Apple Denies Paying EA to Keep Plants vs. Zombies 2 an iOS Exclusive

Patrick Klepek, reporting for Giant Bomb:

When these deals are made in the games industry, it’s often a co-marketing deal, not a briefcase full of cash. It’s possible Gibeau meant this but chose his words poorly. When asked whether Apple and EA had brokered an agreement regarding iOS exclusivity, the company would not disclose any details on its relationships.

This — an exchange of App Store promotional placement in exchange for a period of exclusivity — is almost certainly what is going on. Not sure why this has turned into a big story, though. Are people actually surprised that Apple cares about iOS exclusive titles? Are people surprised that App Store promotional placement for a game like Plants vs. Zombies is worth “a truckload of money”?

Update: Good piece by Matthew Panzarino on this kerfuffle.

★ Wednesday, 25 September 2013