In a bit of an interesting move, Apple has removed its Texas Hold'em game from the App Store, potentially marking the end of the only game Apple ever produced on its own for the App Store.
Texas Hold'em began life as a game for non-iOS iPod models, debuting in late 2006. As Apple introduced the iPhone just a few months later, rumors circulated that Apple was getting serious about gaming, in part evidenced by its in-house work on Texas Hold'em for the iPod.
When Apple officially launched the App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch in 2008 to allow third-party developers to create apps for iOS, Texas Hold'em appeared as a debut title with greatly enhanced functionality over the traditional iPod version, further fueling claims of Apple's interest in pursuing game development of its own.
Apple's early interest in producing its own games for the iPod and later iOS appear to have stemmed from concerns over its ability to attract third-party developers to the platform, or at least to provide those developers with an example of what could be done on the devices. As large developers such as EA and Gameloft and a host of smaller developers all flocked to the platform, Apple undoubtedly quickly discovered that it did not need to support its devices with its own gaming content.
Unsurprisingly, Apple has not released any information on the reason behind the disappearance of Texas Hold'em, which sold for $4.99 and was last updated in September 2008. A dedicated page about the game remains active on Apple's site at this time, although it is not featured on or linked to from other App Store pages on the site.
(Thanks, Travis!)
Update: Apple has now removed the Texas Hold'em feature page from apple.com.
Saturday August 16, 2025 6:45 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Apple smart home hub concept
This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system.
In a report this week, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform will blend...
Last week, Apple released and then pulled a software tool that accidentally contained identifiers for many unreleased devices and chips, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. His findings included new models of the Studio Display, Apple TV, Apple Watches, Apple Vision Pro, iPad mini, HomePod mini, and more.
Here is what was uncovered in the file, according to MacRumors contributor ...
Monday August 18, 2025 11:59 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
The seventh developer beta of iOS 26 is now available. While we are now in the later stages of the iOS 26 beta cycle, there are still some changes.
Below, we outline everything new that we have found in iOS 26 beta 7 so far.
Redesigned Blood Oxygen Feature
The seventh developer betas of iOS 26 and watchOS 26 include a redesigned Blood Oxygen feature on Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch ...
Alleged images of the iPhone 17 Pro Max's internal design have surfaced, offering a potential look inside the device before it is announced by Apple next month.
The images were shared by the account "yeux1122" this week, in a blog post on the Korean platform Naver. The account aggregates Apple rumors and leaks, so it is likely not the original source of the images, and it is unclear if they...
Apple is expected to delay the launch of its base iPhone 18 model until spring 2027, marking a major shift in the company's long-established release cycle, according to South Korea's ETNews.
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At least one new Apple Watch model launching next year will feature a "significant redesign," according to Taiwanese supply chain publication DigiTimes.
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As we wait for WWDC to kick off next Monday, Apple today announced the winners of its annual Apple Design Awards, recognizing apps and games for their innovation, ingenuity, and technical achievement.
The 2025 Apple Design Award winners are listed below, with one app and one game selected per category:
Delight and Fun - CapWords (App) and Balatro (Game)
Innovation - Play (App) and PBJ -...
The game looks dated like a CD-ROM game from 1996. I'm sure it didn't live up to Apple's standards anymore when compared to what else was available. Most of the reviews in the past year were bad anyways and complaining about how it hasn't been updated.
I just ena apple support, requesting reimbursement for the $4.99 I spent on this app. Will post once I receive a response.
You likely won't get a refund. Especially if you bought it back when it first released.
The TC says all sales are final. It also says that apps could be removed from the store for a number of reasons including the developer wants it removed. It doesn't stop working if it is removed from the store after all. Also the version of iOS it was made for is rather clear from the last update date, the requirements etc so it is isn't working so awesome you should have been able to guess that could happen from the last update being 3 years ago.
Basically you have zero grounds to demand a refund, you won't likely get one and they will probably politely say no and suggest you read the TC you agreed to when you created your account and many times since then. Yeah yeah you didn't bother reading it any of those times. You still agreed to follow them.
Here are some reasons:
- Apple does no longer see iDevices as gaming devices. (http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/11/06/doom_game_creator_suggests_apple_embarrassed_about_iphone_gaming.html)
That's a two-year old quote from Carmack. I tend to doubt that is still the prevailing opinion of Apple execs, if it even was truly the prevailing opinion at the time.
Damn. I play this all the time and was hoping for an update soon. It's hasnt worked properly for a while now. Winning a table and taking 12BB to the final is no good to anyone.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.
