Software
Apple removes thousands of mobile devices from China store: a consulting company
Apple Inc pulled 29,800 apps from its Chinese app store on Saturday, including more than 26,000 gamers, according to data from Qimai.
Retreat arrives in the midst of a ban on unlicensed gaming by the Chinese authorities.
Apple did not respond immediately to a request for feedback.
Earlier this year, Apple gave game developers a deadline by the end of June to request a government-issued license number to enable users to make in-app purchases.
China's Mobile app stores have long complied with these rules. It's not clear if Apple is introducing them exclusively this year.
In the first week of July, the mobile maker pulled more than 2,500 games from the app store. Apps impacted by the move included hits from Zynga and Supercell, the SensorTower consulting company said at the time.
The Chinese government has long tried to impose tougher controls on the gaming industry to suppress sensitive content.
The approval process for games that are intended to allow in-app transactions is lengthy and complex, affecting all but the biggest game developers, industry insiders claim.
It hurts the income of small and medium-sized players the most, but due to the difficulties of obtaining a business license, it is disastrous for the larger iOS gaming industry in China, said Todd Kuhns, Marketing Director for AppInChina, a service that helps foreign businesses market their games.
