App Store games in SA one step closer to reality

The Film and Publications Board (FPB) has developed new regulations for online content distribution and handed them over to the Department of Home Affairs, a spokesperson for the board recently told MyBroadband.

This follows a recent presentation to the parliamentary portfolio committee on home affairs in which the FPB said that it would meet with Apple during April 2013 regarding the classification of games in the App Store.

The whole “Games” category of apps are not available in the South African iTunes store despite other applications, music, and films now being available.

FPB CEO, Yoliswa Makhasi, told the committee that Apple had its own classification system and that the FPB was in the process of testing this for compatibility with its requirements.

Makhasi also explained that Apple had not joined a coalition of distributors that are working on a global application rating system, though it is believed that Apple is under pressure to join.

Among other things, the coalition is trying to establish a system where the apps rating of the country in which a cellphone or computer was bought would be pre-loaded for that region.

Asked for an update on the meeting with Apple, the FPB confirmed that the meeting did take place and that they are “finalising processes related to regularise the distribution of online content.”

To this end the FPB has developed new regulations for online content distribution for distributors such as Apple, which must now be considered and approved by the Department of Home Affairs, the spokesperson for the board said.