For an example, the huge success that came from the original Diner Dash games. They weren’t online and they had no in-app purchases, so they wouldn’t need upkeep or support – why not keep them on the app stores? From my recollection, they were hugely popular. What would be the harm in keeping them available to download on a new system?
In: Technology
The operating system is changing. Things that use to be fine are no longer allowed. That leaves 2 options, allow legacy support (generally there is a reason the features are no longer supported), or dont allow old apps to run. Phones opted for option 2 generally, and since the app wont run on the device, why show it when that device searches on the app store?
They likely stop working on newer phones and the developers don’t see any value in updating them so that they will.
They do need upkeep and support to continue working with the OS.
Mobile OSs change frequently and with much less concern for backward compatability than desktop ones. Even on those dames start running into issues without upkeep.
Operating systems change over time, and software needs to be updated to stay compatible with the operating system.
Laws change over time. Sometimes software will need an update to comply with a new privacy regulation.
Also: there’s a cost associated with keeping many games live. The producer may need to keep servers active, do customer service, etc.
At some point, the amount of money generated by the game isn’t enough to justify the ongoing work, so the game gets taken down.
Of course, this happens with all sorts of software on all sorts of systems. You’ll hear about companies “not supporting” older browsers, stuff like that.
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