On Steam you keep what you've purchased forever, even if it gets taken off at a later date. I noticed Monkey Island 1&2 are no longer on the IOS app store and I'm just wondering if I can still download them because I purchased them a few years ago? It would be terrible if Apple can just stop you from downloading Software you purchased. If it turns out to be the case, it makes me not want to purchase anything from IOS, at least with Android you can install external APKs. Any ways I hope what you purchased stays on the store? I'm thinking about going back to IOS as Windows Phone has been a dire experience for the past two years, but if in fact I cannot redownload things I've purchased which have been removed, I'll probably go to Android instead. Can any one answer this? Thanx.
You need to load up itunes, transfer purchases (to a folder which is specified on itunes), then all the .ipa files are backed up there I do that the second i get a hidden emulator file and now over the years i backup all my ipas. As if you get a new iOS device (or want to install an older game from the app store) if it cant find the .ipa file it wont install it. The problem is if you dont back up your ipa and a game gets taken off the app store it probably wont be in your purchased tab. With so many websites offering free cloud storage (eg Mega with 50 gig, others with 10 or 20 gig) its easy to backup your apps all over the place. As for Monkey Island if its not under your purchased tab on the App store icon on your phone then i'm unsure how you can get it. So many people dont seem to backup their game files (ipa files), you have to do this 100% or you'll lose out on some of your past purchases
Ok, well that just puts me off using IOS again, I'll probably Pick up a Nexus or something instead then. Thanx.
Shame you're put off by it. I think its crazy that people dont backup their apps and expect every app they've ever bought to be on the app store forever.
From what I've read, apps often stick around in the Purchased tab even after they're removed from the App Store - but not all of them. I think there are different levels of removal. As others said though, iTunes backups solve the problem. That's one of the reasons I used that over iCloud backups.
The Monkey Island games should still be available from your purchase history. They're still in mine, anyway.
It's because it's a tremendous hassle. According to Apple were in a post-PC world so I should be able to do everything without an actual computer. Sorry, It's sImply BS no matter how you try to spin it.
I set my path to be my apps folder on my dropbox drive Click twice in itunes to transfer purchases and they're saved in my dropbox and uploaded. Nice and easy and no ones upset when a game you've bought from 2012 is taken off the App Store Thing is we all know apps can disappear from the App Store but not everyone seems to take that in. Give it a week and someone will be complaining an app has disappeared I mean surely people back up Gridlee ? Otherwise is they get a new device they won't be able to reinstall it
If it wasn't for this kind of bullsh*t, iOS gaming would be perfect for me. This plus older games risking being broken on new iOS upgrades really turn me off. There's no sense of "security" to play the games whenever you want anymore.
I keep backups of all my games on a hard drive (now up to 5 Tb). It is funny that some number of games that I have played off and on since 2009 still work just fine on the latest iPhone 6+ and the newest iOS. But, many of them don't work due to who knows what. But, that is the nature of electronic stuff. My SNES games don't generally save games anymore - the batteries that powered the save state I am sure have mostly died and I am not sure what I am going to do when the consoles break. Anything with a rotating platter (CD, DVD, Blurays, etc) all eventually die - they don't seem to last more than 5 or 6 years. It is the nature of things. Nothing is built to last forever... It would be nice to think a purchase I made 6 years ago would enable me to play it until many, many years from now, but just like floppy discs, cassette tapes, etc - no guarantees... Especially on the app store where developers have to pay $100 / year to keep material there. If it were me, I would only pay that fee if the app was making at least $100 / year - otherwise why would I want to lose money?
You are probably right. The problem is that I (and many others) buy too many games and exceed the space available on my device. I have to focus and stop buying until I finish my backlog(probaly won't ever lol). I don't have the storage to backup all games that I've bought (I have 216 registered on gamecenter and many more).
Can you please help me to backup my older games on itunes? I am way too dumb for that and need a step by step for morons.
I disagree. My friend still has many carts for the original NES that are still working. All of my old CD-ROM games still work if I have the correct OS. If the devs are paying $100 a year to be a developer, Apple should still keep the game on their servers for at least 5 years even if the DEV was only part of Apple for just a year.
I think the ten minutes or so it takes to connect cable to laptop and transfer new purchases is totally worth knowing I'll not lose a game. I back up once a week, and upload favourite keepers to Dropbox. It's been useful several times, esp when an update shits an app up, I just roll back to previous version. I understand you thinking it's a hassle and not wanting to be chained to PC, but until that option is available, I honestly think it's totally worth the back up time.
Lucky him/her. My SNES games work, but most wont save progress. I figured there was a battery, but have never opened a cart to see. The media lasts, but the machines dont. Replacing disc drives in a console is a royal pain. So when my PS2 CD drive dies, i dont think i will be able to get it working simply. Or the gamecube. That is one of the nice things about the carts, no moving, mechanical things to break. In my PCs, the drives are simple to replace though. I suppose Apple could do that, but i certainly understand why they dont. I imagine there would be huge legal issues with who gets royalties after the one year, trademarks, copyrights, etc.
