Many of the iPhone and iPad applications that have vanished from users’ Purchased histories are now returning to the App Store, TouchArcade reports, suggesting the whole brouhaha was but a glitch in the App Store.
Not all of the pulled games have returned, however, though some classics like Ngmoco’s games and Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 can now be re-downloaded through the App Store’s Purchased tab again.
A few days ago, people began noticing that apps and games that publishers pulled from sale have also disappeared from their Purchased history. As a result, not only were users unable to re-download their purchases to other devices but had to ensure their purchases were saved in iTunes to keep them forever.
“If an app that you own is removed from the App Store, you will no longer be able to download it from your purchase history,” an Apple spokesperson confirmed to Pocket Gamer.
In reality, if a developer pulls his or her app from sale but leaves it available on at least one local App Store, it’ll remain in the Purchased tab as a re-downloadable app.
But if an app is removed from sale on all App Stores, it won’t appear under the App Store’s Purchased tab, meaning customers who previously paid for it couldn’t re-download it.
TouchArcade explained the two degrees of removing apps from the App Store:
“The first removes it from sale, but still exists for download in purchase histories (which is the case with 99 percent of apps),” writes the publication.
“The second removes it entirely, which is what developers can use when they want to pull a game completely because it’s broken due to server issues, technical problems, or whatever else.”
As for the previously removed games like Bioshock and Ghost Trick, their developers have promised to bring them back as soon as new updates are approved by Apple. Those games still aren’t available through the Purchased tab because their developers are likely using the second option to remove them entirely.
Have some of the previously pulled apps and games re-appeared in your Purchased history?
Source: TouchArcade