The company seemed to create a new game ecosystem just 'by accident' and has presided over it like a 'contemptuous landlord' ever since. So what happened after Apple turned mobile gaming into a new money-making machine? 'Nothing,' Long said. Angry Birds, Triple Town, and New Star Soccer are among the many 'mainstream bangers' released on Apple's platform. The App Store was a boon for some mainstream blockbusters too. Thanks to the Apple Store, Zach Gage kickstarted his career with SpellTower, Adam Saltsman turned platforming into a post-apocalyptic dash with Canabalt, and Lucas Pope made puzzler Helsing's Fire before bringing the award-winning Papers, Please to the masses.

Suddenly everyone had 'powerful games machines in their pockets,' Long recalled, and some 'wonderful' developers exploited the new potential market launching their careers in the gaming business. Long said the mobile revolution started 'so well' as the iPhone and iPad arrived on the market and transformed games as much as the rest of the tech world. Despite being the company that sparked the mobile revolution, Long opined that Apple behaves like a parasitic landlord rather than a reliable platform holder. He recently told The Guardian that games are anything but a priority for Apple. Long spent seven years as an App Store games editor, so he should know Apple's business prerogatives.

As a former editor for Apple's App Store games section, Long says Cupertino isn't much interested in games despite the enormous margins it collects from developers. Why it matters: Neil Long is now a journalist running a website focused on the mobile games industry.

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