After a months-long closed beta, Facebook's cloud gaming is now live and can be run via the web app on the iPhone, with some applications being launched within the app, although this may violate Apple's guidelines.
Facebook users can now access Facebook’s cloud gaming platform by visit a specific URL and add it to their home screen. Once the bookmark is added, a special Safari window will launch with the Facebook Gaming Web app in full screen mode. The Verge notices in a new report that Facebook is in a difficult position for this emerging gaming platform. The company cannot promote the web app within the Facebook app, nor can it run the games natively within Facebook. Apple requires that all games for a streaming service must be included in the App Store, otherwise the service can only exist in a web app. Facebook's Vice President of Gaming, Vivek Sharma, commented:
Facebook Cloud Gaming Violates Apple's App Store Guidelines
We've come to the same conclusion as others: web apps are the only option for streaming cloud games on iOS right now. As many have pointed out, Apple's policy of allowing 'cloud gaming' on the App Store doesn't allow it.
Facebook has previously been critical of Apple's App Store guidelines regarding gaming. The company has said that the rules are unfair, especially since a large proportion of users would not use the app to play games. The inclusion of web games in the Facebook app appears to be a direct violation of Apple's App Store guidelines. So if the gameplay is a video stream within the app, it violates Apple's requirements that each game must have its own App Store listing. If it's random code loading - which it doesn't seem to be - that would also be a violation. So things should remain pretty exciting. (Photo by Denys Prykhodov / Bigstockphoto)
