with the developers putting out notes that they ran into an unexpected iOS issue that they're working on resolving.

These games include titles such as Fire Emblem Heroes, Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, The Alchemist's Code, and some others.

People started to wonder what could have caused this after they noticed it was happening to so many titles, and then noticed that this was about the time that Apple's lootbox rate listing requirements were supposed to go into effect.

Now, while these games did list rates, there's a difference between them and the games that didn't have issues.

Here's an example of a game without a known issue:

ratesutano9vjki.png


Here's an example of a game with an update issue:

WWpWqEd.png


It seems that Apple expected each item to be detailed, not just general categories.

Assuming this conclusion is correct, this will also be impacting multiplatform titles like Hearthstone, that currently do not list anything close to sufficient by this standard.
 
Lite_Agent

Lite_Agent

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,572
Somewhere. I think.
Ah, so that's why. Interesting, guess they'll have to start listing that for FEH. Wonder when they'll do it, and why they didn't prepare for that in the first place.
 
PsionBolt

PsionBolt

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,299
Interesting. I was about to protest that FEH does list each character, but checking more closely, they're listed without a percentage next to them, so I can see the logic.

If this is really what's going on, it's a policy I definitely support.
 
Skittles

Skittles

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,274
KHUX pretty much threw it in their game immediately. That fucking list is long as shittttttt since it lists rates for every medal released.
 
Hippopuncher12

Hippopuncher12

Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,287
Cincinnati
If this is what the real reason is, I said it weeks ago at least for FFBE when they only released the blanket rarity rates. The description Apple has is every type of item needs to show the rate of getting said item. Crystals in FFBE aren't items the units are so it makes sense.
 
Conkerkid11

Conkerkid11

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
13,967
Oh shit, I didn't realize Apple had done this. Is Android gonna do the same for the Google Play store?

This is a nice step in the right direction.
 
Minsc

Minsc

Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,123
Good to see Apple still has the pull to do something like this, wouldn't mind it spreading to all platforms (granted loot box games are probably less prevalent elsewhere, but they're still out there).

Nirolak said:
Well, for when, it will be "as soon as humanly possible" due to the amount of money burning.
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Can they not just continue to earn money with the version currently for download?
 
OP
OP
Nirolak

Nirolak

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,660
Conkerkid11 said:
Oh shit, I didn't realize Apple had done this. Is Android gonna do the same for the Google Play store?

This is a nice step in the right direction.
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No, but iOS makes a lot more money, and even for Android heavy games, makes half the money, so the requirement effectively impacts both.
 
kuroneko0509

kuroneko0509

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,378
Conkerkid11 said:
Oh shit, I didn't realize Apple had done this. Is Android gonna do the same for the Google Play store?

This is a nice step in the right direction.
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don't think android will force it like apple, but considering they typically the same game, same server it'll be displayed in game anyway when they changed stuff in order to comply with apple req
 
OP
OP
Nirolak

Nirolak

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,660
Minsc said:
Can they not just continue to earn money with the version currently for download?
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They can, but no one pulls for old units, they pull for the new ones being added.

And some games aren't even up right now because their servers need the new client version to function.
 
MiTYH

MiTYH

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,598
KoolAid said:
FEH update is out, so it might not be that.
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It's possible Apple didn't give a hard deadline, but is instead delaying updates and sending word to the developers that it'll eventually be held back unless this information is provided. Like this is a strike 1 warning, being delayed
 
MarioW

MarioW

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Nov 5, 2017
1,155
New Zealand
I had a meeting with Apple about the new loot box rules in January and they specifically said category/rarity level percentages were fine.
 
Lite_Agent

Lite_Agent

Member
Oct 26, 2017
4,572
Somewhere. I think.
Hmm... come to think of it, I think Nintendo would've delayed the FEH update for Android too if there was an issue on that end, since the update was apparently submitted on February 25th, so they had ample time to make changes had they received negative feedback from Apple. I doubt they sent the update to Apple lotcheck mere hours before release time.

So yeah... I dunno.
 
MarioW

MarioW

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Nov 5, 2017
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Porygon said:
This is good to know, thanks

Maybe they changed their minds? Just a random coincidence?....
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Maybe, and occasionally there is inconsistent interpretation of rules.

I'd suggest this is just a period of greater scrutiny and enforcement causing a spike in review times meaning devs expecting things in review for less than a day (the usual for years) have been caught out.

We have had a game update in review now for 3 days. It has a gacha but it lists out the percentages for each individual item. So it is evidence to the contrary of the OP, and suggestive of just general delays.
 
Einbroch

Einbroch

Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,000
Can't wait to see what the actual FGO rate up is instead of 'lol its higher we promise'.
 
ara

ara

Member
Oct 26, 2017
13,017
Huh, I had no idea Apple was going to be putting guidelines like this in place. Sounds like a good decision.
 
Porygon

Porygon

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,028
Mexicali
In their guidelines they have the following

"Apps offering "loot boxes" or other mechanisms that provide randomized virtual items for purchase must disclose the odds of receiving each type of item to customers prior to purchase."
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Which is consistent with what MarioW mentioned... So no idea why those apps got their updates delayed, since they disclose the odds of type of items.
 
Kouriozan

Kouriozan

Member
Oct 25, 2017
21,123
It might not be coincidence that Dissidia mobile just added that as well, in their latest update.
 
GG-Duo

GG-Duo

Member
Oct 27, 2017
886
So are there any FEH players that can tell us what has changed in this update?
 

Deleted member 36578

Dec 21, 2017
26,561
Skittles said:
KHUX pretty much threw it in their game immediately. That fucking list is long as shittttttt since it lists rates for every medal released.
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I'm all for these games to be forth coming and reveal the true rates for everything. But that's silly if all the rates are the same ,for example, a 4* item in a gatcha game, ifthe devs have to list every single item in that list.

GG-Duo said:
So are there any FEH players that can tell us what has changed in this update?
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Updated mine. New blessed gardens thing is up. No idea what its all about yet.

Oh wow. And huge maps with more than 4 member battles. Crazy update.
 
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sibarraz

sibarraz

Prophet of Regret - One Winged Slayer
Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
18,108
A 0,056% is desheartening, like, why bother?
 
Auros01

Auros01

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Nov 17, 2017
5,509
I have my issues with Apple but I still appreciate it when I see them do things like this.
 

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Vex

Vex

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,213
This is actually huge. Can dodge a lot of shitty gacha/loot crate games like this. Motherfuckers better think twice before making an item drop rate 1/100000000000 now.
 
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