Japan's Fair Trade Commission is investigating allegations that Apple pressured Yahoo Japan into pulling back from its Game Plus platform in the country, reports Nikkei.

Yahoo last fall submitted complaints about its Game Plus platform, a web-based service first launched in July 2017. Game Plus is designed to let users play games without needing to download a full app.

yahoogamesplus
52 companies were participating in Games Plus at launch, according to Nikkei, including major game makers like Square Enix, and Yahoo initially planned to expand the platform into other areas, like business software.

Yahoo cut its Game Plus budget last year and pulled back on promotions for the service. According to Yahoo, it did so because of "pressure behind the scenes from Apple." Such a platform competes with the App Store, where Yahoo also offers apps for sale.

Japan's Fair Trade Commission is said to be gathering information on the situation, which it says "may constitute interference in Yahoo's business prohibited by the Anti-Monopoly Act."

Nikkei says it's unclear how the investigation will proceed, as Japanese investment company SoftBank, a major Yahoo shareholder has stepped in to mediate. Companies also often hesitate to work with authorities, according to an attorney that spoke to Nikkei, which can make it difficult to prove wrongdoing.

Tag: Japan

Top Rated Comments

mi7chy Avatar
90 months ago
We've gone full circle.

Early mobile devices started out underspecced and not being able to render web sites properly then came about apps as helpers to display the web site in a simplified view. Now, devices are sufficiently powerful enough and mobile Chrome browser near parity with desktop version that the industry is shifting back to web apps with things like Android Go and web apps like code.org ('http://code.org').

I can see why companies that profit from locking down users to only their app store that take a % from sales and from expensive storage tiers would be very reluctant to adopt an open web app ecosystem without the need for local storage tiers.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
3304614 Avatar
90 months ago
I doubt it is even true, and yahoo is frankly responsible for years of managerial missteps going all the way back to Jerry Yang’s idiotic refusal of a Microsoft buyout.
Yahoo! is a malware company as far as I'm concerned, with both the Yahoo!-branded browser hijackers and the other malware that puts Yahoo! links everywhere on Windows PCs, which they must somehow be funding. Wouldn't be surprised if their iPhone app were malicious. Their stuff should be banned from every store.

If it were any company besides Yahoo! making these accusations, I might kinda believe them.
Yahoo! Japan was a separate company from Yahoo! They were separate companies with separate management teams. They shared the Yahoo! name and Yahoo! had a minority equity stake in Yahoo! Japan, but they were separate companies.

And I say "was/were/had" because Yahoo! doesn't even exist anymore. The old Yahoo! core assets are now part of Verizon and the non-core assets (including the Yahoo! Japan minority equity stake) are now part of the investment holding company Altaba.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pipis2010 Avatar
90 months ago
('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/08/15/apple-japan-anti-competitive-investigation/')


Japan's Fair Trade Commission is investigating allegations that Apple pressured Yahoo Japan into pulling back from its Game Plus platform in the country, reports Nikkei ('https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Companies/Apple-probed-in-Japan-over-anti-competitive-behavior').

Yahoo last fall submitted complaints about its Game Plus platform, a web-based service first launched in July 2017. Game Plus is designed to let users play games without needing to download a full app.



52 companies were participating in Games Plus at launch, according to Nikkei, including major game makers like Square Enix, and Yahoo initially planned to expand the platform into other areas, like business software.

Yahoo cut its Game Plus budget last year and pulled back on promotions for the service. According to Yahoo, it did so because of "pressure behind the scenes from Apple." Such a platform competes with the App Store, where Yahoo also offers apps for sale.

Japan's Fair Trade Commission is said to be gathering information on the situation, which it says "may constitute interference in Yahoo's business prohibited by the Anti-Monopoly Act."

Nikkei says it's unclear how the investigation will proceed, as Japanese investment company SoftBank, a major Yahoo shareholder has stepped in to mediate. Companies also often hesitate to work with authorities, according to an attorney that spoke to Nikkei, which can make it difficult to prove wrongdoing.

Article Link: Apple Facing Investigation in Japan Over Accusations of Anti-Competitive Behavior ('https://www.macrumors.com/2018/08/15/apple-japan-anti-competitive-investigation/')
That’s the kind of BS I don’t like from conglomerates like Apple and such unfair practices...so Apple isn’t a “saint” after all...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Elijen Avatar
90 months ago
It forbids them from offering apps for the iPhone, so yes, it definitely contributed.
If their entire business plan was to break Apple App Store guidelines they deserve to fail.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
acorntoy Avatar
90 months ago
We've gone full circle.

Early mobile devices started out underspecced and not being able to render web sites properly then came about apps as helpers to display the web site in a simplified view. Now, devices are sufficiently powerful enough and mobile Chrome browser near parity with desktop version that the industry is shifting back to web apps with things like Android Go and web apps like code.org ('http://code.org').

I can see why companies that profit from locking down users to only their app store that take a % from sales and from expensive storage tiers would be very reluctant to adopt an open web app ecosystem without the need for local storage tiers.
That’s what makes this so interesting for me, Steve Jobs originally wanted web apps, and when it wasn’t working they switched. It looks like Apple got mad at them for doing what Apple originally wanted the iPhone to be.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fairuz Avatar
90 months ago
[Edit: I didn't know Yahoo! Japan was a separate company from Yahoo!]

Yahoo! is a malware company as far as I'm concerned, with both the Yahoo!-branded browser hijackers and the other malware that puts Yahoo! links everywhere on Windows PCs, which they must somehow be funding. Wouldn't be surprised if their iPhone app were malicious. Their stuff should be banned from every store.

If it were any company besides Yahoo! making these accusations, I might kinda believe them.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
iPhone Car Key Kia

Here's Which Vehicles Offer iPhone Car Keys

Sunday July 6, 2025 3:03 pm PDT by
In 2020, Apple added a digital car key feature to its Wallet app, allowing users to lock, unlock, and start a compatible vehicle with an iPhone or Apple Watch. The feature is currently offered by select automakers, including Audi, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and a handful of others, and it is set to expand further. Apple has a web page with a list of vehicle models that ...
iphone 17 pro render majin bu

New iPhone 17 Pro Renders Highlight Apple Logo and MagSafe Design Changes

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:43 pm PDT by
New renders today provide the best look yet relocated Apple logo and redesigned MagSafe magnet array of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Image via Majin Bu. Several of the design changes coming to the iPhone 17 Pro model have been rumored for some time, such as the elongated camera bump that spans the full width of the device, with the LiDAR Scanner and flash moving to the right side. ...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Friday July 4, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are just over two months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models. Latest Rumors These rumors surfaced in June and July:Apple logo repositioned: Apple's logo may have a lower position on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro models, compared to previous...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...