The article discusses the story of Riley Testut, a developer who created an app called Delta that allows users to play retro video games on their iPhones without jailbreaking. The app was initially rejected by Apple due to its use of emulators, but after a change in App Store policy, Apple allowed Delta to be listed in the store. As a result, Delta became the number one app in the App Store, earning millions of downloads and over $13,000 per month on Patreon.
The article highlights the significance of Testut’s achievement as a way to show that consumers can have a close relationship with developers through platforms like Patreon. This approach allows developers to earn money directly from their customers without having to deal with the bureaucracy of the App Store.
Furthermore, the article touches on the broader implications of game emulation and preservation. Game emulators allow players to run old games on modern devices, which is crucial for preserving software that may be lost to time if not digitized. The article notes that often, the only way to preserve a 40-year-old game is to rip the software from the old cartridge and build an emulator that can run it.
The story of Delta highlights the tension between Apple’s strict policies on app development and the creative efforts of developers like Testut who are pushing the boundaries of what is possible. The article concludes by suggesting that there may be many more stories like this waiting to be uncovered, with the potential for new apps and innovations emerging as a result of changes in App Store policy.
Key points:
- Riley Testut created an app called Delta that allows users to play retro video games on their iPhones without jailbreaking.
- The app was initially rejected by Apple due to its use of emulators, but after a change in App Store policy, Apple allowed Delta to be listed in the store.
- As a result, Delta became the number one app in the App Store, earning millions of downloads and over $13,000 per month on Patreon.
- The story highlights the significance of Testut’s achievement as a way to show that consumers can have a close relationship with developers through platforms like Patreon.
- Game emulators allow players to run old games on modern devices, which is crucial for preserving software that may be lost to time if not digitized.
