ScummVM on the App Store

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Apple’s approval of ScummVM, a free software engine for running classic point‑and‑click adventure and RPG games, on the iOS App Store is surprising many given its usual hostility to emulators and GPL‑licensed software. Commenters unpack Apple’s shifting and inconsistently enforced rules on code execution, DRM, and copyleft licenses, contrasting them with policies at companies like Google and noting past GPL conflicts. Others focus on the practical side: where to legally obtain old game data, why these decades‑old titles still appeal to both adults and children, and how projects like ScummVM preserve games abandoned by their original publishers.

ScummVM on the App Store & Review Rules

  • Many are surprised it passed review, given Apple’s historic hostility to emulators and arbitrary-code execution.
  • Several argue ScummVM is closer to a “content engine” or reimplemented game engine than an emulator, which may make it acceptable.
  • App Store rule 2.5.2 (no downloading/executing external code) is debated:
    • One side: running external game scripts clearly executes unbundled code.
    • Other side: the app (engine) is self‑contained; it merely loads data/scripts within its own sandbox, similar to content files.

GPL, AGPL, and Apple/Google Policies

  • Long subthread on GPLv2 vs GPLv3 and AGPL:
    • Apple is said to avoid GPLv3/AGPL entirely, and to favor GPLv2/BSD; similar aversion is claimed for Google (especially to AGPL).
    • One view: bans are pragmatic—fear of AGPL “contaminating” large internal codebases.
    • Opposing view: it’s “anti‑AGPL propaganda” to discourage copyleft so big companies can reuse OSS without obligations.
  • Apple’s use of GPL bash:
    • Some claim Apple has violated GPL by shipping binaries whose published source was incomplete (e.g., missing rootless.h, “WebKitAdditions” gaps).
    • Others counter that Apple publishes matching source (via opensource.apple.com, GitHub) and uses the GPLv2 OS exception, and note no enforcement action has materialized.

What ScummVM Actually Does

  • Clarified repeatedly: SCUMM was the original LucasArts adventure engine.
  • ScummVM is a set of reimplemented engines for many adventure/RPG titles, running original data files, not original executables.
  • This engine‑rewrite approach distinguishes it from emulator projects like DREAMM (an x86 emulator for LucasArts titles).

Getting Games & Legal Issues

  • Recommended legal sources: GOG, Steam, ScummVM’s own “freewared” game list (e.g., Flight of the Amazon Queen, Beneath a Steel Sky).
  • Some mention “abandonware” and Internet Archive; others stress that’s typically piracy, not supported by the ScummVM project.

Why People Still Care About Old Adventures

  • Fans emphasize:
    • Story, humor, puzzles, atmosphere, music, and the lack of ads/microtransactions.
    • Cartoony art styles age well; many games are still genuinely fun.
  • Several parents report kids loving Putt‑Putt, Freddi Fish, Spy Fox, etc., and prefer these over exploitative mobile games.

iOS Openness and Ecosystem

  • Some hail this release as a sign of iOS becoming more open; others say it’s just another app with external content, not a policy shift.
  • Debate over iOS vs Android:
    • Pro‑iOS: smoother UX, security, long‑term updates, integrated ecosystem, higher app quality.
    • Critics: Android superior in many ways; iOS is overly locked down and ergonomically worse in some common navigation gestures.