Thoughts on the App Store (2)

buckely · Post by **buckely** » Thu Jul 08, 2010 9:53 pm

have you guys seen this?

https://premierappshop.com/#

It uses html 5 to install custom apps to your phone without jail breaking it.

shurlogg · Post by **shurlogg** » Sat Jul 10, 2010 2:39 pm

buckely wrote:have you guys seen this?

https://premierappshop.com/#

It uses html 5 to install custom apps to your phone without jail breaking it.

Unfortunately, this would involve reimplementing ScummVM based on JavaScript and HTML5, which I doubt anyone would want to do.

There already are numerous ways to get ScummVM / games supported by ScummVM onto your iOS device regardless, one even involving the AppStore:
- Jailbreak your phone and use Cydia
- Jailbreak your phone and build ScummVM yourself using the unofficial toolchain
- Get an Apple iPhone Developer Account ($99 / €79 a year) and build it yourself using Apple's official toolchain - you do need a Mac to do this, but you don't need to Jailbreak your device. 1 account is good for 100 devices, so you might as well share with some friends to reduce the costs.
- Just buy one or more of the apps that use ScummVM and are on the AppStore, like FOTAQ. There are also great remakes out there that (to my knowledge) don't use ScummVM, but work just as great, like the MI special editions.

Galawyn · Post by **Galawyn** » Mon Jan 17, 2011 8:34 am

I saw lot of technical issues against porting scummvm in appStore, but:

* multitasking in ios 4.0 should help to preserve game state

* file sharing in itunes, should help to install games into a - scummvm application (so even the licence could resolved, could have beneath a steel sky, and who want to install "proprietary rom" do it by himself)

* there are other emulators into appStore.

so, now, 2011, what are the problems to keep scummvm into cydia-like and not on appStore?

thanks

Longcat · Post by **Longcat** » Mon Jan 17, 2011 11:53 am

I urge you to read this thread, all your points have been discussed and answered before. Apple does not allow apps to execute their own code like the scripts in scumm games on ios.

fingolfin · Post by **fingolfin** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 5:37 pm

Many of these emulators are illegally on the app store, in fact. Tthe Apple App Store is by many considered to be incompatible with the GPL, the license under which ScummVM is written. See e.g. here.

Thaurin · Post by **Thaurin** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 6:26 pm

Is the GPL/AppStore incompatibility just because of the limited installation thing? I'm not very knowledgable about the GPL, but seems really petty if so. I know that there have been several GPL'ed apps in the AppStore that have been pulled because one grumpy old developer complained and had to spoil it for everyone. GPL is all very nice, but who's helped by being to nitpicky about it.

Anyway, I do have a developer account, so I'm going to try and compile it myself.

Kyahx · Post by **Kyahx** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 6:38 pm

I know that the file sharing issue is a tricky one. Apple's terms dictate that while apps CAN run interpreted code, they cannot load external files via iTunes if doing so. However, I think iDOS has shown us that it is possible to technically meet their terms while skirting the issue. The app cannot enable iTunes file sharing, but it can still look inside of it's own Documents folder for data. Users can use a third-party program (such as iPhone Explorer) to load said data without iTunes.

ScummVM could take a similar path. Offer freeware games in-app, but still load games via the app's Documents folder. Yes this would still be somewhat cumbersome, but less-so than jail-breaking (waiting for new hacks, holding off on software updates, etc...)

That only leaves the GPL issues, which can only be solved by dual-licensing their app or Apple changing their terms and allowing apps to be side-loaded onto iOS devices (which will likely happen shortly after hell freezes over). The former seems like the only option.

phunimator · Post by **phunimator** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:00 pm

Kyahx wrote:I know that the file sharing issue is a tricky one. Apple's terms dictate that while apps CAN run interpreted code, they cannot load external files via iTunes if doing so. However, I think iDOS has shown us that it is possible to technically meet their terms while skirting the issue. The app cannot enable iTunes file sharing, but it can still look inside of it's own Documents folder for data. Users can use a third-party program (such as iPhone Explorer) to load said data without iTunes.

ScummVM could take a similar path. Offer freeware games in-app, but still load games via the app's Documents folder. Yes this would still be somewhat cumbersome, but less-so than jail-breaking (waiting for new hacks, holding off on software updates, etc...)

That only leaves the GPL issues, which can only be solved by dual-licensing their app or Apple changing their terms and allowing apps to be side-loaded onto iOS devices (which will likely happen shortly after hell freezes over). The former seems like the only option.

Having used iDos myself, I have to agree with this. I think it could be possible to offer freeware/demo games with the app, and do the side-load through iPhone Explorer. It is a doddle in iDos, compared to what you have to go through with SCUMMVM currently to SSH/SFTP files over.

CharlyDic · Post by **CharlyDic** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 3:30 am

For instance, there is comic-reading app that uses ftp tranfers, not needing to use itunes. So I think it could be possible to add games this way, don't you think?

fingolfin · Post by **fingolfin** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 9:04 am

Once more folks: Technical problems are not the main issue here!

I am going to lock this thread now, as long as only the same arguments that have been brought up and countered countless times before (on this and other threads), it is just a waste of time.