After the recent unwrapping of the Apple TV, Apple followed it up by calling for interested developers to build apps and games using its new operating system tagged as tvOS. However, there is a huge catch.
Along with its announcement for app developers, the Cupertino-based company also published guidelines for the apps/games' remote and controller interaction, icons, visual design, navigation and interface elements.
The "Remote and Interactions" section highlights the required differentiation between click and tap, the restriction using standard gestures when performing non-standard actions, defining new gestures in relevance to the app and the usage of the tap gesture position in facilitating navigation and gameplay when appropriate.
For visual design, Apple specifies that the user interface for the app must be optimized for a 1080p (1920 by 1080) resolution, which suggest a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9.
"All assets should be @1x," the "Visual Design" section adds.
Apple puts weight in reminding developers to make sure that the app does not require users to switch to other input devices. Much more emphasis, however, was placed in the integration of the Siri Remote's touchpad into software applications that will be developed.
"Game controllers are optional purchases that people may or may not make. But every Apple TV has a remote. If you support game controllers in your app, you must make the remote usable as a game controller too," written in bold within the Apple guidelines.
Only controllers that meet Apple's MFI controller specifications for iOS 7 can be used. While other third-party developers have released their version of the controller, Apple is currently advertising the Steelseries Nimbus controller on Apple TV's product page.
The guidelines also listed the expected game controller behavior for apps and games, along with a layout of what meets the company's standards.
However, in reference to the guideline excerpt above, Apple's stipulation that every app/game should usable/playable with the Siri Remote created some confusion since the remote's touchpad, with its size, has limitations as a game input device that can severely impact gameplay.
Although some found a wokaround that was stated within the guidelines, the once-written solution — game controller-restricted applications only showing up on the menu in the presence of a full game controllers — no longer exists.
"Your game must support the Apple TV remote. Your game may not require the use of a controller," Apple wrote in place of the workaround.
Apple's insistence on using the remote will have developers scrambling to make it usable (if that's even possible) on titles akin to Bioshock Infinite, Assassin's Creed, Witcher 3 and other action-heavy adventure games — trimmed down with less grand graphics, of course.
