Jordan O'BrienAccording to Apple,Apple TV developers will need to support the Siri remote to gain approval to the App Store.
While some platforms, such as the Amazon Fire TV, allow game developers to use third party game controllers rather than the remote, Apple is keen to ensure customers can enjoy everything the platform has to offer.
Unfortunately, there will be some games that just won’t function as well as they should just using the remote, after all its tech is rather limited.
Apple has tried to make it as powerful as possible, including a gyro, accelerometer and trackpad to boost its gaming prowess; but some games will need more than that.
One game in particular is Activision’s Guitar Hero – which works with a third party guitar accessory, although it has not yet been confirmed if the company has found a way to forgo the accessory.
Apple could always have made a onetime deal with Activision, but that limits the scope of indie developers – the type of developers who have helped grow Apple’s platforms over the years.
Originally Apple allowed developers to make their own choice – allowing them to require a game controller as long as they supported the Siri remote to some extent, usually just to get through the menu system before being warned about needing a controller.
Apple has not given a reason behind its change of heart, but with over a month to go until the Apple TV’s launch, it could change it position once again.